Sunny Day Vancouver

It's a manic depressive city. The mania is triggered by light. The streets are crawling with people. I've been among them. Joy in the air. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is real. Northern Lights Technologies make superb high intensity full spectrum lamps that with 20 minute a day use give the equivalent antidepressant benefit that 10 to 20 mg of fluoxetine (prozac) would give. The real thing is even more spectacular. St. John's Wart, the herbal antidepressant proven in German and Swiss studies with pharmaceutical pure ingredients not the "food supplements" that are 'knock offs' to the real things sold at obscene profit by big business preying on people's fears, (that said), St. John's Wart, works for SAD too.

But nothing is as great as the joy and conviviality of just getting out and enjoying the streets with the Vancouver sunshine. The fashion alone, ranging from hip to hockey is a delight. I enjoyed the girl with the wool mini skirt and tights but the crotch of the tights were around her knees and she was merrily making eyes at a young guy of the 'don't look down' politically correct set, fortune for her. Driving by in my truck I enjoyed what might well be a Canadian fashion trend, Surrey Rap. Here on commercial the girls are strutting their boots. There's no snow but lots of high fashion mucklucks. Alot of young guys have gone in for the black winter jacket to complement their ball caps. Commercial is the local new capital of lesbianism so the women are more entertaining to watch, the men being mostly out of work actors.

I just came from a meeting on Davie and tight leather winter jackets were in for guys. More fashionable gay. Robson is the overall fashion capital of Vancouver but I didn't have any reason to go there as there's nothing boating.

I've already been to Granville Island. I went looking for my water bladder but Kits boats was closed. I did get Rule boat bilge pumps at Steveston Marine and a marine TV antennae at West Marine. The guys at Steveston also cut me some floating dinghy rope. Checking the dinghy last night on deck while filling the water tanks I saw the sun and sea had done my old rode in. The marine environment respects nothing, least of all rope and sail. Even my steel boat is hard pressed to resist the forces of nature.

I've enjoyed another Waves Coffee shop panini and American. There's as many computers as people in this packed coffeeshop with all that Good Commercial Road feel. When I first came to Vancouver 25 years ago it was the haven of Italians and Greeks with soccer running on all the tv's. Today there's students, actors and the latest influx of more Lesbians. West end rental costs rose and more of the gay community moved east. There's always been a political flavour to the street with left wing book stores and now more social consciousness.

I've enjoyed listening to CBC radio 88. 1 in the truck. Heard a delightful interview with Skye a playwright talking of the gender bending of the 60's and laughing about the gay mainstreaming movement. "They're all into suit's." Harry Hay was mentioned as the original gay movement protagonist with his "fairies". Quite a shift.

After that I listened to General Hillier, who has a new book, talking about Kundahar and the Canadian troops in Afghanistan. I came away thinking of Barbara Fromm and "it's happening" and how CBC has contributed so much to my sense of Canada, the diversity and commonality.

It's good to be a Vancouverite today. The sun does that. I'm glad to be Canadian most days. Prime Minister Harper surprised everyone by improving relationships with China and not caving on the human rights issue which the businessmen had told him had to occur if the Chinese were to appreciate Canada. Then today's news item was how many Canadian Chinese are going to China to establish business. It's the Pacific Rim and we're apart of it.

Europe to the east and Asia to the West. Now I'm off in search of a Mexican Store a friend told me was here on Commercial. Inexpensive silver jewelry. In keeping with the metro male image I admit I 'm glad men can wear earrings. Tie clips were fine but without the tie, they didn't hold onto the front of a shirt that well.