A Little Recommendation is Good for the Soul...

One thing I don't miss about the big bad city (London, New York, LA, et al) is the furious level of competition generated by the ridiculously large populations.  Don't get me wrong, I think a level of competition is healthy, but in London it has reached a fever pitch, whereby it was not just 'dog eat dog', but 'cat eat cat' and even 'mouse eat mouse'. Everyone is fighting for every inch of space, which has generated the very unhealthy philosophy of thinking that if something good happens to anyone else, that means there is less for you. Blech. Sad face.

I much prefer to subscribe to a more spiritually enlightened philosophy that by helping and being happy for our fellow beings, we generate more good, not just for them, not just for us, but for everyone. Call me idealistic, or even hippy dippy, but that is how I chose to live my life.

And that, in part, is why my husband and I chose to move to Kelowna.  Small(er) towns still have a sense of community, and a sense of the greater good.  Nowhere better have I seen this exemplified than at the utterly lovely homewares store Olive & Elle.

Located on the corner of Pandosy and Lawrence downtown, owner Linda Povarchok and her right hand Kandace - being the lovely and approachable individuals that they are - found they were answering so many questions from tourists about where to go, or where to eat, or where to shop, that they have had cards printed up declaring 'Olive & Elle Recommend'. I LOVE this.

I think Lynda knows instinctively that being protectionist is not really good business. Shoppers will find their way to the best places in Kelowna, whether she helps them or not, so why not help them?  It's just good karma, and the little cards are great advertising for the store, and I'm sure they ensure a very good portion of these visitors return.

If you need any further convincing the Olive & Elle is full of nice people, deserving your shopping dollars, then have a quick read of the 'mission statement' on their website homepage.

'Olive & Elle was born out of a need and a desire to share wonderful things with wonderful people. In the four years that we've been open, we've befriended many of you who have passed through our doors and it's our absolute joy to continue to operate a sort of corner of domestic therapy in downtown Kelowna. Please do come visit soon and let us share our home with you.'

A little good will goes a long way and in times of economic austerity, I don't know about you, but I would much rather give nice people my money. Hurrah for Olive & Elle. Happy Face.

~

Olive & Elle is located at 1585 Pandosy, Kelowna, V1Y 1P5. Telephone: (250) 862-2778. Or check them out on line at their website http://www.oliveandelle.com or on their blog http://oliveandelle.blogspot.ca.

The Good (New) Life Meets La Bonne Vie...

Doesn't everyone absolutely love it when you discover a new place to shop that utterly tickles your aesthetic fancy? LBV Designs (LBV stands for 'La Bonne Vie' - or 'the good life') on Pandosy is such a place for me. This little 'house-like' boutique is packed full of treasure for both the home and your wardrobe, and is an Aladdin's cave of style.

Owner Tracey Wickenheiser embraces design from a global perspective, then distills it into her own world view - and her shop would not be out of place on Melrose Avenue in LA or in New York's SoHo, London's Hoxton or Paris's Le Marais.  The fact that it is here is Kelowna is so cool, and makes me so happy, that I am actually dribbling.

La Bonne Vie's fashion department contains great labels like 7 for All Mankind, Current/Elliot (from whom I-want-I-want-I-want a pair of 'Boyfriend' jeans), 213 Industry, oneteaspoon (from whom I-want-I-want-I-want a pair of chambray 'Bobby Pants' or 'Surrender Super Baggies') and Rebecca Taylor (from whom I-want-I-want-I-want a 'Starflower Shift Dress'), Daisy Knight watches (which I will be doing a whole blog posting about, so stay tuned)... It's like LBV is Holt Renfrew packed into a 'Mini-Me' version.

Then there are the interiors.  Great coffee table books on fashion and design, felted cushions with a beautifully crafted skull motif, a slender fourposter bed with elegantly hooved feet, a 70's-spikey 'Orion' Mirror, and gorgeous wall coverings in deco'esque geometric patterns in sumptuous colours like plum, jade, blush pink and powder blue, mixed with metallic silvers and golds ... LBV's aesthetic for the season is all about modern maximalism, and what a tonic it is.

And... what's in the shop is only the tip of the iceberg, at least as far as interiors are concerned.  Tracey can work with you, bringing in a wide variety of things from her carefully chosen suppliers, to create the kind of home of which you dream.  Whether you want to go whole hog, which could get you featured in magazines like 'Style at Home', or simply pick a few perfect pieces to add oomph to your current decor, your home can't help but be better off.

If I sound like I'm gushing, well... I am. The Good (New) Life [La Bonne (Nouvelle) Vie] has meet La Bonne Vie [The Good Life] and thinks we may well become BFF's.

~
Images sourced from La Bonne Vie

I've decided that book launches in Kelowna are like buses in London.  You wait ages for one, and then three come along at the same time. I've already talked about the ones for novelist Corinna Chong and poet Tim Linburn, and recently I popped in to new Kelowna bar and grill, Social 242, for a launch party to celebrate local author Becky Komant.

As well as being a writer, Komant is a business woman, personal trainer, and life coach, offering people help and support with all aspects of their lives. It was a lovely evening, and I was able to chat to her about both herself and her new book, The Controlled.

TG(N)L: Are you originally from Kelowna? If not where are you from and how did you end up in Kelowna?

BK: ‘I am a Kelowna girl – born and raised.  I couldn't think of a better place to grow up and also to raise my four children’.

TG(N)L: What made you decide to write: a) a book? and b) this particular story?

BK: ‘I honestly had a vision of writing a fitness book for years which took a wild twist into an dramatic adult suspense!   How did it get there?  A chance run in at the airport with a client and a conversation later, I started taking notes in my iPhone and my journey started.  After sharing some of my ideas, it ignited something inside of me. I wanted to write a book that was not only entertaining but that people could relate to on different levels, such as self doubt, fear and control issues.  

I had a great idea for a story that brewed for several years and figured that I could intertwine many different elements together and create a fiction book that would not only entertain, but it would touch on many issues people deal with in life.’   

TG(N)L How did your work as a life couch influence or help with the writing of The Controlled?

BK: ‘I have been a fitness trainer for years.  I find as a trainer, coaching goes far beyond the physical aspect.  Because of that I became a Certified Life Coach.  It is my passion to help others and because of that I wanted to weave many challenges into the story line.

It is those challenges that make the story so intriguing but also give some readers hope and strength to fight for their freedom from any issues they may be dealing with.  It also is a great story for those in search of a suspense thriller full of intrigue, seduction, blackmail, lies and manipulation.’

TG(N)L: What is your favourite thing about the book or story?

BK: ‘It is hard for me to pick a favourite part of the story.  It would give away the plot.  I enjoyed developing the character Sarah and watching her evolve as she struggled to find her path.’

TG(N)L: What was the most challenging thing about writing the book?

BK: ‘The most challenging part about writing the book was where to end it.  I guess I can put a little hint out there that there is a sequel in the works!’ 

TG(N)L: Did living in Kelowna have any influence on the story in any way?

BK: ‘I wouldn't say living in Kelowna influenced the story but it would be fair to say that growing up in Kelowna and my path in life has made me who I am today. If I had chosen another path, who knows where I would be!’ 

'The Controlled' is Komant’s first book, and is a sexy adult thriller – synopsis as follows:

'Who is in control of YOUR life?

Fitness model and mother of 5 Sarah Ruiz thinks her future is as bright as the Miami sun. By the time she realizes a stranger, who is hell-bent on destroying her, has wormed his way into her life, she finds herself backed into a corner with no apparent way of escape.

The Controlled is an adult dramatic thriller for mature readers who have a thirst for a mystery laced with sexual tension and suspense. Get ready for a fast-paced, hot ride that traverses Miami, New York, and Las Vegas, with a glimpse into the dark side of human nature.'

Sounds like a perfect summer poolside read to me, and I am all for supporting local talent.  

The Controlled is published through BK Press, and you can order your copy through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or through your local bookstore.

ISBN: 978-0-9918115-0-2

The Plays the Thing...

I love live theatre, but will fully admit to being a full blown theatre snob.  I like my theatre challenging, intelligent, evocative and provocative, and have a great distaste for what I call 'theatre for couch tours/tourists'; I walked out of 'Cats', and have never seen 'Les Miserables' on principle (although I do hear the latter is actually quite good). For better or worse, that's just me.

So when visiting New York, one of my very favourite things to do is hit the Times Square 'TKTS' booth and get great cut price tickets to the best Broadway has to offer.  The last time, the highlight of my cultural frenzy was seeing 'Venus in Fur' at the Lyceum Theatre.  It was my 'wild card' choice of the trip; I didn't know that much about the production (apart from, of couse, having read the original Leopold von Sacher-Masoch book years ago) but... 1. It was pouring rain; 2. I desparately wanted to escape the inclement elements with an afternoon matinee; and 3. this was one of the few plays left on offer whose time frames fit my schedule.

It is so great when things work out.

The play itself was amazing... everything I look for in a theatrical experience, and the cast was also brilliant.  As a matter of fact, the two actors went on to win accolades for their performances: Nina Arianda won the 2012 Tony for Leading Actress for her electric performance as Vanda, and Hugh Dancy (he of 'Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene'  and 'Hysteria') received a Drama Desk 'Best Actor' award nomination for his role as Thomas.

So... when I saw posters advertising the play at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country, I was intrigued.  I really wanted to see what the Fred Skelton Theatre Company would make of this challenging, and rather edgy play, and how this local production would stack up to the one I saw on Broadway - no pressure there. The answer is... pretty darn good.  Dorothy Dalbi was really quite fabulous as Vanda, the mysterious/ditzy/and possibly menacing auditioning actress to Neville Bowman's most competent Thomas, the 'play within a play's' adaptor/director.  And, again, the play - in and of itself - is quite simply... wonderful.

I also couldn't help but think what a brave choice it was for director Shannon Moore. The play's content is challenging and sexually charged, and the vocabulary - at times - the other side of blue.  To see it performed in a smaller metropolitan centre like Kelowna (the theatre was full, and the audience very appreciative - the performance I attended garnered a standing ovation) bodes well for the intelligence of theatre buffs in the area.  Hurrah.

Final words... if this is theatre in Kelowna, I'm going to be one happy bunny.  More please.

'When a young actress shows up hours late for her appointment, she knows she may have blown her chances at the role. But when her emotionally charged audition for the demanding playwright/director becomes an electrifying game of cat and mouse that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, seduction and power, love and sex—well, the rules may have all just changed.'

~
Pictures sourced from Fred Skelton Theatre Company, Kelowna

Guilty Pleasures...

1. Having worked as a freelancer for a number of my career years, often are the times I found myself at loose ends of a weekday afternoon, and one of my favourite things to do in said instance was to take myself off to an afternoon matinee.  There is nothing like having the cinema almost to yourself, and just immersing yourself in popcorn and good pop culture.

2. One of my favourite London places is the Prince Charles Cinema, just off Leicester Square, a second run film house that offers a place to catch up on titles once they'd finish the regular cinema rounds, at a bargain price - which is great because being a freelancer who's free on a weekday afternoon usually equals a lack of funds at that particular point in time.

So imagine my excitment when having scanned all the various cinema listing in Kelowna and noting a dearth of matinee performances, I finally found my way through to the Landmark 'Encore' Cinema in West Kelowna. This five screen theatre offers a second chance to see films that have left the bigger cinemas, at the knock down price of $4, with a selection of afternoon matinees available at $3. You can also take advantage of  Toonie Thursdays, with all admissions $2 - bargain!

Giant popcorn and Diet Coke in hand, my husband and I settled down to spend the afternoon with Quentin Taratino's 'Django' - well worth the treck over to the Westside. If you haven't already seen it, I won't be giving anything away by telling you the scene with the 'white hood debate' amongst the Ku Klux Klan is possibly one of the funniest things I have seen in yonks. I laughed til I cryed.

Check out the schedule at http://www.landmarkcinemas.com/west-kelowna.

U is for UBCO...

Considering that my last literary posting ('B is for Book Launch') focused mainly on talent from Okanagan College, Kelowna, it seems only fair to give equal time to UBCO (University of British Columbia, Okanagan), who also have an active creative writing department.  Luckily an oppportunity presented itself to do this very thing last Friday night, with a poetry reading put on by the University in conjunction with its launch of the latest, eighth, and sadly final issue of their creative writing publication 'Lake'.

Reading at this well attended event at the Rotary Centre for the Arts (held in the ultra-cool 'Alterantor Gallery) was award winning poet Tim Linburn, whose work has been described thusly by Sonnet L'Abbe for The Globe and Mail: 'Lilburn's erudition continues to astonish. At the microlevel, his turns of phrase can be breathtaking'.  

The reading previewed Linburn's latest book, 'Assiniboia', which is described by publishers McLelland & Stewart as 'a richly textured imagining of a Western Canada that could have been. Theatrical, operatic... Tim Lilburn's eighth collection gives us a new land peopled by figures from the visionary governments of Louis Riel and from the western mysticism, as well as land forms with the power of speech, all acting together as a kind of ghostly army bent on overturning more than a century of colonial practice'. Linburn read selections for the book and also one of his two poems appearing in Lake 8. 

This multi-media evening also included static presentations by second year UBCO creative writing students of final work from 'The Plant Intelligence Project' which, according to UBCO's website, has students 'blending plant metaphors with plant science to discover their emerging literary voice'. My personal favourite was a series of Haiku's written about specific plants and then written out and photographed against a natural setting - clever, interesting and thoughtful work.

As for Lake's swansong publication, it is a real shame that the Okanagan is losing this creative showcase.  'Sadly, we just couldn't get sustainable funding,' explains co-editor Nancy Holmes.  However, the Lake team will continue to work through the Lake Publishing Society, and are looking to publish some limited editions encompassing art and the environment, and continue with an online presence.  To keep up to date with what is happening, check out their website at www.lakejournal.ca.

Let's Talk About the Weather...

OK. So the fantastic climate in the Okanagan is Canada's worst kept secret, but that still doesn't mean it isn't worth mentioning. Stepping off a plane this week after two weeks in Saskatchewan -- where the temperature was still a chilly -4C  and the snow drifts were still 6 ft high -- it really hit me how great it is to live in Kelowna.  At the beginning of April the sun was shining, I didn't need a coat, and spring was most definitely in the air.

So... how does Kelowna stack up to the rest of Canada?

According to stats at The Weather Network, the lowest 'average low temperature' in Kelowna is -4.6C in January, compared to -21.6C in Saskatoon, -22.8C in Winnipeg, -12.6 in Charlottetown and a downright chilly -30.9C in Yellowknife.  Brrr.

Kelowna's average temperatures are above zero ten months of the year (Feb - Nov), compared to 7 months in Edmonton (Apr - Oct) and 8 months in Montreal (Apr - Nov). So far so good.

The city's highest 'average high temperature' is 29.2C in July. Compare that to 22C in Vancouver, 21.9C in Victoria and 26.4C in Toronto and you will soon see why Canadians flock to the Okanagan for their summer vacations.

In terms of precipitation, Kelowna gets an average 763mm rainfall a year, compared to 1474mm in Vancouver. I had to use Vancouver again for this statistic because my husband is convinced it does nothing but rain in Vancouver. I have tried to convince him otherwise, but am not helped by the fact that every time we watch something on TV that has been filmed in Vancouver, guess what? It's raining.

Lastly, Kelowna gets on average 100cm of snow per year as compared to 126cm in Calgary, 216 in Prince George and 202cm in Ottawa. Conversely, local ski resort Big White gets a whopping 750cm of snow per year - hurrah! Yes, Kelowna truly does have the best of both worlds.

This posting may be a little stats heavy, but it does prove my point.  The weather here does not suck.  It is actually downright decent. I love the fact that the locals constantly tell the summer tourists 'it's not like this every day, you know. Come the winter it's solid cloud - we never see the sun'. I have decided this is akin to the story we Canadians tell the Americans - 'No don't come to Canada, it's really dull up here.  Really, really dull'. It's the human psyche.  When things are good, you can't help but want to keep them to yourselves.

~
Image sourced from www.mycartoonthing.com