Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Quebec Superthread

[The Sad Punk]

That sucks, Gabe - hopefully they turn out alright. I still have a greater preference for non-digital photos. Just nostalgic value, really.

Yeah, that's what happened to me too. Mine was the only one who saw anything in me and I really lost my way the year he died. I'm probably overcompensating with my own now...I encourage and try to nuture even the slightest hint of talent of theirs, and I keep everything. Everything.

Good on you! It's my grandpa that's kept me going, just knowing how he felt about me and how he wanted me to succeed. I don't think anyone else has had such a positive influence on me.

 

[gvox]

It's my grandpa that's kept me going, just knowing how he felt about me and how he wanted me to succeed. I don't think anyone else has had such a positive influence on me.

You know, I really strongly feel that apart from genuine unconditional love, the most important thing you can give a kid is your belief in them. They just need someone to believe, know what I mean?

 

[gvox]

What I like to do is just walk around a suburb, photograph random streets, and try to get a feel for the place. I hope I did a fairly good job for my hometown in January.

Great photos.

You guys don't get winter, do you? Now I remember why I hate you so much.

 

[Axver]

I've no doubt that just about anything good in my life is due to my mother. She nurtured everything. As an albino, I'm meant to have nystagmus - i.e. involuntary eye movement. I don't; Mum spent so much time with me as a baby getting me to focus on objects and pictures and learning to read that it countered the effect of the nystagmus.

She read to me ALL THE TIME. I just about mean literally! I wasn't even an hour old and she began reading to me. It got to the point that when she baked, she would sit me on the bench and read the recipes out to me (now, when I bake, I can't help but read the recipes aloud to myself). No wonder I love books and libraries so much.

 

[Axver]

Great photos.

You guys don't get winter, do you? Now I remember why I hate you so much.

Thanks.

Nah, that's mid-summer. In June/July it can get pretty cold on the Kapiti Coast. Perhaps not in raw temperature (I can't remember much below -10C), but the wind comes up from Antarctica to New Zealand, shoots up the east coast of the South Island, then slams straight into the southern North Island.

Here in Australia ... Melbourne sort of has a winter, but I lived in Queensland for nine years and it definitely does not! Its four seasons are summer, after summer, slightly cooler than summer, and nearly summer again.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Your mum sounds awesome, Ax!

Gabe, I think I've only seen natural snow twice in my life. It's unfortunate, because I really enjoy snow sports.

You know, I really strongly feel that apart from genuine unconditional love, the most important thing you can give a kid is your belief in them. They just need someone to believe, know what I mean?

Yeah, it was a good thing my parents (as well as a lot of kids) started to notice I loved drawing when I was just young. Mum has supported me with it constantly, sometimes she still mothers me too much! Dad cares too, but he's a different character, he doesn't see me as often because of his working schedule (and especially now that I've moved out) so he's not always up to date on things and may not always be certain of what to say. But you know, just getting anything out of him is good.

 

[The Sad Punk]

(now, when I bake, I can't help but read the recipes aloud to myself).

I really have to see this, I imagine it's very peppy, like telling a story to a child.

 

[Axver]

Your mum sounds awesome, Ax!

Hell yes. She's too nice sometimes. I still don't know how the fuck she ended up with my father. I often wish I were more like her than Dad.

Gabe, I think I've only seen natural snow twice in my life. It's unfortunate, because I really enjoy snow sports.

I've been to the snow a few times ... back in New Zealand, when I was about seven, it NEARLY snowed in my hometown! The snow came right down the hill immediately behind the town, but didn't quite get to sea level. I don't think I've touched snow in over a decade now though.

 

[redhotswami]

mornin!!! i'm back. what's goin on?

 

[Axver]

So I've committed U2 heresy over on the latest Survivor thread, but I really do think Rise Up is more deserving of a place on the Joshua Tree than ISHFWILF.

 

[Axver]

I really have to see this, I imagine it's very peppy, like telling a story to a child.

No, I don't think it's that interesting. It's actually probably most like what I used to do in short-prep debates, where I'd walk around the prep room articulating ideas to myself. Except in this case I'm not trying to come up with an engaging intro; I'm trying to cream together butter and sugar!

 

[Axver]

mornin!!! i'm back. what's goin on?

Hi Mizza!

We're talking photography and influential people in our lives and snow and stuff.

 

[redhotswami]

oooh that's a nice change of pace!

 

[BoMac]

I gotta say, I love the name of this thread!

 

[Axver]

More photography, whee, because I should be working but procrastination is more fun.

Will you Americans (and probably Aussies too) laugh at me when I say this is New Zealand's most important highway, just 25 minutes outside the national capital?

 

[redhotswami]

I gotta say, I love the name of this thread!

i thought you would!

 

[Axver]

Looking the other way (i.e. roughly northwards) from the previous photo.

There's a train in this one!

 

[The Sad Punk]

Hello to the newcomers!

Actually Ax, I did get a bit of a giggle simply because of how empty the highway seems to be. Even Australia's busier than that!

 

[gvox]

What I like to do is just walk around a suburb, photograph random streets, and try to get a feel for the place.

I've been going back to places that have some sort of importance to me/my family over the past few years. I like to stand where I imagine my ancestor stood, and just take in the view. Here is one such photo shot in 2006, I mean it's beautiful in it's own right but this is the view that my forefather would have had in 1692 (minus the lighthouse I would imagine) when he landed as a lieutenant in the French Navy at Fort Louisbourg on Île Royale (now Cape Breton Island).

I stood on the pebble beach overlooking the bay and imagined his feelings and those of his comrades as they saw the English warships looming on the horizon (you can see that same lighthouse way in the distant left)...

 

[The Sad Punk]

I'm looking at pictures on the internet that I didn't take. Check out this red tide action!

That is some RUDE algae.

 

[Axver]

Actually Ax, I did get a bit of a giggle simply because of how empty the highway seems to be. Even Australia's busier than that!

That even surprised me! Those pictures were taken at 10am on a Saturday morning. That spot is actually a notorious congestion spot in peak hour.

 

[BoMac]

i thought you would!

May I suggest that the next thread title stay in Canada, and refer to Dildo, Newfoundland?

 

[Axver]

I'm looking at pictures on the internet that I didn't take. Check out this red tide action!

That is some RUDE algae.

Holy SHIT. Where is that? It almost looks like the Outback has turned into an ocean, doesn't it?

 

[redhotswami]

May I suggest that the next thread title stay in Canada, and refer to Dildo, Newfoundland?

seconded!

 

[gvox]

I'm looking at pictures on the internet that I didn't take. Check out this red tide action!

That is some RUDE algae.

Having just experienced that (albeit I think a milder form) in December, I can attest that is no joke. We drove down the coast of Central Florida from Cocoa Beach, and until we got to Jupiter we couldn't get further than the parking lot without gasping for air. It's quite irritating, especially for anyone with respiratory problems like asthma or whatever...and it sticks in your chest for a good while after

 

[The Sad Punk]

Those are lovely photos, Gabe - looks like a beautiful spot. Is your heritage completely French?

Holy SHIT. Where is that? It almost looks like the Outback has turned into an ocean, doesn't it?

Not sure where it is, but it's a red tide, caused by some toxic algae or something. I'm not sure if it's particularly rare or more common in certain areas, which I guess would be the case. I think I was reading about it as a possible explanation for the supposed red sea in the Torah (wasn't my original intention, I started out by reading about the Minoan volcanic eruption of 1600BC, but you know how Wikipedia is).

 

[Axver]

I've been going back to places that have some sort of importance to me/my family over the past few years. I like to stand where I imagine my ancestor stood, and just take in the view. Here is one such photo shot in 2006, I mean it's beautiful in it's own right but this is the view that my forefather would have had in 1692 (minus the lighthouse I would imagine) when he landed as a lieutenant in the French Navy at Fort Louisbourg on Île Royale (now Cape Breton Island).

Wow, that must be really awesome. What a great thing to do. I bet that's taken you to some great places. I'd love to do something like that; unfortunately, on at least one side of my family, our history's lost in the mists of time despite our best efforts to find out something.

My current mission is to go to the sites of the Tangiwai and Hyde disasters, New Zealand's two worst railway disasters. Believe it or not, that's not because of the railway connection. I'm descended from survivors of both disasters.

 

[Axver]

May I suggest that the next thread title stay in Canada, and refer to Dildo, Newfoundland?

Yeah, we've said before we need to go there. Let's do it.

 

[Axver]

Not sure where it is, but it's a red tide, caused by some toxic algae or something. I'm not sure if it's particularly rare or more common in certain areas, which I guess would be the case. I think I was reading about it as a possible explanation for the supposed red sea in the Torah (wasn't my original intention, I started out by reading about the Minoan volcanic eruption of 1600BC, but you know how Wikipedia is).

I should actually know something about this, but grade 11 geography is now too far in the past!

But it really does look to me almost like a mixture of the sea and red earth from the Outback, rather than algae. At least the Outback around St George in Queensland anyway. Good non-existent God, that's a barren and red place.

 

[gvox]

Those are lovely photos, Gabe - looks like a beautiful spot. Is your heritage completely French?

On my father's side, yes we are Acadiens. My mother's side is Irish. Family reunions are, let's say, vibrant affairs.