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32 things i did at ubc that you can totally do too : thing #6

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THING #6: SAW THE UBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

A slightly fuzzy picture of the UBC Symphony Orchestra.

I had no idea that UBC had a Symphony Orchestra, but we do! A friend asked if I wanted to go see them play at the Chan Centre at absolutely none of my own expense and I thought it’d be a pretty great way to spend an evening. It was. I came out feeling incredibly cultured, and me and my friend did a little bit of frat boy spotting in the audience. Who’d have thought, right? We must have been doing the cool thing.

It was an incredible show. I know very little about music, especially classical music, but I enjoyed it a lot. And I came out feeling all kinds of cultural. Their next concert, while not free, is just $15 for students, and features the the UBC Choral Union.

I’ll be keeping an eye out to see if I can go see them again sometime soon. They were incredibly talented.

32 things i did at ubc that you can totally do too : thing #5

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THING #5: HOPPED ON OVER THE BOARDER TO SEATTLE

The Seattle Skyline plus my face. (And my friend’s arm – oops!)

It takes just four hours to get from downtown Vancouver to downtown Seattle, and that’s only if it’s pretty busy at the boarder. And so why not do it? I know that for me, part of the appeal of Vancouver (and it is only a little part) is the opportunity for travel. And Seattle is so very very close! (And so very very cheap! My ticket down on Bolt Bus was only $15, and you can get them cheaper.)

The Original Starbucks (just about) plus my face (again). Look at that line!

Seattle is full of things to do even on a rainy day. Which, statistically, it’s likely to be. But we live in Vancouver, however temporarily. We are used to this, right? Some things I would recommend include checking out Pike Place Market, where you can find all kinds of fresh produce as well as some fantastic gifts and pretty things. It’s where the original Starbucks is located, too, though the lineup outside is insane.

After that, there’s the EMP – a museum for music, sci-fi and pop culture. Love Nirvana? There’s an exhibition on their influence on music. Sci-fi geek? There’s another exhibition on great influences in sci-fi. (Also, they have an awesome sci-fi gift shop. I bought a t-shirt with ‘Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!’ on it – anyone who can tell me what show it’s from is my new best friend.) I would highly recommend the EMP.

The Crab Pot, plus my friends’ faces and my own.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat some fantastic Seattle seafood, I cannot recommend The Crab Pot highly enough. Man vs. Food went there once! It’s incredible. They dump a bucket of seafood in front of you, give you a small mallet, and let you have at it. (Or you can get a nice, safe salmon burger or a plate of ribs, but the seafood! Man!)

A rainy view from the Space Needle, plus my friends’ and my faces. Getting a bit pose-y, there.

Then there’s the Space Needle. It’s the icon of Seattle, and it’s such an oddly futuristic and yet stuck back in time kind of place. It’s very odd, but definitely must be experienced. You can go up it at night, too.

Seattle is an incredible place, and I am proud to say that I got myself across the American boarder without accidentally doing something wrong! All by myself! I am very proud, and I had a fantastic time.

7 movies to get in the hallowe’en mood: a guide for scaredy-cats

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I haven’t been brought up as a fan of Hallowe’en. My mum always said, “we always tell kids not to talk to strangers, so why do we send our kids out to knock on strangers doors and ask for things one night of the year?” I see her logic. It’s a strange night.

On the other hand, strange is kind of the point. Weird and freaky and terrifying. All that good stuff. Unless you’re like me and are a total scaredy-cat and wuss. I found I Am Legend scary. I would not advise watching a scary film with me.

Still, Hallowe’en can be fun, and, while some of us have grown out of Trick or Treating, it’s still way too much fun to pass up getting in that mood. It’s a little bit magical.

So, for all the wusses like me, here are some movies for the build up to Hallowe’en, whether that’s a build up to ignoring the whole thing or a build up to blowing your food budget on a costume or a build up to joining the UBC Trick or Eaters or a build up to joining any one of a lot of parties on campus and around Vancouver.

7 MOVIES TO GET IN THE HALLOWE’EN MOOD: A GUIDE FOR SCAREDY-CATS

28 Days Later

28 Days Later Movie Poster

28 Days Later, 2002, Danny Boyle.

I had it my head that this was an incredibly scary film, but I was wrong. It’s just brilliant. If you’re a fan of Danny Boyle’s directing like I am (he directed Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, Sunshine, and the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, to name a few), you know you’re in for a great movie. Plus, Cillian Murphy (the Batman trillogy, Inception) is incredible (and incredibly pretty) in it.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993, Tim Burton.

Couldn’t make this list without having a Tim Burton movie in the mix, really, could I? This is funny and sweet and wonderful, and I’d recommend it for the post-Hallowe’en blues(/hangover). It’s Hallowe’en-y and Christmas-y!

Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus, 1993, Kenny Ortega.

This was my favourite Hallowe’en film of my youth, and I still think it’s wonderful. It’s Sarah Jessica Parker as a witch! What more do you want?

Halloweentown

Halloweentown, 1998, Duwayne Dunham.

Fun and magic and totally child-proof. Okay, maybe not what you want before going out for a party, but if you’ve got young people to take out Trick or Treating this might be just what you need to get you in the right frame of mind.

Zombieland

Zombieland, 2009, Ruben Fleischer.

Pre-Social Network Jesse Eisenburg and a whole lot of ridiculous zombie laughs. One of the best zombie movies ever.

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead, 2004, Edgar Wright.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are my two favourite people in the world, possibly. This film is only the first reason why, but wow. Parody of Dawn of the Dead, but with fake-gore and romance and laughs everywhere. Wonderful ridiculousness.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975, Jim Sharman.

Finally, the musical horror film to kill and bury all other musical horror films. Damnit, Janet, and all that. Pure genius.