100th Post!

This is the 100th Post on Bond's Blog! Time to celebrate!

And the timing couldn't be more appropriate:

• Today is my birthday!
• I am finishing my time here in England, and moving on!
• And it's the one year anniversary of my blog!

Truly perfect!

I can't believe it has been one year since I've started blogging (August 2006!) What a ride it's been! I wrote in my first ever post, Blog the First: " ...my plan is to document my travels in this blog for the next year (in an attempt to reduce the number of mass emails!)"

And I have been. I thought it appropriate to celebrate the 100th Post by listing the top 10 things I will miss about England, specifically Birmingham. I leave the city for good on August 14th - one week from now - and I want to chronicle what I've enjoyed here, as much for my own benefit as yours!

(I know, two list posts in a row. I blame Mitch for it! Yell at him!)

- 10 Things I Will Miss About Birmingham -

1. Harborne: The town I live in! 9 pubs, 8 charity shops, 7 restaurants, 6 banks, 3 supermarkets, 2 bookstores (one called Bond's Books - one reason I wanted to live here!), 2 chip shops, the Subway, the Blockbuster, the Home Bargains, the Art Store, the park, and the community center. The Harborne Carnival brings everyone together once a year. Feels good here!
   
2. Architecture: Birmingham is trying so hard. Amongst the run down dirty parts of the city, there are wonderful buildings and amazing architecture that I will miss looking at: the bulbous Selfridges building covered with thousands of mirrored disks, the stone Art Gallery and Victoria Square with the beautiful fountain and steps, the tall thin alien BT Tower, the many red brick houses, and the new modern style of Centenary Square and Brindley Place with it's open spaces, statues, and canals!
   
3. A Cup'a Tea: After being in England a year, I appreciate the taste of a good cup of tea! One teabag, into hot water, very short steep time, squash the teabag with the spoon, one sugar, dash of milk, stir....and sip. Mmmmm...
   
4. Pub Culture: More than just a place to drink, the pub is a meeting place, a landmark, a comfort zone, a restaurant, a games room, a Quiz Night, and the place to take a date! British life revolves around the local pub (mine is the Varsity - 22 seconds from my door to the pub, sober. And 5-20 minutes after a couple - usually due to a stop for a kebab 'n' chips or a Subway! Mmmm...)
   
5. Proximity to Europe: The bounty of Europe is just a short flight across the channel! And it is so easy and cheap to get there; EasyJet and RyanAir. Anywhere you want - France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece... so simple!
   
6. The Pound: I will miss earning money in pounds. I love looking at my bank balance and converting it into Canadian dollars in my head! It makes me giggle with delight! Although, the downside is that I have to rent a movie for 4 quid (= $ 9.50 !!!!)
   
7. The Safety of the Streets: Broad St in particular, where the nightlife is. Police, CCTV cameras, and well lit areas abound in this city which used to have a reputation as being dirty and dangerous. Now, it parts of it are clean and very safe. On more than one occasion, I have walked home late at night always feeling very safe!
   
8. My House: 13 Albany Road - the site of many parties, dinners, movie and game nights, TV viewings (Hollyoaks and Big Brother..), arguments, sleep-ins, painting times, quiets moments, days off, no heat, film scenes, barbecues, ant infestations, lunar eclipses, accidents, police talks, and late nights! A three-legged cat we call 'Stubs' or 'Stubby' visits us frequently! I'll miss my big room and it's wooden floors, high ceilings, and sink.
   
9. Family so close: It has been spectacular having so much of my family so close in England! On my Mom's side - Dave, Naomi, and Gloria, and on my Dad's side - my Granny, Nigel and Joyce, Tim and Meena, Elaine and Richard, Sarah and Abby, Yasmeen, Escandar, Rocheen, Angie and John, Lara and James, Nicky, Rav and baby Mia! I also consider my good friends Marianne, Duncan, and Nathalie family too! I will miss them all!
   
10. Friends: So many new friends! I'll miss mostly my housemates - Roger, Leon, Lee, Emily, and Andy. I'll also miss Lewis, Zoe, Karl, Catherine, Lisa, Ian, Teresa, Hassen, Renata, Katerina, Kate, Sophie, Debbie, Cate, Mary, Tina, Nicky, Claire, Michelle, Faye, and Sarah. I've made some fantastic friends who will stay with me my whole life, for which I am very happy!

So there we go: the top 10 things I will miss about Birmingham. But what next? The Traveler moves on...

• August 16 - fly to Madrid, then meet Greg in Lisbon
• August 19 to September 5 - travel around Portugal and Spain, taking in Lagos, Seville, Valencia, Ibiza, and Barcelona, including La Tomatina (tomato fight festival!)
• September 5 to 10 - show Greg around London (might visit Birmingham one last time)
• September 10 to 15 - spend a week in New York City, before flying home!
• Later - Move to South Korea for a year to teach English with my friend Steve!

Whew, a full packed summer! Only a week left in England and I have to spend most of it packing and cleaning my house.

That finishes my 100th post! Wish me luck on my travels and on another exciting year of blogging!

Tagged - 8 Random Things about Me...

I got tagged by fellow Canadian Blogger Mitch,

The Rules: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The game rules are posted at the beginning of the post. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment to let them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

I have been thinking about this post all day, trying to think of random things about myself. So here they are:

1. I had a large gap between my two front teeth when I was very young. I used a retainer for a few years, never braces. I remember having to take my retainer out at every meal, and I would wrap it in a napkin. Only once was it thrown out!
2. For the last 10 years, I've been involved with an acting troupe - SMP Dramatic Society - a group that puts on pantomimes! What is a pantomime? It is a British comedy tradition where you take a classic fairytale, add some cross-dressing, singing, dancing and hilariously bad jokes, and mix in some audience participation! I have played a rat, a sheik, a sage, a lost babe, a farmer, a wolf, and a pantomime horse (front end!)
   
3. I cannot ski. Yeah, I know, I live in a beautiful mountain-filled snow-covered ski land surrounded by skiing opportunities (Whistler, Blackcomb, Grouse, Cypress...). I should be a good skier, but I am not. This is due to me falling over and being unable to get up, when taking lesson in Grade 7. This may have scarred me as I haven't been downhill skiing since! (I guess I can cross-country ski... I forgot!)
   
4. I have shot a few different guns. As James Bond's decedent, I should be competent with firearms! I have fired several different rifles and a 22' revolver, on two separate occasions. And I am not a bad shot, if I do say so myself!
   
5. During primary school, I once started a group which almost every classmate joined! It was (surprisingly) a Dinosaur Group, where everyone was given a different dinosaur name. We would then run around at recess and pretend to be that prehistoric animal and ... uh... fight.. and ...eat. (I was a T.Rex!)
   
6. My favorite view in from West Braemar Road in North Vancouver at the bend at the top of the stairs. That quiet spot overlooks both West Vancouver and Cypress Mountain, and also Downtown Vancouver. I love looking at all the trees and the city lights over the water.
   
7. My first film (made in Grade 8) involved stop-motion animation, fire, camera tricks, and a trip through my friend's fridge. The film was about an alien who arrived on Earth and was shown around by my friend. In fact we went through his fridge twice! Our teacher, Mrs. Hopkins, gave us good marks but told us if we went showed my friend's fridge one more time, she'd fail us.
   
8. My house was broken in when I was in High School and I was the first one home. I noticed the door adgar and, without really thinking, I walked in. Stupid, I know, but I was curious and somewhat shocked! Our TV and VCR, gone. As was the Super Mario Brothers 3 video game (but not the original Nintendo system. Weird.) My Father's violin (the most disturbing of the stolen item's) was recovered by the police. I did eventually call 911 and luckily, not murdering criminal was still in my house!
   

There we go. Now, let's be really mean and tag Craig, Marianne, Randi, Stephanie, and Traumador! (I know it's not 8 people, but I'm not that mean.)

York Horse Races

This weekend, I traveled to the old Viking/Roman town of York to visit my cousin Lara and her boyfriend James. It was a wonderful weekend hanging out with them and James' parents and brother and girlfriend. Highlights included a huge curry (where we guessed the amount of food needed dead on!) and a huge tapas lunch in a Spanish Restaurant in the town center (to get me ready for my visit to Spain: T-17 days and counting!!!)

But the real treat was going to the annual York Horse Races, where we all participated in a spot of horse betting! The following photos will illustrate how posh the afternoon was - men in suits and ties, women in dresses and big hats. BIG HATS! The hilarity of the attire was brought out with the weather, which was sunny but windy! All the hats and dresses sailed off and billowed like yachts in a gale.

At 2 pounds a bet, it wasn't an expensive affair. As a newbie to horse betting, I needed to know how to choose the winning horse. We scrutinized the horses in the parade ring (looking for that 'fast look' and a heart-shaped bum, apparently), we studied the jockeys as they mounted their beast (jockeys are short!), and we compared statistics of past races and horse performance.

In the end, I just picked the horse with the name I liked best.

First Race: my money was on Nevada Desert... and it won! 10 pounds!

Second Race: I looked for a natural sounding name - Gull Wing... and it won!! 10 pounds!

Third Race: No way will I win again. I choose another nature/flying named horse - Wing Collar... and it won!!! Amazing! Another 10 pounds!!

I was on a roll of a lifetime! Up 30 quid, there was no stopping me!

Fourth Race: Continue the trend - Eagle Mountain... and it wo... lost. In fact, I think it came last.

Fifth Race : Lost. Sixth: Lost. Seventh and Eighth: Lost as well...

Oh well, my three win winning streak still rocked (3/8), and I took home 20 pounds! James probably had the worst luck, were one of his horses stayed in the starting gate, not to race at all. The horses must wonder why they are being made to run... perhaps James' horse had an epiphany and took a stand. Or perhaps it's just a bad racehorse.

Click on any photo to enlarge it!

Life Size Blue Whale!

Just a quick post about an amazing website called Life Size Blue Whale.
Click on the link and you will be taken to a life size picture of a Blue Whale complete with sound and water particles. You can chose to look at any part of the whale, she is HUGE! The site was made by WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society) and the level of detail is amazing. I truly recommend checking it out.

Change all around...

Man, everywhere I look I see change.

Robotic change in Transformers:

It opened in USA and New Zealand, and everyone and every review I have read yet has praised it beyond every other movie... BUT it does not open here until July 27st. Ugh, I have to wait 17 more days...

Work change in teaching:

School ends in 10 days. 10 more days (actually only 8 WORK days) of hour-long commutes. 10 more days of whining, bickering, tattle-tailing kids. 10 more days of ungrateful, uncaring parents. But that also means only 8 days of pay...

Creating change in film making:

The untitled sequel to Tony's Empire has begun filming. So far, we have filmed the Funeral, the MP Speech, the Secret Meeting, and the MP/Assistant Chat scenes. I am pleased by the footage so far! Momentum has been engaged, but needs to continue. The film is more ambitious than the last (car chases, fighting in a lake, police shootout, bordello raid...), but with the experience gained shooting Tony's Empire, we can do it!

Musical change in karaoke birthday party:

On July 20th, Lewis is having a karaoke party at O'neills. The twist is that you have to come as a famous musician and sing a song by the artist! I will be going as Bono. Black jeans, shirt and jacket, sunglasses, earrings, and wig! Cher and Gwen Stefani will also be in attendance...

Geographical change in location:

I finally bought my flight back home to Vancouver. I will be leaving from London on September 10th, after a three-week trip with Greg around Portugal, Spain and London. But I will not be flying to Vancouver directly, I will be stopping over for five days in New York City! After sightseeing and living in the AMNH for the week, I will arrive back in Vancouver on the 15th, ending my 2006-2007 England Adventure...

Change all around...

Canada Day in the UK!

Pete Bond brings Canada Day to Birmingham!

Sunday brought July 1st - Confederation Day for Canada - and my British friends and I celebrated in style! As the only Canadian, I was in the perfect position to educate the masses:

-Canada is the second largest country in the World.
-Canada loves Hockey (Vancouver Canucks!)
-Canadian Animals
-Canada is NOT American (we are Northern North Americans!)
-Famous Canadians (Micheal J Fox, Brian Adams, etc... but also Lois Maxwell (Mrs. Moneypenny!), Rachel McAdams, William Shatner (Kirk!), Alex Trebec (Jeperody!), James Cameron (Titanic/Terminator!), Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City!), Matthew Perry (Friends!), Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss (the Matrix!), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone!), and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane!) Whew!

We decorated the house with Canadiana (my info posters, map, and my flag!) and Emily cooked some incredibly tasty 'Canadian' food! Canadian Won-Ton, Pizza, and Soup. (Thanks so much, Em!)

And BEER!!! Unfortunately, we could not find Canadian beer (Is Coors Canadian?), so Ian and Lisa put Canadian stickers on Fosters (yeah, they thought Australian was close to Canadian... both colonies?) Karl and Catherine brought maple syrup, Canadian Dry soda, pancakes, and beef jerky! Claire brought Canadian Club whiskey! This is what the British think Canadians consume!

After a failed bonfire, we discovered an artifact from the past! While fanning the fire with a serving tray, it was hit too hard and broke. Within the tray we discovered some old newspaper. As the rain started to fall, we salvaged the old yellowed paper and brought it inside. Increadible, the newspaper was dated August 27th, 1950! I'll post pics soon, because the articles are fascinating! More on it soon...

With such a discovery under our belt, Canada Day couldn't have got better. Yet it did! At the end of the night, we went to the Harborne Legion (2 doors down!). They had an open mic for the regulars ('regulars' being of an average age of 81!), and the dancing began! 6 young fit single 20-somethings dancing with 40 old wrinkled frisky 80-somethings... It was a fantastically fun time!

Happy Canada Day!

Life Update

Well, it seems that my future is leaning more and more towards the Far East, specifically Korea. I have rejected my job here for next year, and my roommates and I have just found out that we are all evicted as of September, so the time is right for a change.

But this is what I have been planning for the last few months. A pause in teaching school and a try in teaching English. 6 months to a year in Korea (depending which type of job I go for), and then a bit of travel around South East Asia - Thailand, Vietnam, Laos - getting my scuba diving certificate, before returning to Vancouver.

My good friend, Steve and I are looking for work in Korea, preferably in a university (better hours, pay, and holidays), and will either head over for October or February. This summer, another good friend, Greg, is coming across the pond to travel around Portugal and Spain in August. I am then planning a stop over in New York on the way back from the UK, as I have always wanted to experience the city. Ghostbusters, King Kong, Gangs of New York, Big, When Harry Met Sally, Friends, Mad about You, and Sex and the City as well as the American Museum of Natural History and the Empire State Building call me.

On another film note, Tony's Empire, my first film, has been seen over 175 times in the last two weeks on YouTube. With such a success behind us, Albany Road Studios (my roommates and friend's film company) have decided to make another film! This one will be a direct sequel to Tony's Empire, taking place about two weeks after and will focus on Leon's sister and the Birmingham Police Department. It is a much more adventurous script, but I am itching to apply myself again after learning from my mistakes the first time around.

I will finish off the script today and will start production sometime next week. Tony's Empire 2 (working title) will have a much larger cast and more locations. I will be trying to 'show off' Birmingham this time around.

As for tomorrow - Canada Day, we are having a Canadian dinner with Canadian music and drinks. It should be fun! I'll post about it Monday...

With that, I say to everyone, "HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!"

Bond Family Reunion '07

This weekend I attended a family reunion in Henley-on-Thames, at my Grandmother and Uncle's houses! Cousins, aunts, uncles, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, sisters, and brothers all flooded into Nigel's house and ate Joyce's amazing food.

Here are a few photos of the Bond Reunion Event '07:

John, Granny, and Angie

Lara running from the coming rain storm!

Nigel's Girls: Lara, Angie, and a pregnant Nicky!

Yasmeen, Tim, and Dad

Meena, Angie, Rocheen, and Lara

Joyce, James, Meena, Lara, Rocheen, and John

The Bond Brothers: Dad, Nigel, and Tim

The Bond Cousins: Yasmeen, Nicky, Angie, Me, Rocheen, Lara
(missing are Lisa and Escandar)

The New Parents: Nicky, Rav, and Baby!

Funniest Picture Award: James through binoculars!

O2 Wireless Festival - London

This weekend I partook in another of the traditional English events - the Outdoor Summer Festival. Specifically, the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London. In it's second year running, the festival has lined-up quite the musical line-up!


Bands playing over the four days include the Kaiser Chiefs, The White Stripes, the Gotan Project, and Queens of the Stone Age. But I only attended the Saturday, meaning I missed all of the above... but that's alright because Daft Punk headlined Saturday! Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, CCS, the Klaxons, Calvin Harris, and Mutemath rocked it out!


And ROCK they did! Daft Punk was amazing - two guys with robot heads began their set with the notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the thumping electro music didn't let up until Around the World finished!

Summer Festivals are curious things. Lazing about with thousands of people, some costumed (saw some amazing cross dressing and stilted Batman and Superman!) Cheepish beer and food kiosks, four stages, carnival rides, and an amazing vibe rule the day. Even the weather cooperated - short stints of rain amongst beautiful sunshine!


I went down to London with Roger, Lewis, Emily, and Zoe and had a great time. I stayed with cousin Dave and saw cousin Naomi this morning. They were getting themselves ready for the King of Festivals: Glastonbury. 10 times bigger than O2 makes it the largest festival in the UK! Someday, I'll hit that one. Someday...

Happy Father's Day to all those fathers out there! (Dad!)

New Film is Finished!

"Hilarious!"
"Better than Good!"
"Not that bad!"
"Well, I've seen better!"
"Well done, son!"
"Best film I've ever seen ..... in the last 20 minutes!"
"Exciting in parts!"
"I liked the good bits!"

These and many others are actual comments made by actual people who have seen this actual film!


Tony's Empire: Harborne Hitmen is a 23 minute shortish action/comedy/gangster no-budget film, staring my roommates and myself "acting" as mafioso gangsters and hitmen. Shot entirely on location in Birmingham, England, the movie tells the dark tale of a group of mob friends that suspect one of them is an undercover cop. But which one? I play the gang's boss - Tony - who deals with the dirty rat.

WARNING: The film is rated R due to constant strong language (swearing) and scenes of violence and torture (with a knife!) Viewer discretion is advised...

Watch it now on YouTube below. It is in three parts, so make sure you watch them all!
Tony's Empire - Part 1
Tony's Empire - Part 2
Tony's Empire - Part 3

This is the first official film I have ever solely directed and edited and I am quite proud of it! Please let me know what you think! Tell me your favorite part and which part could be better!
All this will help me the next time... (can anyone smell a sequel?!...)

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy Tony's Empire: Harborne Hitmen!

Two Weeks in Vancouver - Part 2

I am certainly not the first person in my family to get a tattoo. That honor goes to my sister Lisa, who has three at the moment and goes in to get her fourth today! (Good luck, Lis! Say "Hi" to Paul!)

1. Stylized dragon at the base of her neck... 2. Capricorn symbol at the base of her spine... 3. Celtic-ish armband on her left arm... And now today's 4. A silver dagger on her right calf (so that when she wears her high leather boots, the handle sticks out above!)


She designs her tattoos herself because she is a fantastic and capable artist! For those who don't know, she's been delving into that art by taking a digital graphic design course, which she has just completed. Her graduation show just happened to fall within the weeks I was in town, so I was able to be the uber-proud older brother and see all her hard work!

It was a real fancy event at the Vancouver Community College downtown, with catered food and a bar. Each student had a section of wall space to display their work. The varied art and design styles of each student made for interesting comparisons. I was impressed with the professionalism of the work - especially that of my sister's!

Zoom in by clicking the picture!

Her portfolio includes posters, CD covers, tattoos, websites, web magazines, business cards, and logos. I really love her self-portrait! It looks exactly like her...

Lisa's been drawing since she could hold a pencil. Mom and Dad are both artistic, so it is no surprise where she gets her talent from. Not only is she now a talented Graphic Designer, she is the Lead Singer in the band One Year Later. They've been playing together for a few years now and have begun playing at venues around Vancouver - most recently a string of gigs at the Buffalo Club! The band rocks and Lisa sounds great - check out two videos on their websites!

Click on Lisa and One Year Later myspace pages for info and videos!
Join their Official One Year Later Fan Group on Facebook!

Tattoo Pics

Amazingly, 100% of the people who voted in where my tattoo is, voted for "right shoulder." And all 7 people were correct!

Hurrah, you've all just won pictures of me getting my tat:

The look on my face when the first needle hits...

Step 1: the drawing outline is transfered onto the skin...

Step2: Outline is tattooed, then basic shading...

Step 3: Final shading and details are done.

Soon, the pain becomes a vibrating tickle... Mmmm...

Done! Finished work of Art!

The tattoo is still scabbing up and flaking off, but it is looking good.
I'll post some pics once it's all healed!

More from Vancouver soon...

Tattoo Quiz

Many people have been asking where on my body my tattoo is. I have left out that info on purpose because I thought it would be fun to see if you could guess where my tat is! So go on, vote!

Where is my tattoo?
	Back of hand
	Right forearm
	Scalp
	Left hip
	Right shoulder
	Base of spine
	Right calf
	Base of neck
	Massive bicep
	Um.. groinal area
pollcode.com free polls

Two Weeks in Vancouver - Part 1

Well, I am suffering from Jet Lag.

Yup, it is 5:30am Monday morning and I've been awake since 3am. My internal clock is so backwards right now, I'll be snoozing by lunchtime. And since I go back to work today, I'll be slugging back the tea - milk and 3 sugars!

North Vancouver

What a trip it was...! While I wasn't able to catch-up with everyone I wanted to, I did manage to see most of my friends and family, along with some old friends from high school and university! The main reason I returned back to my hometown of Vancouver is that my cousin was getting married. Other events such as my sister's digital graphic design grad show and meeting my friends new baby punctuated the trip.

Downtown Vancouver

I also got into a car accident, stood on top of the Province/Vancouver Sun building, and got a tattoo.

Yup, I'm a rebel.

Tattoo:
I've wanted a tattoo for ages and now seemed like the right time. But what should I get? I needed something that symbolized me. Something that I could and wanted to live with for the rest of my life. Something that spoke of my love of art. Something that spoke of my love science and palaeontology. Something strong and exciting. Something Canadian. Something I drew myself.



Last Friday, my sister and our two cousins from the UK accompanied me to the Sacred Heart Tattoo Studio on Davies Street, where I met Paul. My sister joined me in the tattooing room as Paul began the process. After photocopying my drawing onto a transfer sheet, he applied the transfer and began the tattoo. How did it feel? Constant, slight, prickly pain. A bit like scraping the point of a knife over your skin. After the first few minutes, you become used to it. In fact, I could totally get another one... but not yet! My tattoo took one hour to do. And it looks great. Better than great - awesome! I love the amount of detail Paul was able to include!

My tattoo has begun to scab and flake off (it's supposed to!) and I'm putting on some skin lotion to keep it moist. Soon, it will be completely healed and I'll post some pics!

Wedding:
The main reason I returned was my cousin's wedding, which was held at Burnaby Lake. My two cousins on Mom's side (Dave and Naomi) living in the UK along with my Mom's sister stayed with us for the wedding. It was great to catch up with them (I will be seeing them in a few weeks in London for the Daft Punk concert at Hyde Park!)

Dave and I had to become the MCs for the wedding at the last minute because the original MC became unavailable. We were able to do a decent job, doing toasts, calling which table goes next for food, and announcing the dances... It was my second MC gig. The first was MCing the wedding of this bride's sister - my other cousin!

More stories to follow, but safe to say I had a great time back home! Thanks to Mom, Dad, Sis, and all my friends! Stay tuned for more...

The New Look

I'm back!

Back from Vancouver and back to blogging! I though it appropriate that I update the layout (I was getting bored with my old one and Facebook has been taking more and more of my internet time). And I like it!

The Vancouver stories (and I have a lot!) will start to flow soon, so stay tuned!