more of what I did in August!

I was thinking that this isn't really a blog - as in 'web log' - it's becoming more of a boir: web memoir. The only problem with this phrase is that it's awfully close to bore. But perhaps that's appropriate too?

I'm always way behind on these sorts of things. (How far behind? It's our 16th wedding anniversary tomorrow and my wedding photos are still in a shoe box. I think. Since we moved, I'm actually not even sure where they are.)

So here I am, end of September in sight and I want to go back to August to tell you about some of the fun things we did in August. (Oh, and the kitchen. I still have to tell you about the rest of the kitchen. That happened waayyyy back....)

First off, Arthur Erickson.

Arthur Erickson is an incredible architect. I covet an Arthur Erickson house. Something like this:
Well actually, any of the houses would do. Really. I'm not picky.

Erickson is a Vancouver native & so it's no surprise you can see a number of his designs in the area.

Roo & I both spent several years studying here, at Simon Fraser University:
The only time it looks this psychadelic is when you've spent too much time in the pub. But it is beautiful. Until you fall into the pools of water strategically placed all over, presumably to sober the students up. It's about 5 minutes drive from us now, and is on the other side of the mountain from which we observed the sunset on Sophie's first evening here.

Erickson also designed the Museum of Anthropology building. (A little rant: we went there on a Tuesday evening which is billed as "pay as you can" night but what they really want to do is charge you $5 per person. I'm not saying that's a bad deal but I really wish they'd just call it a $5 per person admission. They say it's a suggested admission rate but really, there was very little room to disagree with that suggestion. When you go on a Tuesday, you still need to line up and pay and I think you'd need some heavy duty balls to blandly say you can't afford to pay or want to pay less because they're quite geared to just collect $5 per head. OK. I'm done now.)

The musuem is situated on a scraggy headland at the edge of the University of British Columbia campus, overlooking the waters of the Strait of Georgia (& if you look down, Wreck Beach, Vancouver's nudist haven.) Outside, including totems and West Coast native long houses:



The building design was inspired by the West Coast native cedar post and beam construction method, and translated into soaring concrete and glass. (in the center of the bottom picture is the Respect to Bill Reid pole. Check the link to see how to read the pole.)

Inside:

Above: this is a killer whale & seals. One of the few sculptures which you're allowed to touch.

Above: Hugo running from a bear sculpture.

The MOA is known for its collection of West Coast native art, including Bill Reid's The Raven and the First Men, pictured above, which tells the Haida creation tale.

The museum also has a fascinating 'open storage' concept for numerous other artifacts reflecting colonization and the successive waves of immigration on the West Coast. There are stacks and stacks of drawers which visitors can open; glass sheets cover the contents for protection. There are also large glassed-in storage cases of ceremonial masks.

As well, there are temporary exhibits featuring anthropological artifacts from other cultures - while we were there, one of the exhibits documented Malawi tribal masks and dances about AIDS.

During regular visiting hours, there is often a an artist in residence carving in the Great Hall.

One more shot of the Great Hall because I think it's so fabulous: