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Roamancing TWSSF in Whistler

May 14, 2011 By 5 Comments

Many of you may have heard rumblings of our new travel series Roamancing.  Well, the rumour mill is true, we with a few friends, are launching into a new romantic transmedia travel series searching this big wide world for love.  For me this started as a bit of a not-so-private joke between me and my buddy, Sir Von Ritter, who wrote a series of posts on how what I needed was a European Knight rather than a North American George Clooney type.  Now while I don’t believe that I need to go to Europe to find love, I do believe that I need to start to slow down and smell the roses – ie. actually start taking some time for me and have some fun exploring this big wide world of ours.

"Me Time" at Le Chamois Whistler

To put this to the test, Richard Yearwood and I escaped the hustle and bustle of the city Easter weekend for some fun in the sun in Whistler, thanks to Whistler Tourism.  It was exactly what I needed.  While we didn’t exactly slow down, we did have a huge amount of fun and discovered all sorts of new aspects to Whistler from music and art to learning to snowboard in the Spring sun to zipping through the trees with Ziptrek Ecotours.   Best part for a Van City Gal, was this kind of escape can be planned stress free at the last minute or simply on a whim.

Richard and I, in what I like to think of as Ewok Village Whistler

For a full account of all of our Whistler Weekend Adventures over the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, you will have to stay tuned to Roamancing as we launch the site and our social media feeds over the next month and put up a variety of posts from A Morning in the Life of an Ewok to the first in a Le Chamois inspired series on the World’s Best Tubs to Snowboarding Tips from Whistler Blackcomb Ski & Snowboard Hottie Sean Matthews.

In the meantime, a few tips for those looking for a highly recommended escape from the daily grind:

  • If you, like me, fantasize about leisurely soaks in the tub with a good book and a glass of wine, the tub at Le Chamois was an absolute dream come true for me, jets included.  And now sadly, while I didn’t get the opportunity to try this, I’d harbour a guess that it fit two comfortably.  Richard, similarly enjoyed his roomy shower.

Tub Heaven at Le Chamois Whistler

  • There’s ART in Whistler!   And really good art – inspired by the mountain culture and the natural surroundings.  When you’re taking a break from the mountain, go search it out.  I really enjoyed what I saw.  Had to give Richard my credit card to curb the spending cravings.

TWSSF State of the Art

  • If you give the techno music in the clubs a pass (unless of course that’s your thing) there is actually some good music in Whistler.  The Mountain knows its acts and will bring them in, often for free. We caught both Broken Social Scene and Marianas Trench for free on Easter Weekend.  I’ll be keeping a close eye on the new Jazz Festival coming to the mountain in September.

Marianas Trench at TWSSF in Whistler

  • Even though the snow is not at it’s best in the Spring, the skiing is still immensely enjoyable, especially if you go with the layered look and salaciously strip down throughout the day.  It’s a great way of building that tan for the summer, especially if it is not limited to the goggle region.  Blackcomb Mountain is open for the season until May 30th, so there is still time to grab a few runs.  To find the best runs and ski conditions, test out the Whistler Blackcomb Live App.  It’s free.  Oh and think Preventable: wear a helmet (and possibly a bum pad, if you’re snowboarding) and get lessons if it’s your first time.  The Whistler Blackcomb Ski & Snowboard School are excellent and they have a hottie or two working for them (HELLO Mr. Sean Matthews).

Sean Matthews, Snowboard Instructor & Whistler Hottie

  • If you’re like me and like to geek out a little, while taking in the mountain air and getting that Whistler adventure rush on, then I’d recommend checking out the Ziptrek Ecotours. We did the Ziptrek Bear Tour, which made me feel like I’d joined a band of Ewoks.  It was awesome!  Being someone that was initially terrified, I had fun and felt in safe hands with our knowledgeable and humorous guides.  Thanks Peter and Edwin!

Richard Showing off on the Ziptrek

Now I should also note that some of the art and music mentioned about is one of the advantages to hitting Whistler when an event is on.  We were there for the Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival, which included one of my favourite art exhibits, State of the Art, and a series of free outdoor music concerts, including Broken Social Scene and Marianas Trench.  You have to wait a year until TWSSF is back, but in the meantime, there are some other cool festivals in Whistler coming up, including:

Now to answer the age old question (or at least mine), can you find love in Whistler?  Don’t laugh.  Yes, I have been told that I can find plenty of love there for a night (which really isn’t what I’m looking for just now), but actual love.  Despite the chuckles and scoffs that I can hear as I write this, I do believe you can.  Whether it is taking someone you are building a relationship with on a weekend escape to take time for each other or you seriously connect with someone on a weekend escape, it happens.  We met a couple from the States that actually met in Whistler (video to come on Roamancing) and despite the transient lifestyle of Whistler, there are folks that stay and are looking for that special someone.  This is especially true for the gals, as lets face it Whistler is a bit of a sausage fest.  Ladies – you just have to be somewhat discerning in your selection (ie. give the married men on a weekend romp a wide pass.  If they are treating Whistler like Las Vegas, they are probably not the fellow to be batting your eye lashes and tossing your hair at).

So did I find love?  Too soon to tell, but I did get a phone number or two.

~ Emme xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, BC, Buds, Canada, Events, Music Scene, Sir von Ritter, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

And with the hint of an accent it all flooded back … Vancouver 2010

February 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

Funny how history repeats itself.  A year ago, I was somewhat blassay about the Olympics being in this fine city of ours. The Olympic Committee had not been especially warm or welcoming to locals, but a few of the Houses changed all that for me, especially La Maison de la Suiss and Saxony House.  Oh and how did I love the music at the Saskatchewan Pavilion and all the fantastic Arts at Atlantic Canada House! Well, I’ve been feeling a little the same way as the one year celebration got under way this weekend, that is until a heard a German accent yesterday and then I was taken right back, burning red face and all.

You see for me the Olympics weren’t really about the games or sport at all. They were about the people I met, both local and from around the world and in sharing in our traditions from music and celebration to food and beer.  Oh and there were some fine beers – thank you Saxony House, I get teary eyed just thinking about those tankards.  I’m happy to provide you with an address for a care package.

Saxon-Canadian Relations (aka Being a good Canadian Diplomat.)

So we all need goals, especially around games, and that I had, just like any of the athletes.  My goals were two fold.

  1. Enjoy as much food, drink and music from all around the world, as possible.
  2. Encourage International Relations by hosting a little competition of my own against my darling hummingbird604.  How you ask?  Well, our own Olympic Sport of seeing who got more Olympic dates.

Now, this really set a great purpose and tone to the Games as things got off to a roaring start in our Olympic Event.  The Opening Ceremonies alone I had three dates.  Needless to say, despite the odds, I was leaving Raul behind in a white wash.

Olympic Dates 2 & 3 (Yes, they happened at the same time, as did Date 1 - he's taking the pictures. I'm not a girl that wastes time.)

That was until this Saxon fellow got in the way, and turned me head over heels in a hunt for unrequited love.

Stealing a Kiss

Not wanting to lose though, I tossed my heart aside and still managed to get in a kiss or two:

Thats when Raul pulled off the mittens and started playing dirty, deeking me out and landing me a very real Olympic romance and case in International Relations in my lap.  Now, I’m not one to smooch and tell, but lets just say that that German accent yesterday was all I needed to take me right back to Vancouver 2010 and turn my face as red as a beet.

Faced with nostalgia, I think I’ll dig up a bit of our unused footage to share with you in the coming weeks.  Who knows it might even help to me cure of this past year’s weakness for foreign men.

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Altlantic Canada, Canada, Contests, Events, Germany, Meeting Mr. / Ms. Right (or Right Now), Olympics, Perfect Dates, relationships, Saskatchewan, Switzerland, The Tube, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Musical Pick Me Up (Canadian Style)

November 30, 2010 By 5 Comments

Had one of those ends of my day, where really the only cure is music, and better yet, music that makes me smile and reminds that as a Canadian artist you can be successful. So I returned to a longstanding tradition of my teen years – mixed tape making – only wish this looked like an actual cassette tape (it’s a security thing, kind of like my yellow blankie that’s still in my room at home – if anyone knows how to do such things on the web, please share, I couldn’t find what I wanted):

PS If one of your tunes is not on here, it’s because I was limited to what I could find on Grooveshark, which brings me to my apologies to the Mac crowd – their widgets are flash based – I’ll put in a request for a change to html5.

Filed Under: All the Gossip, For Kicks, Jammin', Personal Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Rainy Day Pursuit for the Young Whipper Snappers

August 7, 2010 By 1 Comment

Seeing as it is a rainy day and I am lazily lounging about it my PJs, I thought I’d deliver a public service announcement to all the young whipper snappers out there.

Samsung Mobile Canada has quite a cool competition on the go for 30 young mobile enthusiasts in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.  Basically, they are giving out a brand new smartphone and service, and sending them to capture the best concerts and events this summer and fall in their city (ex. TIFF, Lady Gaga in Vancouver, etc.).  And the fun doesn’t stop there as there will be cash prizes and an online expense paid trip to Korea for a few lucky ‘mob!lers’. The deadline is fast approaching though, applications close this Wednesday August 11, 2010, so don’t you young whipper snappers be diddle daddling.

Alas, I am not eligible as this competition is only for 19 – 30 year olds out there.  I guess it is only fair to leave some of the fun to the young ‘uns.

… never fear though … for the non-whipper snappers amoungst us – old Dickie Gustin, Mr. Jones, Brie and I – are aheading for some old school blues and roots this coming weekend.  Now to set the mood, some blues from a 2010 Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival Headliner, Kenny Wayne Shepherd:

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Brie Mason, Buds, Events, Rob Jones, The Tube, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival 2010 From A Music Geek’s POV

August 5, 2010 By 6 Comments

Hi everyone!  This is my first guest post here at Being Emme (thanks, Ems). They say you never forget your first time.  Let’s just see.

Seeing as it’s nearly time for the 2010 Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival, which our sunglasses-and-smiles hostess will tell you all about after she attends on Saturday August  14, I thought I’d ask our Emme if it would be OK for me to submit my own thoughts on the festival, and what you guys can expect from it when you go.  You see, last year I accompanied Emme, plus friends Erica Hargreave and Jon Jennings, to the 2009 festival. Besides being an afternoon with good friends, I was there, ostensibly, as resident music geek.

And a geek I was.

The fact is, outdoor festivals like this really turn my crank.  I love seeing live music being performed by enthusiastic musicians, for equally enthusiastic crowds. This is not to mention the food.  Food almost always tastes better outside, in the company of friends, and sitting on blanket and deck chairs, enjoying the sounds together in the summer sun. And let’s face it; I love the presence, function, and all around generosity of beer tents.

During this particular festival, it was fun to see Emme in her element too, dancing with strange guys (and I do mean strange), chatting up the paramedics at the first aid station (She got a bit of sunscreen in her eye. Well, so says she.), and spreading false rumours about me on Twitter while I innocently took in the music, unaware.

She’s a handful. But she’s an endearing handful. Water under the bridge.

The line-up last year was stellar.  Some acts I knew about, and others I discovered for the first time. In any case, it’s already a year later, and if you were ever in doubt about attending the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival this year, here’s the line up and what you can expect from each act.

Taj Mahal

This year, there are some real luminaries at the festival, including headliner Taj Mahal, who has been playing folk blues shows like this, and putting out records, since the 60s. Among other things, Taj Mahal was the only North American act that played the Rolling Stones’ classic (and for many, many years unreleased) Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus special in 1968, along with The Who, Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, and the Stones themselves. Taj Mahal continues to blur the lines between blues and folk musics from around the world, and to deliver singular excitement in a live setting.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Kenny Wayne Shepherd‘s blistering blues-rock is bound to get people up on their feet. He’s been an undeniable live draw for many years and is master of whipping up summer audiences into a fun-loving frenzy.  Shepherd proves that when the blues had a baby and called it rock ‘n’ roll, that baby has continued to grow, although not forgetting where she came from. For that organic feel of the blues, with the drive and guts of modern rock, come and get it.  This guy’s got it.

Colin Linden

Colin Linden is a solo artist, songwriter, guitarist, and sought-after producer, also member of folk-rock collective Blackie & the Rodeo Kings.  He’s also a long term musical collaborator and producer to another hero of mine: Bruce Cockburn.  He’s produced a number of albums  and written songs for other artists you’ve heard about (Colin James, The Band, etc).  He’s served as back-up guitarist for country maven like Emmylou Harris, while also having been tutored as a young player by electric blues titan Howlin’ Wolf. Colin brings out a unique warmth in the long traditions of the blues and folk.

Juno winner and country-music-with-a-kick performer Serena Ryder will on hand to showcase her powerhouse voice; a smokey and textured instrument that contrasts the pristine beauty of her songwriting which has earned her a gold record.

Californians Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real, will show you the connections between rock, blues, and all the folk music forms in between.  If you’re a fan of that Woodstock sound of the Band, Van Morrison, and New Morning-era Bob Dylan, these guys will make the afternoon in the park worth your while.

Little Miss Higgins weaves together the musical threads of proto-electric rural blues of Memphis Minnie, the country music of Jimmie Rodgers, and Bob Wills, and early jazz-blues recordings from Lady Day herself, showing how the rich tapestry of these musical traditions continue to wind their way into the modern age. Her music is rooted in an approach to performance that says “welcome! come on in”.

Retro-rock group Yukon Blonde comes complete with classic 70s AM rock radio texture, and sunshiny 60s flavoured harmonies perfect for a summer festival like this one.

The Burnaby Blues and Roots festival is being held at Deer Lake Park on Saturday August 14.  If you go, make sure to tell us about your favourite acts – especially those you didn’t know going in –  in the comments section of this post, or other posts themed around the festival.

Cheers!

Rob.

***

Taj Mahal image courtesy of Bill Gracey. Kenny Wayne Shepherd image courtesy of Farky. Colin Linden image courtesy of Stephen Dyrgas.

Filed Under: All the Gossip, BC, Buds, Canada, Events, Music Scene, Rob Jones, Travel, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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