- Medicinal
- I was walking by a strip of boutiques yesterday, when a cute couple of old people strode by. No younger than early 80's, shopping for Monday discounts for the elderly I presume, slowly advancing under the cold afternoon sun. I move aside to let them pass on the ice-free part of the sidewalk, and this is when I got to experience a whiff of their much unexpected perfume: marijuana. I smiled; "medicinal" quality, for sure. These geezers must be popular with their grandkids! ;)
- permalink: http://www.rene-marc.com/blog/Medicinal
- Wake-up call from hell
- Got this call Monday morning, the kind you just don't expect:
Woman: "Hello, this is the STD clinic. The doctor wants to see you." Me: "But, I passed my test 2 months ago; I know you can't tell me what it is for, but is it serious?"
Woman: "It's nothing... *SE-RI-OUS*. Still, you'll need to see the doc. I'd advise you to stay safe until then. I'll schedule you in one month."
Me: "Ah, look, I'm not gonna wait in the dark for a month. Got anything sooner?"
Woman: "Well, the doc is accepting emergency visits tomorrow..."So I set out to see my doc early the next day, determined to know *now* and face the music rather than wait in nail-biting ignorance and abstinence for a month. To hell with my work schedule, my physical and mental health comes first. Still, I like to think that I play as safe as humanly possible sort of wearing a chastity ring or a Biosafety Level 4 suit.
Get off the bus and start to walk the 5 minute distance towards the clinic. Pass by a funeral home: ha-ha, great omen. Then walk in front of a tombstone cutting shop. *gulp*. Then comes a second funeral parlor. Ok, this isn't funny anymore. How come I never really noticed those places before? Ah, at least a flower shop, that should lift my spirits! Big sign in the window says "come see our great selection of funeral urns". F**K YOU!
Wait for an eternity in the lobby, then am told to wait in the doc's office. Try as I may, I can't help but overhear the doc's conversation with a patient next door:
Doc: "For your SUICIDE, have you made any plans yet?"
Good Lord! I'm glad that guy at least sought help before doing something stupid. Still, I'm not liking this death theme one bit now. A few minutes later, doc comes in, rushed and eyes in a daze:
Doc: "Ah, yes, your results. Let's see: Syphilis: negative. Gonorreah: negative. Hepatitis: negative. HIV: negative. Herpes: negative. You're all clear; it's just that we now ask everyone to come in after a test, regardless of the results."
I leave, with a huge weight off my shoulders. Weirdly, not a single thought of having that *oh-so-reassuring* secretary roast over a bonfire (okay, perhaps just smoked a little) ; I've had enough bad thoughts for a day. Life is beautiful again! :)
- permalink: http://www.rene-marc.com/blog/Wake-up-call-from-hell
- Cupid, deconstructed.
- Ah, Valentine's Day! The official day of love, overpriced roses and booked restaurants. Plenty of cute-n-fuzzy images of Cupid abound everywhere, a kid-friendly pasteurized version of the manly Cupid which I prefer. Here's the lowdown:
Cupid [Greek: Eros] is part of Roman/Greek mythology, and according to the most popular tales was the son of the very desirable Venus [Aphrodite] and either Mercury [Hermes], Mars [Ares] or Jupiter [Zeus]. Wow, popular chick! The usual depiction of Cupid is as a playful youngster equipped with a bow and two sets of arrows: one that inspires love, the other hatred. Marvelous! Perfect stuff for washable books.
However, the story I find most fascinating is the story of Cupid's own love life. As a young adult, Eros accidentally fell in love with a beautiful maiden, a mere mortal named Psyche. Oddly enough, she wasn't permitted to look at him for fear that she would recognize him as a god. Every night, passionate love-making sessions would take place in a pitch-dark room inside a magnificent, fully-staffed palace. After plenty of action, twists and turns, a daughter was born out of their union: they named her Bliss (or Delight, depending on translation). Isn't that cute? The repeated intimate mingling of Eros (bodily pleasure) and Psyche (the mind) created Bliss! ;)
Interestingly, Cupid/Eros strangely looks like Kama, the Hindu God of Love.
- permalink: http://www.rene-marc.com/blog/Cupid-deconstructed
- 8,000km on a bike!
- Wow, got to see the Banff Mountain Film Festival winning Asiemut adventure movie tonight, commented by the two filmmakers/adventurers on stage. Amazing experience this couple went through: 180 days of 8-10hrs/day cycling from Mongolia, through Western China (including the Taklimakan desert and Tibet), Nepal and half of India all the way to the end of the Ganges. Inspiring. Annoying "camera always of themselves" ego trip, but still sent out a strong message: embrace your life fully and follow your dreams, even if it's harder than you initially thought.
Oddly enough, it's the 3rd such "many month long cycle rides through Eurasia" that I went to see within the last year or so. Could there possibly be a theme to this interest of mine? I guess I'll have to attend a few more conferences to find out. ;)
- permalink: http://www.rene-marc.com/blog/8000km-on-a-bike
- Pradeep's December Party!
- Pradeep and his roommates organized a party for… the sake of it. Very enjoyable, as usual! view pictures →
Pradeep's December Party — december 2006 - permalink: http://www.rene-marc.com/blog/Pradeeps-December-Party
- Davyn Ryall got attacked at home!
- Davyn Ryall got attacked at home!
Davyn Ryall, former volunteer coordinator for the Montreal Fringe Festival and coordinator of the Harvest Theatre Festival, got attacked in his own residence. This article appeared this weekend in "Le Courrier du Sud", the South Shore's weekly local paper. Not too cool. My once-peaceful city is becoming violent and unruly. Scanned article included below (click to view full sized image). Rapidly translated into English:
Le Courrier du Sud / Saturday February 3rd, 2007.
When Homophobia Hits
by Véronique Alarie[Caption 1: Davyn Ryall, photographed after being assaulted by his aggressor.]
[Caption 2: Davyn Ryall and his partner, Ricky Smith, have united their destiny in Toronto last December.]It was slightly after 6PM on January 16th, when someone knocked at the door of Davyn Ryall, a resident of Le Moyne, in the borough of Vieux-Longueuil. A man of about 25 years of age shows up claiming to have hit a car he thought belonged to Mr. Ryall, in the parking lot of the apartment building. The later asks what color is the car which got hit, to assure that it belonged to him. As sole answer, the young man gives him a strong first jab to the face and starts to insult him, taunting him of being a "damn gay", before running away. The hit tipped over the victim, who starts to bleed. Shortly afterwards, M. Ryall achieves to contact the police.
The aggressor speaks French, is of white race, has dark hair and eyes, measures approximately 1m89 (6' 2") and weighs 80Kg (175lbs)
Aggressions and misadventures increase in numbers
This isn't the first homophobic misadventure that happens to the 50-something and his partner since their move on the South-Shore, slightly more than a year ago. Two times, their vehicle was vandalized. They have also been verbally attacked as they were walking their dog. "Throughout my life, I've lived in 19 residences in the metropolitan area and I have never faced problems such as these. And I have always maintained very good relations with my neighbors" he said to the Courrier du Sud "If I seek to call upon my fellow citizens through the Medias, it is because I want to incite people facing similar problems to denounce their aggressors. I consider that this is through this mean that I can be a responsible citizen" he wisely concluded.
- permalink: http://www.rene-marc.com/blog/Davyn-Ryall-got-attacked-at-home