Birthdays & Fireworks

Hello friends,

I trust those of you in Canada and USA had a wonderful July 1st and July 4th respectively. It is wonderful to celebrate birthdays.  Canada is now 148 years old and USA is 239 years old.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know I love fireworks.

On July 1st Canada Day I was able to watch fireworks from my patio. Though I don't have the best view I did manage to see some good bursts of colour and I did not have to deal with trying to make my way along with thousands of other people to get home after the display ended.

A few nights later, I captured a fantastic fireworks display on television. Seattle had a fabulous display of lights and I had a front row seat on my sofa.

 

This year the Honda Celebration of Light will celebrate 25 years of free fireworks in Vancouver.  Here is a little promo for the event that will be held July 25, 29 and August 1st. This is a fireworks competition and this year's competitors are: China, Brazil and Canada.  I don't watch every year but whenever I have, it has been thoroughly enjoyable.

Scenic Sunday & Blue Monday, Play on the Beach ~ July 24, 2010

On Saturday evening a friend from out of town and I decided to treat ourselves to a play under the auspices of Bard on the Beach, an annual Shakespearean Festival held under white tents with red flags set up on Kitsilano Beach.

Both of us like Shakespeare.  But beyond that we were enthralled with the idea of having a barbeque dinner during the intermission.  After that, coffee and dessert and the topping on the cake, a comfortable seat in the beachfront park to watch the annual fireworks competition, "Celebration of Lights". What a fabulous idea all around.

The play was lovely. I was soon stopped from taking photos of the stage but I did manage to get one.

The evening's performance on the mainstage is entitled "Much Ado About Nothing". I've copied this descriptive summary from Wikipedia for you in case you are unfamiliar with it.

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero. Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a "merry war"; they both talk a mile a minute and proclaim their scorn for love, marriage, and each other. In contrast, Claudio and Hero are sweet young people who are rendered practically speechless by their love for one another. By means of "noting" (which sounds the same as "nothing," and which is gossip, rumor, and overhearing), Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar. However, Dogberry, a Constable who is a master of malapropisms, discovers—unbeknownst to himself—the evil trickery of the villain, the bastard Don John. In the end, Don John is captured and everyone else joins in a dance celebrating the marriages of the two couples.

Unfortunately, I cannot show you any original photos of the actors but some of you may have seen the film of the same name, directed by Kenneth Branagh. In the movie,the lovestruck Claudio, sings a beautiful called "Sigh No More". I found it on youtube.com and offer it here for your listening and viewing pleasure.

My friend (and I) awaiting the start of fireworks.

Here is a scene earlier in the evening of all the boats gathering on the water to get a good position for viewing the evening fireworks.

Here is shot taken at the start of fireworks. I'm afraid that is all I have. I did manage to remember to take my digital camera however I forgot to take an empty memory card. It is a pity I am unable to share with you the finale of the show as Spain did a fantastic job of it. Simply beautiful. Wish you were there to see it.  Maybe next year?

Join in here for more Scenic Sundays. Please also join in here for Blue Monday hosted by the lovely Sally. For a delightful new recipe involving strawberries, click here.

Summer?

So far my summer has been taken up with non summer activities. It seems I have been busy with all kinds of things related to the Type 2 diabetes diagnosis (pharmacist training on food guide and basic information, training on glucose meter, dietician's workshop on various rices and how to cook them, blood work and blood pressure testing, exercise class, swimming lessons).

At the same time, I have been negotiating a new mortgage and I'm happy to report I got a good deal on the interest rate. I have also been undertaking modest activities (knitting) and discussing plans with my Kenyan partners on the mission field. I am hoping by the late Fall to bring jiko stoves to more of the village women in Chepkerbet.  If any of you would like to know more,  please read here. If you would like to help please contact me.

On a personal front I have been busy as well. My cousin was here just over a week ago for weekend visit. It was also my niece's birthday and though I wasn't there for the party I did have to arrange for a small gift and a card to get to her on time.  I have also been travelling back and forth to visit and help my elderly mom. I will be leaving again in about 1 and half weeks to assist with financial activities like banking and bills, as well as do the shopping, cooking and cleaning. The annual Kamloops Pow-Wow is something we hope to get to for at least one day also if it isn't too hot for mom.  She enjoys this cultural event immensely and if it weren't for her I'd probably stay home with the comfort of the air conditioning as much as I do enjoy the cultural event.

I am also excited to finally get to Bard on the Beach. We will be seeing Much Ado About Nothing.

Celebrating its 21st Season in 2010, Bard on the Beach is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festivals. Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront in Vancouver's Vanier Park, the Festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and several special events in two performance tents from June through September.

I'm looking forward to this because I've lived in Vancouver for many years and never have gone to this event though I do love plays. It is just the like amazing Folk Festival we have here every year in the 3rd week of July (just passed) which I never get to either and the growing Jazz Festival which I also miss each year, largely due to the fact that I am away up country.

My friend from Calgary is coming for her annual summer vacation to her childhood home and she arrives tomorrow. We have agreed to forego a "coffee date" on Saturday and instead have a play, dinner on the beach, concluded by fireworks which are part of the annual Celebration of Lights. How awesome is that?!! You can read all about the fireworks I was able to capture last year  here and here.

I feel blessed that this year I am able to squeeze in a few things to savour the summer. I am ENJOYING my summer as I've long wanted to take the swimming lessons, I am getting my diabetes under control and I'm taking an exercise class. I am also getting a chance to take in some the summer festivals which is for me a great summer activity though I don't always get to the ones I've been thinking I'd like to see. Too many logistical issues but in time it will happen. Yeah. I hope your summer is also going well too!

United Kingdom Puts on a Great Show

Here is what the CBC News had to say about the weather on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

"Wednesday was the hottest day ever recorded in Vancouver, according to CBC meteorologist Claire Martin. At 5 p.m. PT, Environment Canada recorded a record-breaking high of 33.8 C, breaking the previous record of 33.3 C set in 1960. Martin said anyone hoping the heat wave blanketing B.C. will be breaking anytime soon might just have to find some other way to chill out. "It's a very stable weather pattern — and very pronounced. It's not moving anywhere fast," Martin said Wednesday. Temperatures have been soaring across the province all week, hitting the low 40s (in degrees Celsius) in hot spots such as Lytton in the Fraser Canyon, setting records and driving thousands to lakes, pools, and beaches."

Even with the record heat, people turned up in droves for the 3rd night of the annual Celebration of Lights. The competing country was the United Kingdom. I don't think it is accurate to call it a country as it is more than one country but I think you'll know what I mean * smile.

Tonight at last, I did leave the air conditioned comfort of my hotel room for the closer view of the fireworks afforded by walking down to the beach. I found a spot that wasn't overly crowded, but boy was it steaming out there. On the way back, I stopped at the corner convenience store to purchase a few cold beverages and immediately took a cool shower after getting in.

Now that I somewhat cooled I can leave these lovely photos for your viewing pleasure.


Here is a short video taken on my old Canon SD300 camera. It will give you a good idea of the sights, sounds and fireworks. I have several more and when I have a bit more time I will splice them together.

UNITED KINGDOM PUTS ON A GREAT SHOW!

South Africa Wows Vancouver

I posted about the first of 4 nights of the Annual Celebration of Lights here in Vancouver. You can read about it here

On Saturday we had the second of four nights of competition. South Africa was on the roster to show their pyrotechnic skills and it was worth the wait! I never got out to the beach to jostle with the thousands and thousands who did. It started pouring rain in the late afternoon and I wasn't even sure whether the fireworks display would go on. The show did indeed go on though it was slightly delayed.

Look at the spectacular sunset we had during the rain and just before night closed the sky to get ready for amazing fireworks.

I discovered a few nights ago that my old Canon SD300 isn't fast enough to take good night shots, especially with moving subjects. These are a few of the better shots I was able to salvage.

I also made my first little video with clips from the Canon's movie feature. I wanted to upload it last night after the fireworks display but the lightening storms seems to have knocked out my internet service for about 24 hours. I've learned that I need a faster shutter speed )and/or a camcorder if I want to get good night movies. I couldn't get the shots I wanted and it was tiring to hold the compact camera up for extended periods. Nonetheless I enjoyed my first foray into splicing these movie clips together. Hopefully, I'll improve with practise.

Celebration of Lights

July 25, 2009

South African Team shines in their pyrotechnic skills

Celebration of Lights

Every year Vancouver has a competition between 4 countries that compete for the best fireworks display. The celebration began last night at 10:00 p.m. with Canada first up. These are the photos I managed to take with my slow camera.

Unfortunately, the big high rise is standing in the way of a brilliant view but I still managed to enjoy the show. My camera unfortunately did not shoot fast enough to capture the best shots though I tried hard to do so. I was shooting off my hotel balcony.

The competition is on for a week. If I can brave the crowds I may head down to the beach one night but I am not sure I am that brave.

Look how many people came rushing back to town after the show!


Watch this short video and you will get a better idea just how large this crowd was. The video doesn't show as well against the black background but I think you can still get the idea. You can hear the helicopters whirring in the background.