Ben Banky - a friend. He attended SVI last year. Part of my community. One of my people. My facebook friend.
Kirkpatrick - my neighbor. Like next door apartment neighbor
Shock. Tears. Confusion.
Watch this news report: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081213/christmasparty_shooting_081213/20081213?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
The apartment building in the news clip is mine. The news crew interviewed the dude outside just before I walked out. Then they started asking me questions. I didn't know the man, but that didn't keep them from shoving the camera and mic in my face and asking more questions. at the time I didn't know what had happened. They were just asking about something something Kirkpatrick. I did my errand and went home to look it up to find that he was the shooter in a murder last night. A murder that killed a friend of mine. Granted we were not close. But we know each other. We are in the social change community here. It is small. We had a great, great connection last year at SVI and ran into each other a few times since I moved here. We became facebook friends. He was invited to my work holiday party tonight. I noted last night that he had RSVPed 'no' and was sad to hear this. He could just make people smile. Chill. Wonderful. Full of life. One of my people. I noted to send him a message to say we would miss him at the party. And then this news...
Senseless violence. why? To good people. I don't understand. It is a sad day. A day when horrible reaches too close to home. It reminds you that... life is precious.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Snow!
It snowed today!
It was so amazing. right out my window. the snow was falling. It didn't stick, but it was beautiful to watch as I commuted to work.
I hear we are headed into a cold spell (thank goodness for the winter gear I bought over Thanksgiving in the states).
It turns out, where I live is slightly higher elevation than work, so I am more likely to get snow than at the office (like a mile away). They say it snows like 3 times a year here. I hope for more! But the Vancouverites say they are all freaked out drivers in the snow, so it gets a bit scary. I guess kind of like LA drivers in the rain, hey?
Well it was an exciting morning to wake up to the beautiful snow. It is now really winter! And soon I will be heading to the mountains and using my season pass (5 lessons, rentals and one night a week of night skiing/boarding). woohoo!
It was so amazing. right out my window. the snow was falling. It didn't stick, but it was beautiful to watch as I commuted to work.
I hear we are headed into a cold spell (thank goodness for the winter gear I bought over Thanksgiving in the states).
It turns out, where I live is slightly higher elevation than work, so I am more likely to get snow than at the office (like a mile away). They say it snows like 3 times a year here. I hope for more! But the Vancouverites say they are all freaked out drivers in the snow, so it gets a bit scary. I guess kind of like LA drivers in the rain, hey?
Well it was an exciting morning to wake up to the beautiful snow. It is now really winter! And soon I will be heading to the mountains and using my season pass (5 lessons, rentals and one night a week of night skiing/boarding). woohoo!
Christmas in Vancouver
I have decided. I am going to spend the holiday season in Vancouver. I am so excited!
There are so many great events to do including the lantern ceremony for the winter solstice, a xmas eve cocktail party, xmas dinner with my friend Mark and his fam (same family as Turkey day, so it will feel like going home in a way) and then a Boxing Day Brunch at a friends.
I will miss being home. I will miss seeing friends. I will miss my family. But I am really looking forward to challenging myself to doing this alone. I think there is tremendous growth for me in this decision and I look forward to the challenges it brings and the rewards.
Back in October I thought long and hard - if I had to pick one holiday to go home for, what would it be? Knowing that my older sis and nephews weren't going to make the trip to Cali this year, it was an easy answer. My fav holiday - Thanksgiving. So I went home. It was wonderful and so good to see everyone. But I don't think I am ready to go back. I feel like I just left. So I am banking my 2008 Xmas trip for one in 2009 - like for all the awesome weddings or a birthday or when I get really homesick and need my Bay Area fix.
Since I will being spending the holidays here, I have decorated my apartment in true Trojan Holiday spirit. I bought a wonderful smelling tree from the lot a few blocks away and carried it home. A coworker dug out their 2nd tree stand for me and Mark came over to help set it up. It has all my USC coloured ornaments, my Russian ornaments and a smattering of old ornaments that have my name and a date on them. It is decked out with red LED lights and my window has white LED lights. Mark (the film lighting guy) brought over plugs and things so I have a key chain button that I push to turn on/off my lights. It rocks! I have a little Rosie the Reindeer hanging and a couple of poinsettas adding some colour. It is all very cozy and festive.
So long story short... Christmas will be in Vancouver this year for this one. And rumour is it is supposed to snow on Christmas Eve.... :)
There are so many great events to do including the lantern ceremony for the winter solstice, a xmas eve cocktail party, xmas dinner with my friend Mark and his fam (same family as Turkey day, so it will feel like going home in a way) and then a Boxing Day Brunch at a friends.
I will miss being home. I will miss seeing friends. I will miss my family. But I am really looking forward to challenging myself to doing this alone. I think there is tremendous growth for me in this decision and I look forward to the challenges it brings and the rewards.
Back in October I thought long and hard - if I had to pick one holiday to go home for, what would it be? Knowing that my older sis and nephews weren't going to make the trip to Cali this year, it was an easy answer. My fav holiday - Thanksgiving. So I went home. It was wonderful and so good to see everyone. But I don't think I am ready to go back. I feel like I just left. So I am banking my 2008 Xmas trip for one in 2009 - like for all the awesome weddings or a birthday or when I get really homesick and need my Bay Area fix.
Since I will being spending the holidays here, I have decorated my apartment in true Trojan Holiday spirit. I bought a wonderful smelling tree from the lot a few blocks away and carried it home. A coworker dug out their 2nd tree stand for me and Mark came over to help set it up. It has all my USC coloured ornaments, my Russian ornaments and a smattering of old ornaments that have my name and a date on them. It is decked out with red LED lights and my window has white LED lights. Mark (the film lighting guy) brought over plugs and things so I have a key chain button that I push to turn on/off my lights. It rocks! I have a little Rosie the Reindeer hanging and a couple of poinsettas adding some colour. It is all very cozy and festive.
So long story short... Christmas will be in Vancouver this year for this one. And rumour is it is supposed to snow on Christmas Eve.... :)
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