Victoria is certainly one of my favourite cities. Which is perhaps unfair to all of the other Canadian cities I have lived in, traveled though or bypassed. It is unfair because I have spent more time walking the streets of Victoria than any other city. Not only did I live there for two years, but every year I have travelled out west, I have spent at least a week in the city. Perhaps if I spent that much time in Calgary I would grow to love it too. But I don’t think so.
Victoria is a beautiful place, the flower lined streets can be spectacular, the various neighbourhoods are all unique and interesting, the waterfront is fun to visit and perhaps most importantly of all, I have two very good friends there. Both of these folks helped get me through university. They will always be special to me. So we meet, have a meal (or two ) together, catch up on old times and then go our separate ways for another year. They are both very dear to me.
This year I had another reason to go to Victoria when I did. There was a International Buskers Festival. I love Buskers. One of the joys of spending time in Victoria is going down to the inner harbour to watch them. So many of them are so good, the plaster man or the bronze cowgirl who only move when someone puts money in their tray, the musicians, the acrobats and the jugglers - all bring an excitement to the waterfront that in my somewhat limited experience, is unique. I was excited to see some new acts. Especially ones that had been invited to come to Victoria because they were so good.
I was disappointed. I saw a number of acts and while most of them were OK. only a few were exceptional. So many of the acts were variations of juggling with fire, balancing on round things or performing acrobatic feats that quite frankly didn't look that hard. Perhaps it is because Cirque du Soleil has expanded our vision of what the human body can do, or perhaps I am just too jaded. But is seemed to me that with two exceptions most of the acts only had one special skill. There was the Australian woman who squeezed herself in to a 16X16x16 cleat plastic cube - taking with her into the box a basketball, or the person who managed to spin 15 hula hoops at one time, or the group that twirled and juggled various things that had fire at their ends. And they all did well. They were professional and well rehearsed. They knew how to gather a group and how to keep them watching.
But almost all of them used the same type of jokes and almost all of them had people from the audience (usually men) come up and volunteer. These people almost inevitably were made the butt of the entertainers’ jokes. In a number of acts - the men were almost belittled. Of course it all got a good laugh, but as I had a couple of days to see the 9-10 acts, and some of them more than once, it all got a bit tiresome. A number of the acts had clearly seen each other perform and they certainly stole/borrowed each other's jokes.
It is a hard way to make a living and I have no doubt that the buskers worked very hard to perfect their craft. Judging from the number of people that went up and dropped money in their hats, I think they probably did OK. But they were not as good as I had hoped.
The hostel was fun, I got to meet some interesting folks, my roommates were quiet, the room was not too hot and the downstairs area seemed to be less rowdy than usual. It was a good time. I have been there so often that it is like going back home. I am comfortable there.
Victoria is a beautiful place, the flower lined streets can be spectacular, the various neighbourhoods are all unique and interesting, the waterfront is fun to visit and perhaps most importantly of all, I have two very good friends there. Both of these folks helped get me through university. They will always be special to me. So we meet, have a meal (or two ) together, catch up on old times and then go our separate ways for another year. They are both very dear to me.
This year I had another reason to go to Victoria when I did. There was a International Buskers Festival. I love Buskers. One of the joys of spending time in Victoria is going down to the inner harbour to watch them. So many of them are so good, the plaster man or the bronze cowgirl who only move when someone puts money in their tray, the musicians, the acrobats and the jugglers - all bring an excitement to the waterfront that in my somewhat limited experience, is unique. I was excited to see some new acts. Especially ones that had been invited to come to Victoria because they were so good.
I was disappointed. I saw a number of acts and while most of them were OK. only a few were exceptional. So many of the acts were variations of juggling with fire, balancing on round things or performing acrobatic feats that quite frankly didn't look that hard. Perhaps it is because Cirque du Soleil has expanded our vision of what the human body can do, or perhaps I am just too jaded. But is seemed to me that with two exceptions most of the acts only had one special skill. There was the Australian woman who squeezed herself in to a 16X16x16 cleat plastic cube - taking with her into the box a basketball, or the person who managed to spin 15 hula hoops at one time, or the group that twirled and juggled various things that had fire at their ends. And they all did well. They were professional and well rehearsed. They knew how to gather a group and how to keep them watching.
But almost all of them used the same type of jokes and almost all of them had people from the audience (usually men) come up and volunteer. These people almost inevitably were made the butt of the entertainers’ jokes. In a number of acts - the men were almost belittled. Of course it all got a good laugh, but as I had a couple of days to see the 9-10 acts, and some of them more than once, it all got a bit tiresome. A number of the acts had clearly seen each other perform and they certainly stole/borrowed each other's jokes.
It is a hard way to make a living and I have no doubt that the buskers worked very hard to perfect their craft. Judging from the number of people that went up and dropped money in their hats, I think they probably did OK. But they were not as good as I had hoped.
The hostel was fun, I got to meet some interesting folks, my roommates were quiet, the room was not too hot and the downstairs area seemed to be less rowdy than usual. It was a good time. I have been there so often that it is like going back home. I am comfortable there.
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