the darkerside to rants

Here’s a recording of the pacific ocean, done with my crummy cellphone, doesn’t sound even half as good as it would have in real life. Need to make a better recording.

[Currently listening to: Part III (alternate take) from the album "Black, Brown and Beige" by Duke Ellington]
Having lived in Toronto for five years one thing I came to appreciate was the abundance of garbage bins downtown.

They weren’t just the “one size fits all” garbage bins, but rather they had three compartments, one of garbage, one for cans and bottles and one for paper.

They are big, they are ugly at times (and act as a billboard), but they are pretty much anywhere in the city. You can’t walk a block without hitting one in the core.

Vancouver on the other hand has a garbage bin problem, or more precise, a lack of it. First of all they are small in comparison, then they only have one bin for all the crap, and a small shelve in front for cans and bottles that can hold six bottles.

Now, the rack is mostly empty, this is mainly (I guess) due to the deposit that they charge here on every container, so street people can just pick it up and cash it in (I guess that’s one way of social welfare), Still though, bigger bins (and more of them) would be nice…..

It is odd and surreal for me to live near a major harbour. I was never really a see faring kinda guy. I have been on ferries, but never on a cruise ship, though I admit I would love to get passage on a container ship to somewhere in Asia…..

But now living at English Bay I see ships coming and going pretty much all the time and it is almost eerie how silent they seem to move. You see them coming from the distance, turn towards the bay, then turn by and anchor, waiting for their time to get into the harbour to load their cargo.

Two days ago I was sitting at the beach, staring out at the water when two container ships or tankers (I am not sure really), came into the bay, turned by and then anchored.

Yesterday I was at Canada Place from which you can see the container ships dock and be loaded / unloaded when the ship berthed there fired up it’s engines, resulting in a huge, thick black cloud of fumes covering the terminal for a couple of minutes, then pushing back and turning towards the Burrad Inlet. I was walking along the see wall why this monster of a ship was slowly making it ‘s way down the strait and I couldn’t really hear the engine…. It was impressive. I then saw it take course towards the open sea and from my living room window it disappeared into the distant.

One of the other ships then turned into the harbour. All seemed to have happened silently…. Colour me impressed.

The container ship in the background left coal harbor maybe an hour earlier, setting sail towards an unknown destination, most likely somewhere in Asia.

It is fascinating to see the ships come in, turn around and then anchor for the night (or day) and see them go into the harbor.

I already created a timelapse movie over 24 hours, but I think I will try to create a month long one next. As soon as my furniture is in place.

I wake up to the sound of the waves crashing into the beach.

If you’re out and about here at 7 or 8 in the morning though it is almost amazing how quiet this neighbourhood is, in the evening though it is a live with rollerskaters, runners, bikers and people just going for a stroll or sitting in a sidewalk cafe.

Almost European, almost.

*EDIT*

Holy Shit Batman. Me no typy very well. GAH.

Fixed now, I hope.