Swap

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wake up in another person's body?  I know it's an odd question, but it's something I can't help wondering about as this flu continues to kick my a$$.  I know in the movies you never get to pick who you're swapping with (especially since it's not usually something people wanted to do), but I think it would be fun to be someone else for the day.  I'll trade my currently germ-ridden body complete with lead filled head, fiery throat, and runny nose with a Hollywood starlet for a day - it'd be nice to see how the other side lives to help me better appreciate what I currently have =)

I suppose it isn't really a fair trade for whomever I swap with, but I think it would be a good experience for them to remember what their life used to be like (if they didn't come from a famous family) or to see how 'normal' people live.  It would be fun to take over someone who is the complete opposite of myself (which is pretty much 99% of Hollywood), but if I could choose, I might go for someone like Emma Stone; part geek, part comedian, altogether awesome.  Although, swapping places with Diane Kruger would mean getting to hang out with Joshua Jackson, which means we have a winner!

 

Clearly I'm suffering from an overdose of Benylin 1...that's the only reason I can think of for today's random topic =)  Anyone out there have someone they'd wanna swap places with for a day (or several days)?  Sharing is caring people so show me some love...it might be what I need to finally get rid of this flu!

VanCity Love

Vancouver turned 125 today and after a week of rain I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen it look better!  Some people might think we're pretty full of ourselves out here on the West coast but here's a little list of things (in no particular order other than alphabetical!) that make Vancouver so freaking great...

Granville St during the Olympics

1. 2010 Winter Olympics
2. The Arts Scene (concerts, shows, galleries, etc.)
3. Bard on the Beach
4. BC Bud (so I've been told)
5. BC Lions
6. BC Place
7. BC Sports Hall of Fame
8. Belief in Comebacks (i.e the great Vancouver Fire of 1886 that wiped out the entire city!) 
9. Bike lanes
10. Bif Naked
11. Big Bus Tours

    

    Harbour Centre view from
    Canada Place

    
12. Brewery Tours (Granville Island, Yaletown)
13. Bright Nights & The Christmas Train (in Stanley Park)
14. Bryan Adams
15. Cambie Village
16. Canada Place
17. Capilano Suspension Bridge
18. Cherry Blossom Festival
19. Chinatown (2nd largest in the world behind San Fran!)
20. Chinese New Year Parade
21. Coal Harbour
22. Cobie Smulders (aka Robyn Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother)
23. Coffee on every block
24. Commercial Drive
25. Cypress Mountain
26. David Suzuki

    

    Just a typical rainy day in Gastown

    
27. Davie Street
28. Dine Out Vancouver
29. Diversity
30. Downtown Eastside Revitalization
31. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens
32. Electronic Arts
33. English Bay
34. Expo '86
35. False Creek
36. Food!
37. Gastown



Snowy nigh on Grouse Mt.

38. Ghost Train (in Stanley Park)
39. Commitment to Going Green
40. The Commodore Ballroom
41. Granville Island 
42. Granville Street Downtown
43. Granville Street South
44. Greenpeace's Birthplace
45. Grouse Mountain
46. Harbour Centre
47. Harbour Cruises
48. Healthy Living
49. Helijet



Up close & personal in the plaza

50. Historic Buildings (i.e. the Marine Building)
51. Hollywood North
52. HootSuite's Birthplace
53. Hotels
54. HR Macmillan Space Centre
55. Jack Poole Plaza/Olympic Cauldron
56. Japa dog
57. Jazz Fest
58. Joshua Jackson
59. Kitsilano
60. La Casa Gelato



One of my fave VanCity Products

61. Lion's Gate Bridge
62. Livability Rating (we're #!1!)
63. Lonsdale Quay
64. Lululemon
65. Lynn Canyon
66. Main Street
67. Museum of Anthropology
68. Museum of Vancouver
69. Music (everywhere!)
70. Night Market
71. Nightlife
72. Non-Profit/Charity Organizations (Covenant House & Canuck Place just to name a couple)
73. The Orpheum
74. Pacific Spirit Regional Park



Best Playland ride!

75. Parade of Lost Souls (Commercial Drive Halloween Parade)
76. Playland
77. PNE
78. Ports of Vancouver
79. Pretty People (we're a pretty good looking town!)
80. Pride Parade
81. Punjabi Market
82. Queen Elizabeth Park
83. Real Estate (it costs an arm and a leg but most of the properties are amazing!)
84. Rob Feenie
85. Robson Square
86. Robson Street



Science World a glow

87. Rogers Arena
88. Ryan Reynolds
89. Sarah McLachlan
90. Science World
91. Sea Walls
92. Seth Rogan
93. Shopping
94. Social Media Junkies (i.e. all the awesome bloggers in town!)
95. Spanish Banks
96. Spas
97. Stanley Park
98. Steam Clock
99. The View

    

    The Art Gallery all dressed up

    
100. Tourism Vancouver
101. Transit
102. Trevor Linden (We adopted him once he was drafted!)
103. UBC
104. Vaisakhi Parade
105. Van Dusen Festival of Lights
106. Vancouver Aquarium
107. Vancouver Art Gallery
108. Vancouver Canadians
109. Vancouver Canucks
110. Vancouver City Hall



2011 President's Trophy Winners!

111. Vancouver Convention Centre West
112. Vancouver Fashion Week
113. Vancouver Food Carts
114. Vancouver Giants
115. Vancouver Grizzlies (even though they're gone the memory of Big Country lives on)
116. Vancouver International Film Fest
117. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
118. Vancouver Whitecaps



Coming home to YVR

119. Water Taxis
120. West 4th Ave
121. West End
122. Whale Watching
123. Wreck Beach
124. Yaletown
125. YVR

Did I say little?  Really, this is just the tip of the iceberg so do me a favour - if you're from here, get out and show Vancouver some love!  And if you're from out of town, what are you waiting for?  Come see it for yourself  =)

Special thanks to the following sites used for inspiration:

Globosapiens | Things to do in Vancouver | Tourism Vancouver | VanCity Buzz | Vancouver is Awesome

Drunken Globes

The Canucks were shut out in their second game in three so I needed a pick-me up.  Cue the drunk celebrities at the Golden Globes.  I have to say that of all the award shows throughout the year, the Golden Globes are my favourite.  The tables are full of movie and television stars with a handful of musicians focused on mixing, mingling, and drinking the night away.  I'm sure there's a lovely dinner served but no one ever seems to be eating.  With camera operators clogging the narrow aisles, no celebrity wants to run the risk of getting caught shovelling food into their mouth.  So they all sit there with bottles of champagne and, according to Paul Giamatti, boxes of Godiva chocolates, hoping they won't be the target of Ricky Gervais' next joke.

There's something about Ricky that inspires other celebrities to bring the funny.  Maybe they're trying to show they can give it just as well as Ricky makes them take it.  Sadly for them, it usually doesn't work out which just adds to the amusement value for me.  Most notably was the comment by one award winner about all the waiters having been deported along with Javier Bardem; calling ths offside is putting it lightly. 

There were a few surprise winners tonight as I didn't expect Glee to do as well as it did.  Up for five awards (Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy/Musical - Chris Colfer & Jane Lynch, Actor/Actress in a Comedy/Musical - Matthew Morrison & Lea Michele, and Best Television Show - Comedy/Musical), Glee stole Best Show and both supporting role titles.  No offence to Mr. Shue and Rachel Berry but they're pretty annoying these days so I'd take Sue and Kurt over them any day.  Loved Chris' acceptance speech in which he told those that are considered to be outsiders or different to say screw you to anyone that doubts them.

Another surprise for me was The Social Network winning Best Motion Picture - Drama.  I figured it'd be the last of the nominees to win this category but I suppose it just goes to show the depth of influence social media plays in this day and age.  Three more highlights before I call it a night - 1) Claire Danes' emotional acceptance speech for her portrayal of autistic genius Temple Grandin.  2) True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld (14)presenting the award for Best Animated Film with Justin Beiber (16) to Toy Story 3 Director, Lee Unkrich who turned and asked if they were even born when the first Toy Story Movie came out 15 years ago.  3) Colin Firth's reference to the trifecta of man love between himself, Geoffrey Rush and Richard Dixon (I think??) that developed throughout the filming of The King's Speech.

On to the next awards!