Brett Macfarlane

Dreaming and Doing

Without really realizing it we just marked three years in London. An occasion born from my original placement in Paris. 

 

 

This year has been one of those years to take stock of what the past years have brought us and all the many many things learned along the way that we never would have known if still in comfortable Vancouver. 

 

The hard thing about all the lessons learned through doing hard things is the challenge to relate them to friends and colleagues after the initial curiosity quickly fades.  Truth is how can you translate, without extreme boredom, such personal and individual experiences. 

 

My fear is that all the little things from everyday will some day start to feel ordinary.

 

My hope is that having joined one of the planet's most exciting emerging creative dynamos full of Dreamers and Doers that life will be anything but ordinary. 

 

So maybe it is time to re-grasp for myself the classical spirit of blogging. The unpolished and often unformed points. The observations, noticing and random of life. Maybe the mundane, maybe insane, maybe neither. 

 

I am going to dissolve the artificial wall between work and non work life. There will be some work things, some food things, events and activities, some boring stuff about natural wine, probably things related to my book Everyday Paris and undoubtedly travel bits. Whatever seems worth noticing for myself. Maybe, just maybe, you'll find it interesting.

 

It won't be over polished or conceptualised.  It won't be overly self aware, it might come accross as pompous at times, trite at others.  Not by design but that's how it may seem, to you.  The stretch is the point.

 

Right, so let's see how this goes. 

Hemingway: 10 Lost Lessons for Young Writers

One damp, dark and bone chilling winter day in Paris last year I ducked into La Galcante. Possibly my favorite shop in Paris.  Hidden in the middle of the heart of Paris' 1ere arrondissement on Rue de l'Arbre Sec.  Tucked behind the oft visited Spring Boutique where I'd stock up on and learn about wine during my time living there.

La Galcante's reason to exist is historic journals and ancient documents. Newspapers, engravings and magazines from the past couple hundred years.  Equal part museum and treasure hunt.  Most all from "mechanized" eras focusing on culture, war and politics.

In La Galcante are collections of boxes labeled by theme - a person, place or event.  A functional way to collate clippings and publications devoted to an individual.

Buried deep in a box shared by Earnest Hemingway and Orson Welles was edition number 662 of Artes published March 19 to 25 in 1958. A seemingly since deceased publication.

Hemingway, the man and his myth are as closely intertwined with Paris as any other artist.  A vicarious window for many into Paris during its most recent truly golden age.   A vision into the modern construct and lore of the lifestyle of an American writer.

The article lists his 10 punchy pieces of advice for young writers.  Loosely translated as follows: 

1. Be in love.

2. Apply yourself to writing with force.

3. Watch the world and mingle closely with life.

4. Intermix with upcoming writers.

5. Don't waste your time.

6. Listen to music and look at paintings.

7. Read constantly.

8. Don't look to explain.

9. Listen to your pleasures.

10. Shut up.  The sense kills the creator of words.

While Hemingway wrote a lot, he rarely wrote about how he wrote - though writing did feature in a number of his semi-autobiographical fictions.

The accompanying article also chronicles exactly how he writes in his Havana flat.  450 to 1,250 words a day, every day.  Not the most prolific but not so much as to get in the way of living a life that gives one something to write about.

Great tips for a writer, and for life in general.

 

Becoming French

It was just the other night when interacting with a police office, it occurred to me that I had become fully French.  Was doing things once unthinkable for me.

While there is a curiously large genera of generic and boring books by Anglos complaining about all things France, I moved here to experience first hand all things French.

While I will never be French by blood, some major milestones seem to have quietly passed indicating adopting French-ness in my way of being.

- When a police officer lectures me not to ride my bike the wrong way down a street rather than apologize as a polite Canadian should I respond challengingly with comment? (a sarcastic version of WHAT?) and inform him the signage needs to be improved and it is his duty to do so to protect the safety off people such as I.

- Sometimes I will now walk two steps into the street, then look up at what traffic is coming.

- I will discuss with my fromagier between the Brie Mieux and the Brie Melun which is more in season and whether any come close to the superior Coloummiers (which is made but a few KMs away.)

- When my frommagier refuses to cut my Coloummiers into quarters I don't quietly accept the half, I keep asking "C'est pas possible?" maybe throwin in a shrug or two until he relents and quickly cuts in down to the desired size.

- Find 8pm a normal time to be at the office, but locked out if arriving at 8am.

- Believe a one hour lunch is a right and 2 hours acceptable but feel guilt when eating at my desk for disrespecting the food I eat.

- Will drink a glass of wine at lunch (not daily, but sometimes...)

- Consider champagne perfectly acceptable for a weeknight without need of an occasion or the belief it is in any way decadent.  Simple appropriate for what we are eating.

- Will fight to the death that a grape growth on one side of a hill versus the other will yeild a better wine, intrinsically not because of artificial snootiness.

- Have a drawer of scarves for every season.  Never leaving home without one.

- Despite 20 moto-scooters and swarms of zooming cars will put nose in the air and cycle directly accross any roundabout (Opera, Bastille, Republique, etc. ) knowing I have the right of way and confidence everyone will allow passage.  They will only honk or cut you off upon your hesitation. (Never hesitate.)

- Have adobted an esoteric hobby (collecting 1920s and 30s sports photography.)

- Own a professional grade set of boules for petanque

- Love a goot protest.

French culture and society is impressively strong and set in its ways. Bless them for it.  It is what I love about them. It is what makes the country what it is.  Gives a profound identity and shorthand for what France and the French are all about. A strength indentity and conviction most countries lack, all countries would kill for.

And serioulsly, Liberté Egalité Fraternité, is the greatest strap line in the hisotry of communications.

The Inaugural Tour de Paris

With the early arrival of summer sun and the scheduled annual return of tourist flocks this weekend was a good time to explore unexplored parts of Paris.

This city, while maddening at times just as frequently offers elements that comprise the best of urban living.  At the top of the list of brilliance is Velib’, the now much duplicated bike sharing scheme. 

The Velib’ system and my scan card were reason to arrange an adventure.  While Paris is about 8 intimate KMs across, the circumference was a mystery to me, much because of the fortress of automotivity La Periphique.  A modern fortress wall ringing the city. 

The mission was simple, circle the outermost reaches of the city.  The areas many cross but few notice.  An exercise in nothing more than fulfilling curiosity.  Tracked by reapplying the app Skitracks.

Stage 1

La Tour de Paris started with a short Prologue from home to the dry cleaner.  Just to get the legs going and  complete a quick chore

Stage 2

From my cleaner near Centre Pompidou the second stage finished at Bercy Park.  Once the sprawling wine warehouse district it was “modernized” in the 90’s to a centre of chain restaurants and dull shops.

Stage 3

The charm of Paris was abruptly lost as the Eastern edges of the city host heavy industry on the banks of La Seine.  Home to the plants, that make the aggregates, that make the foundation on top of which the gorgeous zinc bars of St. Germain sits so confidently.

Stage 4

A comforting return to Haussmann fingerprints as 6 story buildings stand at attention lining the boulevards.  This stage finished dramatically at the ancient book market where I furthered my collection of old original sports photography and journals.

 

Some amazing shots from 1927 to 1929 editions of Le Mirior des Sports.

This was also the first feeding station as heralded baker Poilân has one of their three shops here in this most distant of outposts where vendors wonder how you discovered them.

 

Stage 5

One of the longest stages along the massive boulevard housing the above ground tram, its lawn and superb vacant bike lanes.  Great cruising right across the Western reaches of La Seine.

Stage 6

Where Bois de Vincennes on the East side is the classy park, Bois de Boulogne on the West of the city up against the ritziest of neighbourhoods is certainly the sleazy older brother.  Renown for the peering eyes of prostitutes lining the forest edges.

Stage 7

The first mountain stage, climbing behind Montmartre was unremarkable except for the vibrant Turkish neighbourhood at the end serving as the second feeding stop.  The Turkish lemon soda that seemed to be a good idea, was a bad idea.

Stage 8

While one almost always feel truly safe anywhere in Paris this is the one area you are likely a bit on edge.  Housing tenements, shoeless prostitutes and homeless men guzzling 1 Euro bottles of wine over Backgammon atop carbord box tables.  The forgotten corners of Paris.

Stage 9

From the upper-right reaches on the well redeveloped canals of Port de Villette the second mountain stage with long long stretches of ripped up boulevards and car chocked roads. 

Le Fin

While hundreds heavily armed riot police keep casual eye on a protest it was time to conclude they way many things end, or start in France.  Avec une verre de champagne.

So, that was the inaugural Tour de Paris.  If you come to Paris on vacation there certainly are better things to do.  If you want to see the unknown parts of Paris on the most low performance but high style bikes going, well I can only say “bonne courage.”  You will finds markets no book writes about, thriving ethnic communities and quaint neighbourhoods that seem worlds away from the centrall masses of Paris.

The distance?  50.7KM.

Venetian Skate Gang

A lazy Sunday in Venice wandering the back streets of Rello Santa Sofia.  Where Venetians live like they always have, since long before the industrial tourism complex swallowed much of their swamp.

A small skate session, the best dressed skate session of all time, takes place.  Global culture localized at its finest.

Three boys, two skateboards and one self apointed instructor. 

Freestyling:

 

Strike a pose young man, strike a pose. 

 

A Good Day in Chamonix

This, was a good day.

 

Chamonix & Grands Montents from Brett Macfarlane on Vimeo.

Me & Skiing

Skiing has been a big part of my life.

It was the first sport I every did properly, at two years old.  Then became progressively a regular activity, a consumption, an obsession, and then ultimately led to an education and my first profession which later put me into my current profession.

My relationship with skiing has never really entered my mind until recently.  It would be what you call a passion.  Though for a lot of more recent time been hidden. I have not always loved it, at times hated it, but it has always been what I do and the circumstances around me enabled me to do so.  Nonetheless, it has greatly shaped me and I am increasingly grateful for this fact.

This year, for the first time in my life, I went on a ski vacation.  Two weeks dedicated to skiing.  Sure I have skied over 200 days in single years, skied in every month of the year and travelled to places without a competitive or professional objective to just ski, freely.  But this was different, a real ski vacation with no obligation, two weeks in the mountains when the mountains are no longer close.  Skiing  for the joy of it, the challenge and the ancillary activities were the focus.

Breaking out of the routine of the sport and thinking about its significance, to me, personally, has been really valuable over the past couple weeks.  There is something physically about being in the mountains that rejuvenates.  There is something mental that puts pieces in order.

In many ways how I ski now, and probably always was, an allegory for life.  I no longer do any of the skiing I used to, that be running race courses, but still enjoy freeskiing the groomed runs.  However, I am drawn more and more to the investment of hiking off to an untouched peak or couloir.  Not so much to conquor but more for the process of analysing where to go, and the journey to get there with the perpetual risk analysis of the cliffs, cornices and glaciers underfoot. The reward is the all consuming journey down the pitch spotted from afar, executing the planned turns but reacting to the snow and slide conditions that change with every turn.

I came to the mountains to think and have come away with a clear embracing of a need to pursue challenge and pursue risk, but smart risk, it as much of what I do every day as possible.  It is easy to lose in the day to day professional world where the cult of rationalization removes risk, therefore the reward.  Ultimately, when we perform a sport we are hoping to channel a sense of greatness, accomplishing something new or overcoming a fear (be it risk of falling, injury or embarrassment.)  This is a healthy drive.  A drive I see and hear from many skiers, regardless their ability from first timer to top ranked in the world.

It has been a great trip.  Personally, accomplished a lifelong obsession of skiing the Chamonix Valley and in particlar the legendary Vallee Blanch. 

It was also a visit to the past, catching old team mates, athletes I onced coached and many good current friends at a Skier-X World Cup in Les Contamines.  Gave them hugs and hi-fives, while today I see how they are doing at the X-Games in Aspen - if they win, clearly the boost of my precense made the difference.  Clearly.

It has been good, very good couple weeks.  Something in spirit to continue for the year.  Skiing is who I am, what I do, and everytime I go a reminder of what I want to be.  That is good.  Nothing too deep and philisophical, just fun and fulfilling.  Nothing more.

Anyways, back to regular blogging about advertising soon enough.

 

Modernizing the Hall of Mirrors

Faces of Versailles

Went to Versailles last Friday, took the wife for the first time for the wife, third for me. 

Amidst the throngs of people getting off a bus to quicky fulfil their lifetime dream of taking pictures around France, I always enjoy places like Versailles.  Not for all the history and facts, I forget them quickly.  For the notions born by people that form constructs we take for granted today. 

Things like John Locke's treaties on property that gave us the very idea of property - something we never think of as an idea, just part of our social order. Or in the summer outside St. Andrews drove through the home of Adam Smith - he had a fair bit to do with the whole capitalism thing.  Versailles is a great testament to many of the constructs that form civil government today.  Plus the great displays of what a great ego can construct. 

This time, I was really intrigued by the faces.  Probably because there is a Murakami exhibit at the moment, which subtled encouraged me to look at things I don't normally, at Versailles or anywhere else.

This about sums it up.  Spawns some thoughts about context, and one of the many unanswerable debates in advertising of the importance of aligned context.  No alignment here, but it abo ut sums up how well we have progressed and matured over the past handful of hundreds of years.

Then I saw this guy, his official purpose is a little nob that hold a piece of strign keeping the elaborate curtains for blocking light.  My favorite face and quality candidate as the originator of Movember.

There were many other faces.  Talk about statue clutter.  This was my final select because nobody was paying attention to it.  Following the hall of mirrors and the King's "workbench" just off it was a little ante-room.  This chap stood with dignity, wearing ony a marble cape and a nice beard.

Right then.  So that was last Friday.  Back to advertising...

La Greve!

 

The French, like any nation, are better at some things than others.  When it comes to strikes, they are the best.

I come from the home of apathy, Douglas Couplands Generation-X was actually writen about the mood of Vancouver during my formative years and Superbad was actually based on the neighbourhood I grew up in written by a couple guys around my grade at the time but at a rival high-school. 

Living in Paris, what I love is that people eagerly, regularily and loudly take to the streets.  Each morning Le Parisien publishes a map of Paris where that day's "Manifestations" will be taking place.  Yes, a newspaper, it's old school but it seems digital networks are somewhat but not primary in organization.  Both for personal security and France is still pretty slow on the digital bandwagon.  Plus, the French have an amazing cloud of knowledge perpeturally shared, a topic for another day, that for centuries has quickly and efficiently spread information around the city.

This year was a bumper crop of protests, as world news outlets did a great job over-reporting.  While huge in scale, they represented the great parts of every protest, even just the annual march of the chemists union, including kids and grandmothers all wearing smart casual clothing.

What is best is the organization and livelry. 

Lots of little Zeplins.  La CGT is usually one of the best turned out.  However, the socialists give them a run for their money:

Overall, superb art direction and must be a boon to the design industry.

One Sunday 3 million took to the streets  A complete cross section from the well dressed beurocrats the he hardy miners.  All, well fueled by the little support vehicles provided by various syndicates offering wine and sandwiches.

At a time, thanks to democritized information, we know about all the world's issues and problems like never before if often seems we worry a lot about the news about the news, but it is hard to tell if anything is happening.  The is something so wonderful about the purity of people taking to the street for their own interest.  Especially when it is an issue, like the retirement age change from 60 to 62 that is inevitable.

Now, of course it is not all peaceful and party.  There is a strong relationship between the police and the protestors.  One can tell instantly the nature of a protest based on the level of poplice (municiple to national to military) and the level of protection plus whether they smoking around the doorways of the route, or in full formation.

Fortunately we can alalyze from our window before deciding whether to go out or have another coffee.

At a time we spend so much time worrying and analyzing all the new ways we do stuff, it is very cool as an outsider seeing something that just works.  Doesn't actually need an tinkering and an app wouldn't make it better.  Even if that thing that works, is not working.

 

City Fingerprints

Nothing like the audio fingerprint of a city on a rainy day to give it your own personal sense of relationship and identity.  Today, the first good really day of consistent unending rain we've experienced in Paris.

In addition to rain, the first bites of fall are subtly drifting into the fresh morning air.  Bites of crispness accentuated by the residual hot summer air preserved in the Paris Metro.

Reminded me of my favorite sensual city finger print - the special frigid sea air of a fall Seattle day.  Brought to mind one of my favorite photographs - above - taken in Belltown in downtown Seattle, on film, last fall in what turned out to be a final time to see many good friends.

The west coast life is full of ritual brought by external forces, essentially the weather.  But not much other ritual, though certainly many trying to take root.  A draw for me to live in Europe is to experience genuine ritual driven by culture, dating back to time before the idea of culture really existed.  Whether its the liberation of Paris being celebrated this week or obscure harvest festivals in small towns or reigning of a new freeman of a city, it all makes people be who they are.

It seems, whether a society, family group or even a nascent technology, once it gets past its self aware existence and on with what it is, forgotten or taken for granted really, is when it becomes culture.  It is interesting coming from a place with so little local ritual and myth (both the religious and non-religious kind) to see just how important it is.  Elements that bond people and a group.  Elements void in a cookie cutter mid-west suburb connected only by a stop sign that prevents t-bone collisions - possibly the only potential for direct human contact in a gated community.

Whether we recognize it or not, we need our rituals. Though for a new society the race to have some or the need to round the corners through public consultation and reviews by tourism commissions ensures a lack of meaning. 

Which is why I envious of those who can enjoy one of Vancouver's newest and most untainted and genuine rituals.

But, it will be made up with attendance in the coming weeks to many editions of Europe's finest rituals - Premiere League Football.

Front Row

Life in Paris can be rather boring, but that's the point.

A city and culture hardwired with the flaneur mentality.

On Saturday my dad and I, he like me being one of those types who alway has to be doing something, wandered and sat for a coffee at Les Deux Magots each with a respective newspaper.

We did nothing while watching everything and everyone pass by and colorful folks rush off themselves somewhere to go and do nothing.

My dad has since left town, will soon be thousands of kilometers away in a place where nobody ever does nothing. Glad we had a few minutes doing just that, nothing.

Long Photo - Bike Brussels

Went to Belgium.  Didn't bike to get there but did bike once there.  Not intense cycling mind you, the sort with a basket and mud flaps.  

When exploring a city on foot you are drawn into the flow of traffic and magnetically pulled to major squares and busy streets lined with restaurants featuring photo menus, interchangeable in any city .

On the bike an effortless but brisk pace draws you down quiet streets, through parks and to where every day life happens.  It gives simply a better feel for the real city pulse.  Not the pulse planned by the tourism board with buses full of plodding flocks from Missisipi of Bavaria, the one well anticipated and pre-empted by hawkers of purses or little statues of whatever tall building or monument the locals are known for.

Yes, was a lovely weekend for two wheeled adventures.

Essentials

White Circus - Alps Edition

It's winter here in France and if you haven't heard they have some rather nice skiing.  So upon waking up aboard the night training one Saturday morning and hauling up to the top of Les Arcs I was surprised to navigate soupy fog to find nice looking pistes spotted from the chair lift.



Eventually got to my landmark and it started what proved to be a nice first day skiing the alps.
 



Naturally it all worked up an appetite so a couple light lunches throughout the day were in order.




After a good nice sleep on my light Savoie meals it was time the next morning for a serious breakfast.



Apart from apparel my ski great didn't make it over with me from Canada yet so the fine folks at the rental shop were happy to assist me with some questionable gear.  Day on I split my boot in half.  Day two, with blue skies and powder the DIN on my bindings needed a hefty crank to maximum resistance.
 



The French seem not to like fresh powder, especially 50cm of it. 
 



This lift provided 5 hours of uninterrupted fresh lines - in bound heli skiing really.   Again, bless the French and their dislike of fresh powder. 





Short hikes found exceptional tracks.





Behind this serious face is a very happy man.

Avalanche danger was extreme, very unstable.   Dissuading me from the steepest and deepest lines as I was on my own and couldn't find the avalanche self rescue app on my mobile.

But one final short hike to a nice peaks with stable looking looking slope was too tempting. 


After that, back on the train to Paris in time for early bed and off to work Monday morning.  Think I'm going to like this...

Lost in thought

Of my photos, possibly the favorite.  Ecola State Park, near Cannon Beach OR.  Lomo 120. 

The breaks in sport are as much of the experience as the act of doing the sport.  Be it the satisfaction of accomplishment upon completion or reflective moment of regeneration amidst it.  Different sports have their rituals, as much defined by the very nature and physicality of the sport as the nature of those who participate.  If you like sports, you may like these films we just did.

Dispatch: Kanazawa

Japan One Vending Maching at a Time

Gone Fishing

Interesting Sign

Was done in Portland for the weekend and Interesting Portland.  Thoughts to come...

What I love about Portland and much of the Pacific Northwest of America is  sense of industrial function driven by the history of the area as a good honest resource region.  The buildings are tough, sturdy and hold an intense sense of place, built with materials unique to the region with limited outside aesthetic influence.  Even newer developments incorporate massive walls, huge hemlock beams and steel doors from the industrial predecessor building it replaced.  Generic minimalism, white granite counter tops and bamboo were scarce.

Would love to know if Impaired Clearance is the name of a company or instructional signage.  Though my favorite thing of the week was wood, plain old wood on walls.  This is from PIng.  There is something nice about patina that comes by itself honestly. 

Futurecasting Experiencing Japan

Heading to Japan next month, haven't been this excited for a trip since the '05 British Open in St. Andrews to kick it with the gentile from the R&A.  Which was awesome.

From the outside what makes Japan fascinating is that is seems like this giant exposed ant farm of humanity.  All the various cultures that make up Japanese culture, new, old and just odd are out in the open.  For instance, can't wait to catch these guys featured in the recent-ish Peter and Bjorn video who perform in Yoyogi Park.

What I'm most excited to see in this country which  often represents the future of technology and consumerism is what's happening outside those areas.  Street culture in Japan seems to be so real, as there it is, on the street.  Not living within a blog or coordinated by some web tool sponsored by a brand and Google Adwords.  Same  with retail.  I expect amazing sensory experiences, big and small, with incredible service, spontaneity and delight.

Really fascinates me that in a country that has it all techologywise, their real world cultures are so active and on display 24hrs a day in real world physicality.  Presumably if you dissect it all the technology world drives the physical world, and vice versa, perpetually driving the one another to a higher state.

Then again, with the announcement on Friday of a 20% drop in real GDP over Q1, we might just be lucky if the lights are still on.

More ace

Y'all seem to like the Ace Hotel rooms.  With 5 separate stays last year got to enjoy a slew or rooms.  This was my favorite, don't remember the room number but must say listening to the Fleet Foxes on vinyl while soaking in a claw foot tub was definitely best hotel moment of the year, possibly, but not certainly, ever.

Noticed: On the Walls of the Ace Hotel PDX Rm. 310

Less Bloging. More Skiing.

Portrait in Movement

Fall of Fall

A couple days ago the Winter Solstice marked the end of fall, and so this called for one thing, a random video collage of every single photo taken the last four weeks of fall 2008.

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Fall of Fall from Brett Macfarlane on Vimeo.br>

Surf Oregon

Persuason Device

Bingo

Bingo Tango at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

Relative Importance

Further evidence that what you do and what we do on the grand scale of things probably isn't really that that vital.  How many emails did you send to the Supreme Headquarters today?  If it's any less than 5 please swollow your pride.

What is this? Header from a letter written by Hemingway.  Observed at the surprisingly unremarkable Hemingway museum in Oak Park outside Chicago.

Good Night

Beachy Morning

September Snows

Yesterday we experienced a freak snow storm on our set.  It has never snowed on September 17 in Vancouver.  Especially unusual as it was 22 degrees Celsius and partially sunny.  Fortunately we were shooting a spot set in winter and the snow only covered a 200 foot radius that happened to be in frame.  Man that farmer's almanac is good...

YVR (Vancouver) to the ALW (Walla Walla, Washington - aka land of wheat fields

6:00AM - YVR

7:30AM - SEA

10:00AM depart SEA

11:15AM Bonjour Walla Walla

Bike accordian

As a one time hard core cyclist, of the mountain variety, folding bikes were regularily mocked as something for travelers devoid of style and a penchant for safari wear paired with sandals and socks when touring cities about the world. But that opinion changed with this stylish little folding bike.  I love the way in unfolds.  Whereas other folding bikes seemed designed more around their folding state this one seems designed around the unfolded state and the way it pops bake to unfolded state give it a little something.

Been thinking a lot about bike culture lately.  Bike cultures really.  Such a fascinating way of dissecting greater society, just think of the totally incompatible groups that share a common choice of transportation from hard core courier types (both actual and just in a borrowed sense of style) to the dress wearing mom and pop on their way to the park with a baguette in the basket.   Interesting, very interesting and with escalating gas prices, urban planning and commuting decisions changing habits it will be interesting to see what else emerges.

PDX round 3

And I'm back.  Getting good brand as I type.  Ahhhh....

Rush hour in Norway

Ready or not

Back in YVR for a sleep and off to PDX tomorrow morning.  Aka Stumptown and Brewtopia.  Air Canada is starting to be a national airline our nation can be proud of.  They were late to the digital game but have quickly gone digital and just rolled out mobile check in.  And my boarding pass for tomorrow's flight just landed on my phone.  So cool.

But don't even think of printing this off and stealing my seat, unless you also have a fool proof duplicate of my passport which is tied to this ticket or if you actually want to get close and personal with the kind folks at Homeland Security.

Life on the backlot

Random collection of photos from a recent shoot in L.A..

YVR to LAX:

This last one is my favorite.  It's the Dental Hygene Centre.  Being pampered on set is always a pleasure but never before have they cared enough to ensure the crew was of good oral health following meal break.  Very classy touch...

Portland Ho!

Dopplr right now is by far my favorite social networking tool.  It's sparse on participants but those who are in there have lots of value to share.  Basically is a social networks based around travel, primarily business travel.  The real value of the site is discovering those great places you wouldn't otherwise discover in a guide book or from your concierge.  And maybe discovering someone you know will be in the same place as you.

I've got a weekend jaunt to Portland booked in a week, as you can see on my Dopplr profile, and thanks to Dopplr and a write up from Mr. Russell Davies have a sweet diner lined up for brunch on Sunday.  Will be interesting to see if my friends who live their even know of it...

It will be interesting to see as it gets more membership whether the quality of recommendations goes up or down.  Part of me wants more suggestions but part of me thinks that right now you have a certain like minded kind of crowd that wants neat, maybe quirky and eclectic spots to discover but next thing you know it's all write ups on PF Changs and Red Robin.  So more or less useless.

Vinorama 2007

Off to the Okanagan tomorrow to experience the BC wine country.  Will oblige in the tasting ritual.  Glad this guy isn't coming though:

Mad men

One week till my hopefully new favorite show debuts - Mad Men.   

dang...

Yesterday (Vancouver - + 11)

Today (toronto = -19)

The longest day

Hour 1 - Departure

Hour 11 - Arrival at Heathrow

 

 

Hour 16 - Mid-day stroll in London

 

Hour 17 - Getting cultured

 

   

Hour 21 - Transcontinental relationships

 

   

Hour 24 - Heading back to Heathrow on the Padington Express enjoying my inaugural Innocent Smoothie (they live up to all the hype!)

 

   

Hour 39 - Finally, land sighting of Africa

 

 

Hour 40 - Touchdown

 

Destination - other side of planet

Heading to Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday to shoot some TV spots.  A long way to fly (24 hours airborne) for an unfortunately short period of time.  But do hope to squeeze in three things:

1. Cape of Good Hope
2. Visit Mandela's cell
3. Couple hours surfing

It will be a lot of work, but is definitely one of those I love advertising assignments. 

Wonder if I'll be able to order a zebra burger?  Or are they endangered?  Oops, so much for not being the ignorant North American...

Destination - other side of planet

Heading to Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday to shoot some TV spots.  A long way to fly (24 hours airborne) for an unfortunately short period of time.  But do hope to squeeze in three things:

1. Cape of Good Hope
2. Visit Mandela's cell
3. Couple hours surfing

It will be a lot of work, but is definitely one of those I love advertising assignments.

Blackcomb Mountain

No real reason.  Just thought it was a nice photo.  It's always hard to get something massive (like moutains) put in context of immediate sense of place.  Thought this did a good job of that.

paradise

Snowed in + no cell service + dial up modem = paradise + good thinking

PS Also means fewer postings than planned this week.  Too busy playing.