Today's quote is from Kat's lair. I hope she takes it as a compliment that I have borrowed it from her blog.
We are a little weird, and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness, and call it love.
I like this statement!
Before getting into the main blog, I would like to state a couple of things.
1. Thank you to all my friends (and a few strangers too!) who posted comments or e-mailed me to ask if I was ok and encourage me that life isn't really that bad most of the time. It's nice to know there are people out there who continue to look out for you through good and bad times.
2. For all those friends who I have pissed off over the past few weeks, I apologise. This is not me. And I hope you know me well enough to know that. The trouble is, I was in Manchester for five years. And for four of those years, since the first day of University, I was in love with someone - who for a while I thought was in love with me too. This meant that I was emotionally vulnerable, especially when it became clear that I was never going to be able to make things work. The last year in Manchester was spent trying to get over the past four years. In fact I am still trying to get over those years. I became an emotional person, and passed this on to my friends, making strong attachments which turned into firm friendships. However, from this failed and pretty miserable relationship came my need for support and reassurance. I am always there for my friends (and this is known by some to be my failing) but I need to know that they are there for me too. Being here means that I cannot determine by seeing with my own eyes whether my friends are still my friends; I have to rely on e-mails instead. If I seem to be needy, or bitter because you are having fun, don't take this as personal. It just means that I love you all enough that I miss you like hell; that I am envious of your ability to see the people you care for, go out with the people you are friends with, and find a shoulder to cry on; and that I want to be there to share all the things you're doing too. Please try and take it as a screwed-up type of compliment; if I didn't care about you so much, I wouldn't be so hurt.
Moving on. As I should do.
I passed my driving test on Wednesday, for those people who haven't spoken to me for a while. Now I am looking for a car, which looks to be an equally difficult task. At least one stepping stone has been passed, rather than tripped over.
So, tonight was the long-awaited REM concert. IT WAS FAB!!! The opening act was called Charlie Mars, who looked like a band but turned out to be one bloke with additional people. Denise and I spent the entire time he was singing turning to each other and saying, "He is so good!" and muttering about buying the CD that was lurking promisingly outside the theatre. If you have the chance, get hold of their music. At the end of their set, the lead singer mentioned that they were playing again tomorrow night in town, and of course.... Denise and I just have to go!
The place where the bands were playing (the Orpheum Theatre) holds only 2,795 people, so it was a great atmosphere and we felt very privileged to be there. Once again, many thanks to Denise for having the foresight to get tickets! And then.... REM. What can one say about them? Michael Stipe was just as small, just as skinny, and just as mental as he always seems to be. And just as talented. A combination of the old and new was presented; the audience of course going mental for Man On The Moon, Sweetness Follows, Losing My Religion, Leaving New York, The One I Love, and What's The Frequency Kenneth. My first choice of Nightswimming is apparently never played at concerts, but I coped manfully with the rest of the lineup. My hands are sore from clapping, my feet sore from dancing, and my throat hoarse from singing. It was a fantastic night, and at last something to raise the spirits. See Denise's blog for pictures, hopefully.
For the person who commented on my blog that they wanted more of my thoughts on Vancouver (cheers Sam), here are some observations from tonight.
Observation 1: Vancouver looks fantastic in the dark. It is amazing coming over the Granville bridge into downtown, and going past the boats on the inlet, the high rise apartments, Granville Island and all the buildings. If anyone ever comes over here to see me, I want to take you on the bus downtown just to see the skyline. I love this city.
Observation 2: If anyone is thinking of coming here and hiring a car, be as cunning as a fox with petrol stations. I don't fully understand their system yet, but the pump prices vary between times, between streets, between cities, and seemingly at will. Tonight going into downtown for the concert, the Jet pumps were at 70 and so were the Esso pumps; however on the way back, five hours later, the Esso was at 88.9 and the Jet still at 70. The other day half the stations were at 69.9 and the others were at 91. Why is this?? If you get a car (and this is something I will have to worry about fairly soon), drive around to get the best deal. Apparently some places have low pump prices in midweek but not at weekends, others do good rates at night. It's all too much.
Observation 3: Shops here do not open at 9 and shut at 6. Instead they usually open around 10am and close at 10pm, sometimes later. The big Chapters on Broadway is open until midnight, and it is common to see people doing their shopping at 9pm in most of the big stores. The Pitta place we were in earlier opens until 5am most nights, and finding you are out of supplies late in the evening is really not a problem. The only things that have restricted hours seem to be banks, like England. Again, a reason why this place is fantastic. Shopping at night is always fun........
And on this note, I leave you. To sleep, perchance to dream.