Move over MAC, Sephora is here

As I drove by the Mall today when I left the house I saw an unusual number of cars in the parking lot. I thought for a second probably its the summer circus back in town but the place was devoid of the glittering carousel and the big tents that come with the circus package. Then it all came to me. Today is the big day.

Sephora make up line. Photo Courtesy: talkingmakeup.com

Make up giant Sephora opens doors to two Vancouver locations, one in Pacific Centre (downtown) and the other in Coquitlam Centre. The third store will open in the Metrotown Mall (Burnaby) in October 2009.

Georgia Strait called it the Cosmetic Candy Store . In order to understand Sephora’s success, you need to know about the approach that’s helped it establish more than 800 stores in 14 countries.

“It’s like a beauty playground,” said spokesperson Christine Egashira, during a tour of the 5,421-square foot Coquitlam store that includes energy efficient and environmentally friendly amenities like LED lights and a recycling program.

It is a feeling of deja vu when a few years ago MAC opened its doors for the Vancouver market. Now Sephora has taken the Vancouverite fashionistas by storm.

Will I go and visit the store? Sure I will as they carry a vast variety of prestigious products. But I will not be lining up outside the malls to be amongst the first to enter the store today.

’cause the lie becomes the truth- Billie Jean (1983)

Media has been in a frenzy with the news of Michael Joseph Jackson’s death (1958-2009). Jackson’s death is as “whacko” as his life- full of doubts, puzzles and unsolved mysteries. A one man industry and a brand that generated billions of dollars, died broke and deep in debt.

The uncrowned King of Pop

Personally, I did not follow this iconic pop singer’s career moves, but I admit I grew up listening to his music. Some how they do not seem dated even today. His songs differed from mainstream pop music as there was always some underlying message in the lyrics.

The song “Billie Jean” makes the cut to the top notch dance single genre to this day.  When these lyrics are carefully heard a whole new meaning comes to light. One wonders whether the heavy over tones of regret, unhappiness and sometimes hurt come from real experiences, or are they just a fragment of Jackson’s imaginative mindworks. 

The  song according to Jackson was about a fan who claimed that he was the father of her twins. As a rock band the Jacksons had always been in the lime light and groupies were part of the normal equation in their life.  But Jackson still maintained he had never seen the girl or been with her. She wrote him several letters and once sent a package that contained her photo and a gun with a letter stating the date and time when Jackson should kill himself.  She said she will kill the child Jackson had fathered and herself as well. Jackson claims he got nightmares after the event.  Later the woman was taken to a Psychiatric facility for treatment.  

With a life plagued with scandal, controversy, criminal charges and a devestating personal life Jackson still remains a legacy and an icon. He is undoubtly reigns as the ” King of Pop”.

As charges of child molestation and sexual abuse were made by a 13 year old Jordan Chandler in 1993, Jackson’s downward spiral had begun. He got hooked onto drugs and alcohol to find release from the stress of this investigation.  The case was settled out of court with Jackson paying the Chandlers a reported $22 million.

Rumours did not die out as Jackson married the King of Rock’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 1994. In Jackson’s eyes this was a match made in music heaven with the two iconic families merging together.  He clung to Presley for support during his molestation trail. The couple split 19 months later as she could not keep up with his bizarre antics and the “leeches” Jackson always seemed to attract.

In the same year he married his dermatologist nurse Deborah Jean Rowe with whom he had been friends during his numerous cosmetic surgeries. He fathered three children ( two boys and a girl) with Rowe.  The couple never lived together but Rowe gave Jackson full custody of the children.

On June 25, 2009 Jackson collapsed at a rented home in Los Angeles. He had been rehearsing for a 50 concert come back series in London which was to begin from July 15 at the O2 theatre. His death was confirmed two hours later, the same day on which actress Farah Fawcett’s lost her battle to cancer.  

 ”People always told me be careful of what you do
And dont go around breaking young girls hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do cause the lie becomes the truth…” – Billie Jean (1983)

UV indexed

Summer is here. The sunbloc, an endless supply of fluids, sun hats and coolants are essential items for anyone , anywhere.  

There are unique ways of enjoying time basking in the golden rays. But the term fun under the sun takes a new meaning for this couple as they maintain their self made ecological garden in interesting camoflague outfits and are happy to explain why they are doing so.

We found Raven gardening in her camoflague bikini

This story was featured on GlobalBC TV by Mike McCardell on June 11, 2009. It is a quirky piece.

The camoflagers with Mike

Space tourism the Cirque way

Move over Gold Coast Australia, the hot new tourist destination is the stars. 

Laliberte's Cirque Du Soleil - Photo courtesy: Cirque Du Soleil Promo

Fire-eater and stilt-walker Guy Laliberté, 49, founder of the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, will fly on a Russian ship as a space tourist in September.

The first circus act in space is being trained to visit the International Space Station and is spending millions for his joyride. Some of us are questioning the motive. Is it a publicity stunt to bring the 25th year anniversary for the show to public’s attention or a genuine need to discover the twlight zone?

Laliberte has begun training with cosmonauts at Star City, near Moscow, for a 12-day trip organised by Space Adventures that will cost him around $20 million.

He said yesterday: “Travelling has always been my way of life and I have been researching the possibilities of space travel with Space Adventures since 2004. But I needed it to be the right time and for the right purpose.

“This is the time. And the purpose is clear: to raise awareness on water issues to humankind on planet earth. My mission is dedicated to making a difference on this vital resource by using what I know best: artistry.”

Unfortunately Laliberte will not be allowed to take his accordian on board the space station in case he gets an epiphany for the next fire breathing Cirque show.

Here is more coverage on the issue:

Cirque du soleil’s Guy Laliberte defends millions being spent on space trip

The Cobalt Vancouver

My article on The Cobalt Vancouver has received surprisingly immense readership. Here is the link:

The Cobalt Vancouver struggles through

The Cobalt has served as the home of extreme metal music for several years on the West Coast and its status quo has been threatened by noise complaints of the neighbours. City of Vancouver’s by-laws dictate the bar has to follow proper protocol to reduce noise pollution.

Seemingly traight forward solution, complicated background. Read on…

Inuit Ettiquette, a PETA faux pas ?

The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, is in the middle of animal rights controversy.  In a gesture that has widely been denounced by urbanites and activists, but warmly applauded by the Nunavut natives the Governer General is undeterred.

The Governer General kneeling by the seal. Photo Courtesy: The Canadian press

‘Take from that what you will,’ Michaëlle Jean says when asked if her actions were intended to send a message to Europe, where opposition to the seal hunt runs high and a ban on seal products is poised to go into effect.

Inuits from Canada and Greenland are allowed to continue their traditional seal hunts by the EU. However, those exemptions are subject to a number of restrictions.

Bruce Friedrich, PETA’s vice-president for policy, said the Governor-General was giving Canada even more of a “neanderthal image than it already had.”

“The seal hunt is Canada’s shame, and in 10 years, Canadians will be horrified, saddened, and ashamed that their government defended it for so long. The Governor-General will come to understand her disgusting stunt as the most immoral and stupid thing she has ever done in public life,” Mr. Friedrich said.

A spokeswoman for EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas offered no official reaction.

“No comment — it’s too bizarre to acknowledge,” Barbara Helfferich said.

When asked if he would eat a piece of seal heart, Federal Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who said he has eaten seal liver and flippers, replied, “Sure! Absolutely. I’d love to try it.”

In my opinion the Canadian public should give the Governer General some breathing room.  As television cameras followed, she joined the locals on a traditional community feast at the Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and used an Ulu knife to carve the seal. The Inuit Peoples  applauded the gracious gesture and are grateful to the Governer General for this show of solidarity with seal hunters of the Arctic.

The public reactions included comments like ” Can I order Sushi, the Seal kind preferably with freshly carved meat from the heart” and “Coming soon to T&T Supermarket near you”. However, we should support the Queen’s representative in Canada for maintaining her demeanour despite harsh criticism.

Liberals did it again

Liberal leader Gordon Campbell became the first B.C. premier in 26 years to win three consecutive elections with a majority government.

As the economy weighed heavy on the minds of B. C. residents, Mr. Campbell campaigned as the safe bet to steer the province through tough times, arguing NDP Leader Carole James was not up to the job.

The tactic paid off.

The Liberals were projected late last night to take 50 of 85 seats in the B. C. legislature. The NDP will form the Opposition with 35 seats.

There were no Green party candidates elected.

BC-STV was ruled out by a wide margin  as it failed to win 50-per-cent approval, that likely would end the debate in B.C. about changing our voting system. This is the second time STV has been voted down.

STV or not?

Single Transferable Vote ( STV) has been a part of the provincial election debate in BC.

As polls open for BC’s 39th election today STV still is a contentious issue. It has been ridiculed, criticized and even disregarded but history demonstrates it has worked successfully for some governments.

In order to encourage voters and to minimize loss of votes the voters have to list the order of preference for their favoured candidates.

” I am not sure if I want anyone else to take the place of my candidate just because enough people did not vote for him.” says Robin Macahalar of Vancouver.

Machalar admits she does not understand the STV system and admits her boyfriend made jokes about the acronym when she tried to talk to him about it.

British Columbia voters could make Canadian history according to their referendum decision they make on their ballot today.

Voters’ ballots for the provincial election will contain not only the names of the candidates in their riding, but also a crucial referendum question.

Electors will choose 85 MLAs and a new government – but they also will see a question similar to one on their ballots in the May 2005 election.

Their answers will determine the degree of satisfaction with British Columbia’s current first-past-the-post system of electing MLAs – the system used in every other jurisdiction in Canada.

Or will they opt for something new – the STV or single transferable vote method?

In the last election, the question on the ballot read: “Should British Columbia change to the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform?”

This time, voters will be asked: “Which electoral system should British Columbia use to elect members to the provincial Legislative Assembly?

There will be two choices:

-The existing electoral system (First-Past-the-Post)

-The single transferable vote electoral system (BC-STV) proposed by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform

If STV passes it will be used for the next election in May 2013 and voters’ ballots will be much different looking.

For more coverage on the issue:

STV Vote could be last chance for reform

Party Leaders cast their votes in B.C. election

Unemployment Clock: what is the rationale?

On May 06, Parliament Hill in Ottawa  became venue for the Telecommunications Workers Union unveiling of a digital clock that tracks the growing number of unemployed Canadians.

The first stop for the National Unemployment Clock is the TELUS Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.

The National Unemployment Clock, which counts the number of job losses in real time, is mounted on a truck and will travel from Ottawa to Vancouver throughout the month-long campaign.

The CBC reported John Carpenter, Vice President of the TWU said the numbers are based on those provided by Statistics Canada.

The numbers were significant. The total from the get go was 1.5 million and counting. The clock updates itself every 40.91 seconds and the numbers were ticking.

With unemployment increasing within fraction of a minute this campaign raises awareness about the Canadian struggle to keep their jobs.

“This clock shows the devastating impact of outsourcing job loss in Canada. The size and scope of the tragedy of this job loss must be understood by the Harper government,” said NDP International Trade Critic, Peter Julian.

“These are good jobs being outsourced. The government must hold corporations responsible and provide strong incentives to keep jobs in Canada.” said Julian.

The campaign’s website, www.keepjobsincanada.ca, features an online petition, ways to get involved, contact information for local Members of Parliament, statistics and facts on unemployment in Canada, the ongoing issue
of allowing large corporations to offshore jobs, the campaign travel schedule, as well as an interactive “Track the Truck” map following the road show – using GPS technology.

There is hope that this campaign will make our leaders pay attention to the devestation caused by the economic downturn and help us with our troubles in these traumatic times.

Italians reclaim heritage in Vancouver

Here is the piece I wrote for The Thunderbird.

Ladies enjoy an evening at Roma Hall playing cards and doing what women do best- chatting !!

It took over a month and countless trips to research this article. I am extremely grateful for the generosity of all the vibrant and amazing people I interviewed for my article.

Thank you very much for talking to me for endless hours and tirelessly posing for the photo gallery. A very special thanks to Rino Bellini, President of Roma Hall in New Westminster and his lovely wife Linda for introducing me to these larger than life characters .

I would have never come across these lovely personalities without your cooperation. Now they remain infinitely chronicled in this piece of writing.

I would also like to acknowledge the participation of Caelan Griffiths, Curator of The Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver for taking me on an eye opening journey down the historical avenues of Italian immigrants.

I remain eternally thankful to everyone for your graciousness, patience and participation.

Read on:

http://thethunderbird.ca/2009/05/05/little-italy-in-vancouver/

Photo Gallery:

http://thethunderbird.ca/2009/04/10/photo-gallery-all-things-italian/