The Canada Experience

Two weeks in Calgary, Canada, and I feel rested, invigorated and ready to get back to the writing with a fresh mind. Canada is an awe-inspiring place to be. Standing on top of Mount Sulphur, looking down at the stunning scenery spread out below me, was easily one of the most inspiring experiences of my life.

In the two weeks I was there, I visited the Calgary Tower with its freaky glass floor; I rode the gondola to the peak of Mount Sulphur; I walked on the frozen surface of Lake Louise; visited the amazing Tyrell Dinosaur Museum at Drumheller; went to the Calgary Zoo; and shopped at Wal-mart--a North American institution! There was so much more, all combining to make it a fantastic experience.

As an embittered Englishman, I couldn't get over how friendly people were over there. Even teenagers said 'hello' and 'how are you?'--and they weren't being sarcastic! There seems to be a healthy dose of respect in Canada--respect for elders, respect for wildlife, respect for one another in general. You have to experience it first-hand to know exactly what I mean. All in all, I got the impression that Canada was a wonderful place in which to raise a family. The first opportunity I get, I'm going back, and I'm taking the kids with me!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Music for Writing

Image
How do you write? In silence? Or with heavy metal blasting out at full blast? I used to be able to write with my favourite music playing (usually on my headphones, especially if the kids were in bed). But in recent times I've found it increasingly hard to concentrate with music, particularly music with lyrics. Quite often now I will play a movie score soundtrack. Batman Begins is a favourite, as is John Carter . Recently, though, I've discovered some even more useful musical accompaniment on YouTube. The video below is a good place to start. Not quite 'ambient', more... 'atmospheric'. Puts me in just the right mood for composing prose. ['Comprosing'? Err, no.] Check it out. And if you don't like this one, there are plenty more to choose from.
Read more

Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy: An Appreciation

Part 1: Batman Begins (2005) Before I was a movie fan I was a comic fan. There's a geek moment in my life I recall even to this day with utter clarity. It's a Wednesday morning, about 7.30 AM. I'm sitting on the steps outside my friendly neighbourhood newsagents. Said newsagent, Mr Chidlow, comes around the corner and on seeing me does a little double-take. "Blimey, you're up early, lad," he says. Yes, I am up early. And the reason I'm there at such an ungodly hour on his doorstep? It's Wednesday morning and that means the new issue of Spider-Man is out. I can't wait a minute longer. I have to know what happens next. Looking back as a man of forty, it's hard to reconcile myself with that 10 year-old kid, an age when you could love something as simple as a comic book with the same passion you might reserve for a religion and no one thought you were strange in doing so. Okay, maybe they thought you were a little strange. In the interveni...
Read more

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams . . .

Image
Twelve months ago I was in a bad place. The New Year was looming, I had some personal problems that were kicking my behind, and my writing career was not progressing the way I'd hoped. Then, on Jan 2nd, I received a late night phone call from America. It was Joni Labaqui from the Writers of the Future Contest. The story I had entered almost four months previous (and which, to be honest, I had forgotten about) had reached the final 8 of the quarter. Ms Labaqui assured me that my story was really good and that I was a talented writer. I almost cried. As it happens, the story didn't make the all-important Final 3 but shortly after I went on to sell it to Realms of Fantasy Magazine* . [*That's another story.] Anyhoo, this episode taught me a couple of things. One, I can do this . I've "got the chops", as they say. Two, I started telling myself to stop waiting around for things to happen. Make your own opportunities . At the time, I didn't quite know what tha...
Read more