Big City Gems

A friend of mine came over today. She's sick of the Big City corporate rat race by now. Although she's been living here for quite some time, every now and then her yearning for her homeland grows outside the ability to visit for just two weeks. She quits her job and makes her way down there to chill for a couple months. See some friends, visit some family, work on the side for pocketmoney... She's a pretty cool independent spirit who has become unknowingly guarded hopping countries and continents.

As we were walking around today, we bumped into a former colleague of hers. The man, Zoolander we'll name him, is one of most prominent concept store designers in Big City.

We ended up touring one of his most recent projects: a concept bar designed in incredible psychadelic undertones in a small Victorian-style storefront with a patio that is reflective of the vibe. Despite the abys of the place right now, listening to his vision was amazingly inspiring. You just never know what you will find on the street. (Actually, a man was receiving oral favours from a prostitute, parked down the street from our house a couple nights ago. That's something else you can find on the street I suppose.)

On that note, welcome to the neighbourhood I live in! There are two shady "pubs" around the corner. The clientele is near the cast of a very trashy Western movie: teeth missing, smoke in one hand, beer in the other. It's fairly obvious some illegal substance transactions go among the regulars as well. In front of those bars, you can probably find some "women of questionable morals" (I won't use the "p" word again) most days of the week. And if you're really lucky, you'll see a 16 year-old kid, fresh with his driver's licence, trying to pick a lady! Unexperienced youngsters tend to be very nervous; hence very obvious in what they're doing.

"No dear, you simply cannot back the car against the flow of the traffic because you didn't get a good look at the second one."

Not that I've done this before, but the whole thing requires a certain level of discretion. (You don't want the whole world to know you're THAT desperate.) What's that noise I hear? Oh, it's the neighbour trying to back his trailer into the kitchen again - he says it's easier to get beer that way. Lord help us all!