Men in Vancouver

Recently I read a blog written by my friend's coworker about Vancouver Men a.k.a. Douche Bags. Now please bare in mind, this was written by a straight man (who also happens to be a Scotsman) and in some ways, I think he's got most Vancouver men dead-to-rights. He sums up most single men in Vancouver to what I refer to as "a man-child". Men who are ungrateful, selfish, rely on handouts from their parents and do not behave in any manner close to chivalrous. I think this is true of some, but not all men.

I suppose the same could be said of single women in Vancouver. Personally, and according to a handful of my male counterparts, I find a good majority of women in Vancouver are snobby, high maintenance, gold digging princesses. Mind you not all of us are like that. I am not any of these things although at times I do like to be a little bit of a princess... but only sometimes.

As a single women in my 30s, I think there are three very important things every women must always live by:

1. Always stand up for yourself. If you want something, speak up. If you don't want something, speak up. Having an informed opinion is a powerful thing so don't be ashamed of it.
2. Believe in yourself. Know you can achieve anything you put your mind to. You can do anything a man can do... even pee standing up if you want!
3. Have your own money. The days of relying on a man to support you are over or at least they should be. Women can contribute more than just in the kitchen, barefoot and preggers. Own your freedom.
   

So is chivalry dead because of Women's Lib and Women's Rights? Does the equality that women demand these days excuse men from acting like douche bags? I say HELL NO!

I appreciate it when a man opens the door for me or picks up the tab every once and a while. I don't expect it every time but it's very courteous and just simply nice. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't do the same.

I think some men these days are intimidated by strong women. And what I mean by strong woman is not a bitchy cunt but rather a woman who knows what she wants. What's wrong with a woman that knows what she wants? I think having goals and going after what you want is a good thing. That's what makes the world go round. So why is it that when a man knows what he wants he's seen as decisive and driven but when a women knows what she wants she's perceived to be a power hungry bitch?

Personally, I think it's hard for men to accept that women want more and are capable of more. Men are, by nature, hunter-gatherers and being able to provide is ingrained in their genetic make up. Just as women have a tendency take on the role of the homemaker and/or caregiver. There are some things in nature you can't simply undo. Men are men and women are women. We are not the same and we are not physically equal. Regardless, none of this is a good excuse for being ungentlemanlike or unladylike.

Men in Vancouver aren't a bunch of Douche Bags, they're just a bunch of pussies who can't man up to recognize and accept a good thing even if it hit them square between the eyes. So to all you pussy Vancouverite men out there, "Grow some balls!"

Germs & Congee

I have a cold of some sort and I'm feeling a little bit crappy. I'm sneezing, coughing and I'm all stuffed up. I blame this on all the germs I probably pick up riding on the SkidTrain.... er I mean SkyTrain. Honestly, if people are sick, they need to quarantine themselves. Some level of self quarantine will reduce the spread of airborne bugs. With the way technology works these days, you can work from home and not get others on your commute and in your office sick.

I've been avoiding taking anything for this cold because I'm confident that my immune system can kick this bug sans drugs. I figure, I keep myself well hydrated and get plenty of rest and I should be back on my feet in no time! Of course one other part of that remedy is good ol' traditional congee. Now for those of you who are not familiar with congee, it's basically watered down, cooked rice.... a sort of rice soup/porridge. This is Asian comfort food. Much like chicken noodle soup is comfort to some of you white folk. I managed to peel myself out of bed to make Vietnamese style congee. And to my surprise I'd have to say, I did a pretty damn good job. *pat myself on the back* Deeee-lic-ous!

Well back to the movie watching and vegetating that will hopefully leave me well rested over the weekend.

Happy, happy, joy, joy.

The Right to Discriminate Against the Stupid

*DISCLAIMER - The use of the word stupid is extremely excessive in this post. However, no other word would do justice.


I don't know if you would call what I'm writing about tonight a blog. It's more a rant. I'm feeling edgy and although I have been told that pointing the finger of blame is unproductive and wrong, I don't give a shit. I blame the wrongs of this world on stupid people. We are on the brink of a "world recession" because of stupid people and making stupid policies. Stupid people like George W. Bush. Stupid is as stupid does I guess. And hence those who voted for him are stupid. Those who voted him in for two terms are even more stupid.


I hate stupid drivers. I hate it when people can't park their cars properly. I especially hate it when that same stupid driver is in a brand new $95,000 car and can't drive or park. And it's not because I'm jealous they are shitty drivers in cars they don't deserve to drive. It's because they don't deserve to have a driver's licenses period. A menace to society really. If you see someone parking like an asshole, I recommend you download this infraction and leave it on their window. I figure it's either that or ship all stupid people off to stupid people island where they can fraternize among themselves.

I know "they" say there is no such thing as a stupid question. I beg to differ. If there are stupid people, there are bound to be stupid questions. Given that I believe 95% of the world is stupid (I'm being conservative with this number), the probability for stupid questions are extremely high. I would say 100% of stupid people ask a lot of stupid questions.

Stupid people are annoying. Not only do they ask stupid questions, they waste my time and waste clean and valuable air for the rest of the non-stupid.

You should always discriminate against the stupid. When someone says something stupid, be sure to let them know they are stupid. If someone does something stupid, take a photo to remind them of their stupidity. Hell, use the photo to mock them.

Jill's newest "man dilemma"

This blog is for my good friend who we'll call "Jill". I consider Jill a close and dear friend. Jill, however, is unlucky when it comes to matters of the heart. There is nothing "wrong" with her. She is beautiful, intelligent, sweet and thoughtful. She is a person that would pamper a man and let him know that he is "king of the castle". So what's the problem? She often asks me why she has no luck with men. Don't get me wrong, she can get a date. In fact, there are a handful of guys out there pursuing her but she's simply not interested in those guys.

You see, I think one of the problems is that she tends to be attracted to guys who are unavailable; either emotionally (commitment-phobic) or physically unavailable (living somewhere other than Vancouver). The question is why? Let me get back to this point in a few paragraphs.

So, Jill has a new "man dilemma". She met a fellow about a month ago who is eight years young than her. She says that they have a lot of sexual chemistry and have fun when they spend time together. On her most recent birthday, the two of them exchanged a few steamy kisses and she thought that this would be the beginning of their dating future. Well, she was wrong. He, we'll call him "Jack", has a few hang ups and one major one is that he will not date his friend's relative. In this case, Jill is a cousin of one Jack's friends and he has told her that it is against his good judgment to date a friend's cousin. He simply will not pursue her because of that. Of course, Jill thinks this is just plain stupid.

Jill has since put herself out there and let Jack know that she wants to pursue something more than just a friendship. Jack is only interested in a platonic friendship.

Jill tells me that at this point in her life (she's in her early 30's), she has enough friends and doesn't really need more friends. She questions why should she pursue a friendship with him. I think this is a very interesting question.

First thing's first, friendships are by choice and never imposed. Friendships are about having a healthy balance between give and take. Actually that's the case for any relationship you have, whether a friendship, a best friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend or a husband/wife. Balance is essential for happiness. In your life people will come and go. Whatever relationships you have, it is important from time to time to ask yourself the following questions and to answer them honestly:

1) Ever since she/he came into my life, how has my life improved?

2) Am I a better person now than before?

3) How about my outlook on life? Has it been affected?

4) What habits have rubbed off on to me? Are they good? Bad? Have I started partying too much? Do I spend more? Have I acquired bad habits, etc?

5) What have I learned in this relationship? Anything new? Anything valuable?

6) What have I contributed to his/her life? What does he/she value about my friendship?

7) Is this relationship a "two-way" street?

Ok, so these questions are fairly intense. I know. But I think friendships are valuable and shouldn't be taken for granted. Personally, I think boyfriends/girlfriends can come and go but real friendships last a lifetime. True friends are the ones that are there for you when you feel your world is crashing down on you and they give you the support you need to get through it. No matter what happens, real friends are the ones you can count on. Everyone else is just an acquaintance or a jackass.

So after I ask Jill the questions you have just read, she decides to cut him loose. She does not see any value in pursuing a friendship.

Honestly, Jill if you are reading this... listen up, I think the real reason you don't want to pursue a friendship with him not because of the questions above but because you want to be more than "just friends". He rejected that idea and your ego is bruised. Frankly, I think if you two were dating, you'd eventually get bored of him anyway. With him, it's just the thrill of the chase. The fact is that he is mentally and emotionally too young for you. If you are honest with yourself, you want a something that will grow into a long-term relationship. And honey, this is not it.

So now, back to my initial question, why is Jill attracted to guys that are unavailable? It's the chase. There is no end game with these guys. She can't get bored of a guy she can't really get to know on a deeper level because he's simply not there. The "chase" is kept alive and well because you'll never catch him.

So my question for Jill is: Do you think you can get beyond the thrill of the chase?

If you answered yes, then maybe you should consider dating one of the guys pursuing you. If not then, "happy hunting".

I feel screwed over by my caulking this week.

Ok people, I would not call myself a handyman per say but I can do basic general maintenance and little projects like painting, laying down engineered hardwood and laminate flooring, put in new faucets, bathroom sinks and the like. As long as it's not overly complicated electrical rewiring or building a house, I'm pretty sure I can figure things out and manage when it comes to general home repairs. This is why I feel screwed over by my bathroom caulking experience of late.

I have not once, not twice but three times re-caulked my bathtub. I had a feeling when I first starting this caulking mini-project it was going to be a bit of a headache. Mind you that is mostly because I will not be able to use my shower for 36 hours and fear I would feel like a dirty, homeless bum. Actually it's worse, I fear I will smell like a dirty, homeless bum. When I went to Home Depot to buy caulking, this would be the first attempted caulking, one of the stupid orange smock wearing Home Depot helpers could not resist saying, “I know where you can get a good caulking”. Dude should seriously get fired for saying that. This was truly a sign that the caulking would go bad. And it did.

I have to admit, the first time I caulked the tub, I didn't follow the instructions to the tee. I only waited 26 hours and then had a shower. I thought this would be ok. Well it was not ok. All of the caulking bubbled and peeled off. So I waited 18 hours for the tub to dry and then re-caulked. I was feeling somewhat dirty and was in desperate need for a shower. But I knew the last time I screwed up by having a shower too soon. Instead, I was convinced having a non-splashy bath was the way to go. Wrong again. The caulking peeled off the next day. Screwed again!

So I think to myself, perhaps the tub was not completely dry when I caulked it so I used an electric heater to dry out the entire bathroom and rid of any and all moister I can possibly remove. I leave the heater on for 12 hours. I know everything in that bathroom was bone dry because of the heat. My toothpaste even felt warm and had melted into the consistency of Aunt Jamima's pancake syrup. I was almost positive that this time I had done a good caulking job. This time the caulking would be successful. The bathtub area was bone fucking dry and I let the caulking cure for 38 hours. They don't say “third time lucky” for nothing. I was convinced my caulking days were done. Well... I was wrong yet again! While I was showering today, the caulking peeled off for the third time. Fuck. Who knew I would despise caulk so very much. I am bitter and when I see caulking I want to spit at it.

So today I headed back to Home Depot, convinced I had purchased the wrong caulking and low and behold I had been using the WRONG CAULKING. Who knew there was such a thing as a bad caulking? Hmmm, now THAT sounded dirty. Anyway, I now have in my little hands a very good caulking with a silicone base. No more of that latex shit for me. I'm bring out the big guns now! So tonight I will dry out the bathroom again and put this new caulking to the test tomorrow. This new caulking better be worth it otherwise I vow to never caulk again!

Ninja Cat

I found this funny YouTube video and thought I'd share.... my cat could never be so stealth like... check it out: Ninja Cat

BC Fashion Week

I attended the gala opening of BC Fashion Week last night at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Chinatown. The runway show opened last night with local designer RozeMerie Cuevas' tribute to the 70's with boho chic dresses, cropped halter tops, jumpers and wide bottom pants for her new Spring 2009 Jacqueline Conior line. As always, the fabrics and designs were very feminine and beautiful. Also back by popular demand, RozeMerie designed some fabulously feminine and figure flattering suits for likes of the working professional women.



I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind before you attend a shin-dig like this is, "what am I going to wear?". It's funny because it seems every one's idea about what is fashionable is just so very different. There were women wearing very odd outfits in an attempt to be "haute-couture" I suppose. I saw all kinds last night. There was even one women dressed in serious 80's clothes. At first I thought it was a joke but it was not. She came styled in a crimped coif with teased power bangs and everything. For a moment I thought it was Fast-times at Ridgemont High. I guess not everyone can be a fashionista.


Other than the beautiful clothing at the show, the opportunity to sneak a glimpse into the world and culture of fashion is interesting to say the least. I have been a couple of these shows in past and well, I'm not sure if I'm suited to mingle among the likes of fashion divas and the superficial "I'm too chic for my sneaks" crowd. My sentiments were confirmed as we were escorted to the VIP area where we were amongst the who's who in Vancouver's fashion scene. Some were arrogant and there were others who just seem insincere. Not to say everyone was like that but there were a good handful. For me, it's nice to see the designs and experience a good fashion show, but I could do without the snobbery and the sense of elitism. I just don't roll like that. But on a positive note, I did manage to get some great photos. I'm going to try and add a slideshow feature to this blog so I don't have to upload 100+ photos on this particular post.

** Here's a link to an article on Vancouver.com where my photos are referenced: http://www.vancouver.com/get_article?article_id=144