Workshop Whimsy

On Saturday I went over to Vancouver to attend a Geist workshop, The Art of the Short Review, which (as expected) turned out to be really worthwhile. It, like most things associated with Geist, was informative, succint, and fun. You should be witnessing some results in coming posts.

On the way over I got to enjoy the fruits of TransLink’s labours and Victoria Regional Transit’s (VRTS) improvements: Although the VRTS has a long way to go to match TransLink’s extensive array of frequent express buses and bus stops with digital screens that provide updates on coming buses, they now offer an express bus to the ferry that’s coordinated with arrival and departure times, so you no longer have wait outside for 15 minutes.

Much of the fun of travel, even on short trips, lies with the unexpected: after getting to downtown Vancouver I happened upon the City of Bhangra, a vibrant, intoxicating display of culture. While I have had some exposure to Indian music, I have had little (a few Bollywood dance numbers) to Indian dance; this, however, was graceful, athletic, and entirely different. (I wish that I could have attended the competition.) The festival also included drummers, singers, and visual artists. On an aside, one of the sponsors, DesiWear, (Desi refers to the diaspora of people originally from the Indian subcontinent) crafts some awesome t-shirts.