Sorry Guys,

I have been tied up at work. I am also going on a much needed vacation.

Posts will continue Sept 15

Ptincess Theatre

Taken from the Princess Theatre website:

The historic Princess Theatre was built in 1915. The original auditorium, with a balcony, is still much the same as it was originally built. An intimate 90 seat screening room has been added to the basement. The main auditorium is partially wheelchair accessible (rest rooms are upstairs) but the downstairs theatre is not wheelchair accessible. It is the only theatre in Edmonton to have a Cry Room. It is a sound-proof viewing room equipped with volume control and a change table; ideal for families. Matinees are held every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Monday is discount night, with all seats at $6.

Sorry Guys

I have been going to plays a lot of this week.. and the last play time is 12:15 am, so it's been eat, sleep and fringe.

I have also taken over a new department at work so I am busy busy busy.

Street Performers

On top of all the theatre, there are also street performers, beer gardens, vendors of all types and a children's area.

Posters and Playbills

The Fringe is all about soliciting people. These boards are the only place casts and crews can post their posters. You will also run into performer after performer handing out fliers and playbills.

I met a very nice musician from the UK in the beer tents, went and saw Te Be Arthur's (Look in the blog archive) and ran into some old theater friends.

The Fringe

From the fringe website;


“Doing the Fringe” or “Fringing” means being adventurous and taking a chance. Over 260 producers are taking a chance on being selected for the festival’s 100 available lottery placements. Fringe Festivals are your opportunity to experience bizarre and outrageous uncensored live theatre. There is no good OR bad…just raw human creativity needing to be expressed AND experienced. Sure there are the reviews, but you are not going to let a theatre critic tell you what to see…are you?? Its summer…Be Adventurous!

Orange County Bicycle

These chopper style bicycles are popping up everywhere. Personally I can't stand the "ape hanger" style of handle bars, as I think they look a little too goonish. Regardless or what one thinks it's fantastic to see bikes are viewed as being vogue and stylish. This is the kind of thinking that is going to save our planet.

Capoeira Dancers

The folowing is taken from wiki:

Capoeira (IPA: [ka.pu.ˈej.ɾɐ],Tupi-Guarani word for - clear area) is a blend of martial art, game, and dance that originated in Brazil, from the regions known as Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo. The art form originated in Brazil during the 16th century, a result of the slave trading that took place in conjunction with the previously enslaved native Indians. Capoeira was created and developed by slaves brought from Africa. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently-used techniques include elbow-strikes, slaps, punches, and body-throws.

The End of Cariwest

Thats it... The end of the parade.
The cute little goober in the hat decided that she too belonged in the parade and was so kind as to stop right in front of me and pose.

Next up... The Fringe

Have You Figured Out I'm Gay Yet?

Visible minorities accounted for 17.1% of Edmonton’s total population in 2006, up from 14.6% in 2001. This was the fifth highest proportion among Canada’s census metropolitan areas. Reaching 175,295 in 2006, Edmonton’s visible minority population grew by 29.1% between 2001 and 2006, almost three times faster than the 10.6% growth rate for the overall population of Edmonton.Chinese comprised the largest visible minority group in Edmonton, representing 4.6% of Edmonton’s total population, and 26.9% of the CMA’s visible minority population. South Asian was the second largest visible minority group in Edmonton, representing 3.9% of Edmonton’s total population, and 22.9% of its visible minority population.

Just in case it wasn't obvious to you.. I'M GAY. Various shot of men, gay pride parades, ABBA references and schooling in the preforming arts should have tipped ya off. Anyways.. Happy Friday guys and galls. This weekend will be the start of Fringe. Look for a new photo theme comming soon.

Cariwest

Selecting the photos I will post of the parade has been agonizing. The colour, life and energy of this event made for great photo ops, and the best part was it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

This event was a photo no brainer

Cariwest

More Cariwest

You Can Dance! Having the Time of Your Life...

Eat your heart out ABBA, because you have nothing on this guy!

Cariwest

The Cariwest parade yesterday, t is a fantastic show. I will be posting pics for most of the week on Cari Wesr. The following is taken from Cariwest's homepage. http://www.cariwestfestival.com/

The City of Festivals present its most colourful festival - the Cariwest Festival! The Cariwest festival brings the spirit of the Caribbean to Edmonton. Enjoy the sweet sound of a steel pan, the spicy flavour on your tongue as you sample the foods of the West Indies, and “jump up” in the streets of Edmonton as you dance alongside the Mas bands, with Calypso music resonating through your soul! The Cariwest Festival is 3 days of fun filled activity. Join us on Friday night and be amazed by the artistic talent of the Colourful Costume Extravaganza, revel in the streets with the Cariwest parade on Saturday, dance the night away at the Saturday night fete and complete the weekend chillin’ in the park with us on Sunday, as we wrap up the festival. .

A Quiet Moment

I thought I would try my have at a some male nudes.. The shoot turned out nicely.

Here is a pic.

O BTW.. He's from Edmonton so that is how I am linking it to the site ;-)

Cariwest parade is today.. It will be a good picture week.

Thai Beauty

OK it's o8.o8.o8 and the Olympics have started. My personal belief is the IOC made an inappropriate choice.

This young lady and her friend put on a fantastic traditional Thai dance performance.

This weekend is the Cariwest Fest. I will have pictures of all the great Caribbean costumes that are created for the parade. Snap ya later ;-)

Kids Kids and Kids

Edmonton's population boom is also the result of a small "Baby Boom"

Almost all the festivals this summer are supersizing their kid and family areas. Heritage days was no exception.

Alberta has the highest birth rate in North America and we have one of the youngest Urban populations with the average age sitting somewhere in the 30's

Mango on a Stick

The Following is taken from the events website

Come Join The Fun!
Servus Heritage Festival 2008 marks the 33rd annual of this premier three-day showcase of Canada's vibrant multicultural heritage. We will feature over 60 pavilions representing over seventy-five cultures from all over the world. Sample culinary delicacies, see creative performances, shop for crafts, artwork, and clothing, or chat with people eager to tell you a little about their cultural roots and their present-day communities in Canada.Click here for Heritage Festival hours and details.

Sit and Stay

The heritage Festival was this weekend. Outside the Hong Kong exhibit we found these two playing with each other. I think this is one dog that has the upper hand ;-)

More on the festival throughout the week

Happy Tuesday!

No School Today

My house backs onto a schoolyard. It was once a regular catholic school, but now it's used by a private instiution. The only interesting elements are a couple of art deco features on the front of the building AND the old Boy's and Girl's entrances.

This Girl has the day off as it is the Civic Holiday.

The history of the "Civic" Holiday.

In 1869 Toronto City Council came up with the idea for a summer "day of recreation." In 1875, it was settled: the first Monday in August would be the official Civic Holiday. That name stuck as other cities followed Toronto's leisure-loving example and proclaimed this a municipal (rather than provincial) holiday.

Civic Holiday is the most widely used name for a public holiday celebrated in parts of Canada on the first Monday in August.
The holiday is known by a variety of names in different provinces and municipalities, including British Columbia Day in British Columbia, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan. It is also an official statutory holiday in Nunavut and Northwest Territories, where it is simply known as "Civic Holiday".
In Alberta, Heritage Day is an "optional" civil holiday. The first Monday in August is celebrated as Natal Day in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, but is not an official provincial holiday.
It is celebrated as a municipal holiday as Simcoe Day in Toronto, and Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Joseph Brant Day in Burlington, Founders' Day in Brantford, McLaughlin Day in Oshawa, Alexander Mackenzie Day in Sarnia, James Cockburn Day in Cobourg, and John Galt Day in Guelph. Although this is a day off work for many, including employees of federal and many municipal governments, the provincial government has not defined this day as a provincial statutory holiday and is not mentioned in either Ontario's Employment Standards Act or Retail Business Holidays Act.
Discovery Day is celebrated in Yukon on the third Monday in August.

Busy as a Bee

Still hard at it here. I am in the garden this weekend pruning and dead heading.

Enjoy the rest of your long weekend.

Stopped to Smell the Flowers

I am taking some me time.... I will be back making posts soon.

BMX, Inner City Style

Some males in the animal kindom make sing, beat their chest or have beutiful multicoloured markings..... Maybe we aren't as "evolved" as we think ;-)

RIP Steph

Edmonton has released it's census. Since 2005 the city of Edmonton has grown by 40,000 people, or another way to look at it is, On average 30-40 people move to Edmonton on a daily basis.
Our metro population is now somewhere in the 1.1 million range.

Today that number is one less as a good friend has passed away after a long struggle with a rare virus. We thought he was out of the woods but a relapse occurred Friday of last week. He was started on morphine for pain management and slipped away in his sleep surrounded by loved ones.

Today will be a tough day.

Lunch Break

Really, who designed newspapers and why can't them make them so they fold easily!

Saint. Joe's - The Pulpit

I think pulpit is the right term, but then again the Roman Catholics have different terms than what I new as a kid. My mother took us to the United Church which is more in line with my personal views.

Regardless.. This is one of the churches twice daily masses. I would have loved to get more shots, but I had to remain respectful.

Saint. Joe's Continued

The is the courtyard between the Seminary and the church. I always find it odd when beautiful green spaces such as this are locked away. I would rather sit in a space such as this and reflect then in some dark solemn lifeless room.

Sacred Place #6 St. Joseph's Basillica

I am not catholic and I know very little about this church. I CAN tell you that this is where Wayne Gretzky was married.

The following is taken from wiki;

St. Joseph's Cathedral Basilica is a minor basilica in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The basilica, located just west of the downtown core is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton and is one of the largest churches in Edmonton. It is the only basilica in Alberta.
Of architectural note are the 60 stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Old and the New Testaments and from the church's connection to St. Albert.

For almost three decades the basilica was known as the church without locks. It was open 24 hours providing a sacred space for worship and quiet prayers while its pews gave refuge to the tired bodies of homeless people. However, in the early 1980s, the church without locks had to close at night. The number of people attending perpetual adoration declined while on the morning of Feb. 28, 1980 an arsonist set the altar and crucifix on fire, causing smoke and water damage to the whole building. It was the darkest hour in its history. To remove soot and smell, all the stones inside the church had to be scrubbed. Its prized possession, the Casavant Brothers organ, was sent to Quebec for cleaning and repairs. Clean up and repair costs reached $250,000.

It also had its share of fame when parishioners shrugged off the controversy and international publicity surrounding the wedding of hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky to actress Janet Jones, both non-Catholics. About a hundred people objected to the ceremony being held at the basilica but many more applauded the Church's openness.

Canada Place

Canada place is our federal building. The interior of the building is a very Large and very open atrium that runs from end to end. It's a very neat space.

Below in the square "A Taste of Edmonton" is running. Restaurants from across the city are set up here offering tastes of there menus.

Batman, The Dark Night. Opening Scene Loction.

The opening parkade scenes of the new Batman film were shot in Edmonton. This is the parkade of my office tower and it's also the place where batman jumps 4 storeys onto an escaping car.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate heights. To get this I had to lean over a 12 storey opening and thusly after the shot I was sick and dizzy for a good hour.

Enjoy!

West Edmonton Mall - Dragon

West Edmonton Mall is a testing ground for marketing ideas. In the late 90's movie theaters tried to make themselves destinations by adding things like lounges and entertainment features. And thus our dragon was born. Every half an hour or so this guy comes to life. The lights dim, dramatic music plays and people stare.

We all sit around and comment how cheesy the stupid thing is, yet we can't help but watch ;-P

West Edmonton Mall - Rollercoaster

I have waited as long as I could to post a pic of the famed West Edmonton Mall. This mall is HUGE, one of the biggest in the world and for years THE BIGGEST.
Most Edmontonions hate it. In my opinion the place is a dump. the censor police have to stop me here or else I may get charged with slander.

There are a few cool things about this mall. One being The apple store, The Sanrio store and the roller coaster.
Again this coaster is/was the largest indoor roller coaster in the world. It was made famous when early in it's life one of the trains flew off the track and killed several people. As a child I remember this monster sitting there unused as YEARS of tests were done.

It is a very fun ride, but is often overlooked by roller coaster fans. The initial drop is extremely steep and is almost straight down. I can ride this coaster over and over again!

Sacred Place #5 My Desk

If you think about this it makes sense. The majority of my day is spent at the office. I have a small shrine on my meeting table with a Buddha and a small fountain. My office is also dotted with art pieces like this fun guy.

I also sit for a large part of the day saying "Holy" words to my computer!

Have a great Tuesday guys!

More Parade

Life has gotten in the way a tad and I have not been able to shoot as much as I would like.

I have been out of town the last few days which also doesn't help.

Please bare with me as I have almost exhausted all my postable photos.