Temper Trap

Temper Trap at the Commodore, Vancouver, Tuesday June 1st 2010.

WOW! I hadn't heard of Temper Trap but a great friend of mine, Kim, who always knows what's going on with the current music scene had told me that I HAD to come and so trusting her judgement I booked my ticket for a band I had never heard. I am very thankful that I listened to Kim as it was one of the most amazing concerts I have been to.

Temper Trap are an alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia who are signed to Infectious Records worldwide, Liberation Music in Australia and Glassnote Records in the US.

Their debut album, Conditions, debuted at #9 when it was released in Australia on 19 June 2009 on the Australian ARIA Charts. They now live in London, UK where they are recording, performing at festivals and broadening their fan base.

The Commodore was packed and we headed to the front to get a good viewing position. The vibe was amazing with the energy in the room heating up quickly. Temper Trap came on and I was surprised how different all the members looked. The bass player was in a button up shirt with a very media cool look. Lead guitarist was in a poker dot shirt with red jeans and long hair in a ponytail. Lead vocals was in just jeans and a T-shirt. The started to jam with a high energy instrumental piece. My heart began to beat faster and my feet started to move! It was impossible not to dance. The tempo of the show cresendoed in a high energy, drumming focal point of the lead vocalist where he even poured water on his drum so that with every beat it splashed around and he was lost in his own rhythm. I was lost in my own rhythm too as with eyes closed, body dancing to the music, I felt my way through that last song with heightened endorphins and a smile on my face. I didn't want it to stop!

Go and see Temper Trap if you ever get the chance. They are phenomenal!

The Day of the Dead - Mexico

In Mexico there is evidence of the Day of the Dead at every corner. They celebrate death and it is not seen as the end of life but the beginning of the soul's journey. It is not until you die that you truly begin to live. Graveyards are beautifully decorated and almost become mini cities of the dead. Death is a celebration of life. It is a wonderful tradition and one which is visible all over Sayulita with paintings, images and statues.

Ants

The work of ants. Incredible how they work in a team.

DOCX Film Festival - Small Wonders by Tally Abecassis

Small Wonders is an incredible documentary film set in Montreal concentrated on the lives of Peter, a watchmaker, Norman, a photographer and Jae-Gil, the owner of a hardware store. All three of these fascinating characters are owners of small businesses who are increasingly being pushed out by the big box stores, who put many such people out of business.

The film takes on a very humanistic and emotional path in which we come to really know each one of them and some very quirky and personal traits. Tally accomplishes such a wonderful film with both humour and a creative sensitivity which she says took place over the ten years she spent making this film.

I love trinkets, antique stores, obscure objects that many people would find useless but I find possess a beauty and uniqueness. I like to look under the layers and peel them back. You never know what you might find and more often than not it is something truly special. I love that Tally took the time to look under these layers and create such a touching and unique film. I did not want it to end and immediately wanted to watch it again.

Bits and pieces . . . .

Things I see and document which I think are obscure and interesting . . .

Argentina photos

Just a few photos from Argentina which I like :)

Vancouver

I finally made the move 115 kms down the highway from Whistler to Vancouver. Physically it doesn't seem far at all and with the new and improved highway it only takes an hour and a half. Emotionally, however it has been a long journey to make.

I have accomplished and experienced so much over the last years and my life path has taken many twists and turns, both a gruelling uphill climb and an exhilarating & fast single track downhill descent. I have met such incredible people and have travelled to so many amazing places too. All these opportunities have stemmed from my life in my mountain town - mountain biking in Morocco, snowboarding in Argentina, a crowded road trip to Las Vegas, surfing in Oregon, a wedding in Mexico.

Whistler has been my home in the mountains for the last 7 years. But I feel that it is time to move on and I have decided to move to Vancouver to study photography and try to live in the hustle and bustle of the city for a while. Hailing originally from London, U.K. I have missed this life. I miss the anonymity, the cultural explosion a city has to offer, unpredictability. I am excited to discover hidden gems and awaken my senses once again. It is a new path of exploration and I feel ready to embrace this future of uncertainty but delight.