Visions 4

My first stop was Visions 4 at the SAT, a venue akin to a beating heart… intimate one moment, then racing the next! I was lulled into the universe of Vladislav Delay, only to wince at the strident assault of CM von Hausswolff all part of the festival’s charms!

The hynoptic and innovative sounds of Tim Hecker quickly soothed, leaving the stage for Ben Frost – harder to relate too, but fascinating nonetheless!

Free Outdoor Event

Then it was off to the Place des festivals for the free, outdoor concert! UGlowing messages lit up of the scene, while the crowd fell under the electronic-rock spell of Golden.Talk about amazing energy from this Montreal foursome! Next, a Latin American port ‘o call under German colours, with renowned Señor Coconut.

The maestro dished up classics such as Sweet Dreams, Da Da Da, & Riders on the Storm with latin rhythms and electro twists – a little too lightweight for my taste. But definitely crowdpleasing!

Piknic 2

Next day, it was off to Piknic 2 at Metropolis for an afternoon with DJs drawn from the finest Canadian & international electronic scenes. In the Savoy’s intimate setting, I discovered and loved Nicolas Jaar, ‘s wide-ranging musical influences (marrying Asian musical traditions w/ an electro pulse) plus the seductive minimalism of Kressel. And I wasn’t the only one – the house was packed & loved them back!

Then Dave Aju of the U.S. got all of Metropolis moving thanks to a super upbeat and energetic set. Great vibes!

In all, a week-end of sight and sound overload, plenty of new artist discoveries… and major sleep deprivation!!

For even more info, artist backgrounders and MUTEK festival reviews, head to the Web site.

Le lancement de la version française de ce blogue, Sur les traces de Vivian, verra le jour très bientôt. Il sera alimenté d’article toujours aussi animés et passionnés sur le voyage au Canada, les parcours en train, la découverte de nouvelles destinations, etc.

Parcourir en photos des villes canadiennes, voyage en train, activités et festivals haut en couleur, je vous propose d’explorer avec moi le Canada, de la plus agréable façon qui soit : en train.

Prochain arrêt : à la découverte de Montréal pour une fin de semaine!

Oh, stop groaning! I’m here to help!

First of all, if you can’t think of any good resolutions, here’s a list of top ten suggestions. Feel free to print it out and pin it to your fridge for all family members to see.

Spend more time with family and friends Learn a new skill or hobby Volunteer Start exercising Lose some weight Quit smoking Cut down on the drinking Enough with the stressing Pay more bills on time Get organized

Brought to you by: http://flickr.com/photos/28481088@N00/

What? You’ve already made your resolutions and need help sticking to them? Let the professionals at Reader’s Digest help!

The drawing was nice and all with its soft lines and flattering colours – I do look ravishing in olive green.

But since I am made of pixels, I thought it only fitting that my image should also be composed of pixels. And I like the polka dots.

So let me know what you think - you know how us girls get

(PSST! See the whole photo on my Facebook fan page…)

But that won’t keep a virtual girl like me down

Visit my new Facebook page and become a fan! It’s a great way to keep up to date with new offers and contests from VIA – and to share your thoughts with other fans of train travel.

I just love bringing people together

Pour ma part, dans un pays où l’hiver est si long, je ne vois aucune raison de m’enfermer dans une voiture climatisée dès que le mercure monte au-delà de 20 °C. Pour mes promenades au centre-ville, j’enfile mes patins à roues alignées ou mes chaussures de marche.

Et vous, quelle est votre alternative à l’auto en cette période de hausse du prix de l’essence?

Pour des trajets plus longs, avez-vous pensé au train? VIA vient de lancer la campagne « Exaspéré par la hausse du prix de l’essence? ». En cette période de vacances, jetez un oeil aux offres de VIA.

Are you familiar with the P’Tit Train du Nord? It is a very long bike path that runs along abandoned track in the Laurentian region of Quebec. (A word about the bike paths in Quebec. They are so long as to have become an international sensation. The National Geographic Society recently named the province’s Route Verte system of bike paths the best in the world. By “best,” I can only assume that they mean “longest and most grueling.”)

Anyway, I survived, and now, it’s time for me to exact revenge. Margarita doesn’t know it yet, but this July, we’re going on a 5-day juice fasting retreat at a holistic spa in Ontario’s Opeongo Hills. Bwa ha ha!

For those of you who absolutely must know more about cycling in la belle province, this is supposed to be a good site to check out: Boreal Photo.

There are powerlines in our bloodlines

into

There are train lines in our bloodlines.

My silly mistake seems almost excusable when I meet people for whom this new lyric is entirely true. This is the case with my Facebook friend, Peach Flambee, who has graciously given me permission to share her story here.

Her maternal grandfather worked the rails in the north of England, back in the days of steam. He ended up as a switchman, at a time when the switches were still thrown by hand, but that was not how he started his career. His first posting had cost him an arm, when a train rolled over it. You’d think that this would’ve been a liability — a switchman’s job was not exactly easy — but he prided himself on his ingenuity and strength. As Peach Flambee explains, “Grandfather would wrap his [one!] arm around the handle of the switch and leeeeeaaaan back, using his foot as a fulcrum.” His children “practically grew up on top of the rails.” When he died, a son stepped up to fill his shoes. Peach Flambee suspects she may have distant relatives still working that same stretch of track today. (She herself works as an engineer, but of “the gearhead kind.”)

Anyone else have good stories to tell about the train lines in their bloodlines? Because I would love to hear them!

I do very well verbally – I took French classes all through school, still, have spoken it with my grandparents since I was little, and am now working in a bilingual environment. Sometimes I forget certain words, but travellers are pretty patient if I accidentally throw in an English word now and again to fill in the gap. (I never remember the French word for scrambled eggs – it only comes to me after three ‘ummm’s).

I’m depending on workbooks and my Franco friends on the trains to refresh my grammar skills. I even write short dictées, which my mother corrects. So maybe soon, I’ll be able to post in French, ooh la la!

Just don’t expect any posts about scrambled eggs.

PS. To improve my vocabulary, I am also listening to a great podcast I found on iTunes – “Learn French with daily podcasts”. More advanced French speakers might think it’s a little baby-ish, but it’s perfect for the intermediate French speaker comme moi.

If you suspect that this is a not-veiled attempt to solicit more Facebook friends, then you’re right… Please be my FB friend?

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And I’ve decided to make a Virtual Vivian mixed tape for your pleasure… Yes, every week I will introduce you to a new artist by recommending a must-hear song. If at the end of it all, record companies are banging down my door to make a compilation, then so be it. Fame will not change me.

This week: Laura Veirs “Pink Light”. Something light for V-Day… Does she sound a little like Liz Phair, or is that just me?