Coast Mountains and some thoughts

Saturday afternoon, late before the sunset, I was up on Burnaby Mountain north of where I live to take in the view of the snow-capped mountains to the north.  The photo above is just one of a series taken that afternoon. The scene here looks out toward the mountains from the north side of Burnaby Mountain.  The boats in the bottom of the photo are heading up Indian Arm.  There were a number of boats out that afternoon, including a sailboat.

The temperatures have gotten warmer and are around 10 degrees Celsius at the moment.  The rain is back but there are plenty of signs of spring around.  Crocuses, spring heathers,  forsythias and other spring flowers and shrubs are in bloom now, even the first magnolias.

At work, I have someone working with me into the second week and we get along great.  He's a Gemini, like Brad, and he loves it where he's working now.  If you don't know, I'm a Leo!  It made me think of what it would be like working with Brad.  That was one of the original plans, and I'd see to it happening if he's still interested and up to it.  With a year or two here he'd be a changed man with a broader, deeper understanding of life and what its all about.  It would be awesome to have a hiking companion too!

Well, I'm going to have a quick shower and then head off to bed.  Its nearing 10:30 pm and the morning comes fast enough.  Have a good night, or good day, guys!

~ Volker

Margaree River, Nova Scotia

I was just watching this program on the Knowledge Network (British Columbia) about the Margaree River in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island.  Its one of the few rivers that still has a salmon run.  I guess the fact that it is unspoiled and undeveloped would account for this.  The narrator's voice is deep and melodic.  Listen and watch.  Its from an excellent series on Canadian rivers.

~ Volker

Cape Split, Nova Scotia

I've been watching a number of shows on television lately that are set in Canada's Atlantic provinces, such as Nova Scotia where Brad was raised and lives.  Cape Split is just one of a number of places that capture my interest.  When I finally to get down to Nova Scotia, that will certainly be a place that Brad and I will visit along with anyone else that would like to join along.  Awesome place and view!

Volker

Xavier Dolan on Laurence Anyways

This is Xavier Dolan's first interview concerning his third film, Laurence Anyways.  Since the interview is in French, those that can understand the language will get more out of it.  The rest of us will just have to follow along.  As you will see, Xavier is quite fluent in both languages, English and French.  I did contribute some funds toward this production.  I would have contributed more but health issues came in the way last year.  Things happen and priorities have to be set. I do hope this film is successful as his earlier efforts!

~ Volker

Xavier Dolan on Heartbeats

In this video clip Xavier Dolan presents some of his thoughts on his film called Heartbeats, on producing cinematic productions and why he makes these films.  It gives us some interesting background to his work.

~ Volker

a musical tribute to Xavier Dolan

This is a musical tribute to our young Canadian film director/actor, Xavier Dolan, with two films behind him and one in the works.  I wish Xavier much success in his current endeavour.  Enjoy the musical journey!

~ Volker

romeos, the movie

Yesterday late afternoon before returning home from Vancouver I stopped by this shop to check out magazines and videos.  I found this movie called Romeos in German with English subtitles (well, I really don't need the subtitles since I can understand the German very well).  The film is about a female trans person that is introduced to the gay scene, but while keeping the truth from others has its pitfalls, Lukas (trans) is introduced to the cute Fabio.  The trailer is in German but I'm sure you'll get the idea.  If we hide who we truly are from others, how does that effect our relationships with others, especially those close to us?  Its worth thinking about and taking a deeper look at.  What do you think?

The movie, which is 94 minutes long by the way, is a Strand Releasing film and won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival.  Check it out if it sounds interesting to you.

~ Volker

almost naked

Here's a video demonstration from Andrew Christian.  Its a teaser!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

~ V

taylor kitsch and Mars

Hey, I know you guys are following, or trying to follow, the latest on Taylor Kitsch, our fellow actor from British Columbia, so here'e an interview that will keep you in step.  Check out the latest on his role in Mars.  He's an awesome-looking hunk, don't you think?  I plan to see this as soon as its possible and then report back to the fans!

~ Volker

thoughts

This morning as I woke up I was thinking of Brad and his situation.  I thought of helping him by discussing his past, his childhood in particular.  His parents divorces and he was tossed from one home to the other, from his father's place to his mother's, sometimes on his own.  Now if I understand things correctly, he's living with his girlfriend/fiancee, even though his sexual orientation hasn't been sorted out on his part.  He says he's not straight, perhaps at least bisexual, but he's the one that need to sort out that issue, I can't do that for him.

But getting back to the root issue, his childhood and the divorce if his parents, anyone I've known that has come from a similar situation (divorce or separation), has had issues for the rest of his/her life.  I know of a friend from a similar situation and family members in the same as well, so its from experience I mention this.

Today I read a news article in a local paper dealing with youth sex and sexual exploitation but the article I found in the Newsleader, and the same one in a Burnaby paper, avoids the root causes which are mentioned in the report that the news article is based upon.  The report itself is an overview of several reports that go into greater detail.  The root causes are an unstable home life, non-supportive parents, abuse in the home, and the list goes on.  Why does the media avoid the obvious.  Is it a bias or lack of focus?  Your guess is good as mine.

So my thoughts have followed a theme today and revert back to my friend Brad.  The thoughts I had this morning were of my reading fairy tales to his children (Grimm's Fairy Tales come to mind, of which there are several that I thought of reading, such as the Fisherman and his Wife, Frau Holle and others which come to mind).  All of these are not stories alone but also contain morals and ethics, things to live by in life.  There's a way of breaking the cycle and that begins in our childhood so that the next generation doesn't repeat the same mistakes as the generation that preceded it.  So a reading of the story before bedtime gave me the scene in my mind of not only Brad's child listening to the reading but also Brad himself.  My book is in German, so I would have to translate as I went along.  Its good that I've read these stories many times over the years.  The book itself was a gift from my mother who brought it over from a visit to Germany in 1962, so its been around for a while and seen better days.  The book itself is in good condition though the sleeve is gone years ago.

I plan to purchase a property in Nova Scotia in an area where Brad lives.  This is all in advance of my retirement.  I turn 65 in only six years from now.  My presence there will allow me to mentor and to be of assistance when necessary, such as watching his children.  Its the least I can do for him.  I feel obligated as if this was decided before I was born.  Everything in life happens for a reason and this situation is not alone in that.  Many factors are at play here even before I buy a property out there on the east coast.  One factor is my health and the slower pace in the Atlantic provinces should help to lessen the health issues if not resolve them completely.  We shall see... I hope you've all had an awesome weekend!

~ Volker

Corey Price

This video was produced by Scott Hoover (photographer) and shot and edited by Benjamin Godfre.  It was posted on YouTube today and features a new model, Corey Price.  He'll do quite well as a model, don't you think?  Check it out..  - V

photoshoot

This is a photo shoot put together Scott Hoover (photographer) as we get well into 2012.  Check out the video! - V

sergi

Here's an ES Collection video to watch as you head into your day (or night).  Enjoy the view! - V

coming of darkness

I took this image with my DSLR camera shortly after leaving work. This is downtown Vancouver on West Hastings Street at Burrard as darkness approaches.  When I was editing the photo, I cropped out the bottom of the original image as that part detracted from the rest and the focus on the light as night approached.

~ Volker

dirty laundry

We all have dirty laundry each week.  This chore has to be done but have you ever seen it done Andrew Christian style?  Have a look.  This might even spice up your weekly laundry day and take the boring part out of it.  And go to the Andrew Christian website to see the uncensored version!  - V

the train

While on my way home this evening on the SkyTrain, a young lady and a male friend got on at one of the stations (Broadway).  Rather than take a seat, because there were a few since it wasn't fully packed, they opted to stand in the doorway nearest me.  I was seated at the end of a row of seats with a glass partition between me and the door.  The young lady was in the doorway leaning against the partition and the young guy was standing closer to the centre aisle leaning against a pole next to me on my left.

At one point the guy, slim and wearing blue denim jeans, adjusted his footing looking down to where my feet were.  Later, at one point, his calf touched my left thigh, not just once but at least twice.  By this point either of them could have sat down together most anywhere.  They both got off at New Westminster station and I continued on to my stop at Sapperton (grocery shopping).

Why do people do what they do?  That's why we have sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists studying people and their interactions, not to mention find out why they do what they do and the motivations behind their actions.  This evening it felt like someone playing footsie under a table and it wasn't with the person they were with or perhaps close to socially.  I was just waiting for the train to make a sudden stop and have him fly in my lap or on the floor.  The train has been known to make these sudden stops on occasion.  Judging by what I saw when they left, he could fly in my lap any day and I would have tried to save him from embarrassment, he was certainly good-looking enough for anyone!  Anyway, you can think about the ways this might have turned out otherwise.  More later...

~ Volker

boyfriends

I've had boyfriends over the years.  Some guys I was really interested in and some so so.  I did have a few girlfriends too starting with one that was Italian but after we moved (family) to the west end of the city where I lived at the time, we grew apart.  When we re-connected, the fire was gone, it had fizzled.  A few others later were more interested in others.  One was even interested in married men.  All this put me off.

As for guys, I'm really into them, especially if they are hot, have a pleasant personality and so on.  There was one in the 1970s that I was interested in but he seemed to be more interested in someone else.  Then there were a couple of other guys while I was going to university in the early 1980s.  One was married, so he was excluded but another wasn't but he didn't give me any direct signals (or even vague ones), so we parted.

I had one while I was living and working in Toronto.  In the end, it was his drug habit and the fact he couldn't control his intake of alcohol either plus he was prone to being violent when drunk that I ditched him and moved back to London (Ontario) where I had lived for years.  I wasn't about to settle for abuse!

Then the most recent one is a work in progress.  There is some time, not a lot, but some.  I hope he can get his act together because I really do love him like none of the others before him.  But its better to have loved than  not at all.  That's what we have all heard over the years.  So, there's still hope all things will work out for the best in the end.  I'm an eternal optimist, well, its better than being a pessimist.

So, how's your love life, guys?

~ Volker

shortbus

The subject of the film called Shortbus came up this evening and I thought I would post the trailer.  I have the DVD and have seen the movie at least a couple of times.  I plan to see it again this evening if I can find where I put the thing (I've got hundreds of DVDs).  One of the actresses in the film is from Vancouver (Sook-Yin Lee who won an award for her part in the film).  Check out the trailer, especially if you like stories of sexual expression ... - V

another weekend

Another weekend is upon us and spring is even closer.  As I left the apartment complex a couple of days ago, I noticed that the crocuses are starting to shoot out of the ground.  That is a good sign that spring is not that far off.  For those of you that are living in the northern hemisphere, how does it look for you?  Is spring any nearer for you??

Meantime, my cold has come back, or perhaps its another strain, after all there are up to 200 different viruses that can cause the common cold.  I bought a bottle of Barbados rum (Mount Gay is my favourite)  on my way home this evening and have made another hot toddy (or grog as I call it) to help ward off the virus and sweat it out in bed overnight.  I hope that everyone is feeling well, certainly better than I am, as we start another weekend.  Have an awesome weekend, guys! - V

south asian

On my way home on the SkyTrain this evening a young guy got on at Granville station and sat down on the seat to my immediate left between me and a support post.  He was slim in build wearing medium blue denim jeans, a jacket with dark hair.  It appeared me to be south asian, perhaps tamil (darker skin).  His right leg was nestled up against my left and his right arm snuggled behind my left.  I got good vibes from him.  Perhaps he's sat down beside me before!  The seat to his left was empty but a young woman was sitting down to the left of that.  When the seats opposite us emptied, he just sat where he was, making no attempt to move.  He ended up getting up  and off the train at Edmonds station.  All in the life of travelling on the SkyTrain.  Have a good night, guys! - V