Granville Street in summer - closed to traffic for various activities, like the Carnaval de Sol that I wrote about a few posts ago. This day there were some street artists and some craft vendors. But of course all these people lined up on the side walk with cameras? They are looking at a delirious-looking, butt-naked woman standing on her balcony in a spiffy high-rise condo two streets away from Granville, so it affords a good street view without breaking your neck. I couldn't bring myself to photograph the woman - I later attributed that to the sensitivity lesson I learned in front of Insites, that I also blogged about a few entries before. The woman, good looking and perfect figure (nice boobs, beautiful legs, no belly fat and all!) kept doing splits and all sorts of gymnastic moves and would yell "fuck yeah" every now and then. She went in every now and then and would bring out a top or tshirt and just swirl it around and then throw it on the balcony floor - she didn't toss anything out of the building, which for me would have been a sign that she was next, so it was a relief, but I was not completely convinced. All the giggling teenage boys (and old men) with their jaws dropped, the women, some laughing, some in disgust: "des pervert" someone said.
And then there were people like me watching, perplexed, is she sick, has she broken up with her boy friend, and anyway, "please please don't jump". I must admit I wasn't in the best of moods today, nor have I been for the past several days, if not weeks. I think it must be my TSH levels - I remember having a crazy TSH level back when I was in grad school and the doctors were stumped and ordered me on thyroid medicine which of course I refused to take and then it eventually went away. And my internet earned MD says that hypothyroidism has symptoms of depression and dry skin and fatigue and all that stuff that I now have. In about a week from now it would seem like my TSH levels are back to normal - but in a week from now I am also doing a bit better at work and am going to Montréal - so I don't know if the TSH comes first or life comes first. Anyway, all this prelude to say, looking at this woman all I could think of was "what makes such a good looking and obviously mindful of what she eats and exercise and also probably holding a good job that lets her afford this condo, go delirious like this?" and I couldn't help but think that this is one of those cities where it is nice and fun and all that stuff, but everybody is so lonely. It was perhaps a reflection of my own state at that time.
This in turn reminded me of about five times now, that I had heard people say how Vancouverites are so nice and friendly when they meet you, but then that's it - they don't like to make long or committed friendships that extend to outside of that meeting. At first I brushed this aside, when it came from out of towners, thinking "well were you open enough or inviting enough or were you like 'I dare you be my friend?' ". Ok so I know a lot of people don't intentionally do this, but a lot of times when people are in new environments they tend to give off not so friendly signals. But then twice it was a Vancouverite themself that said this (that Vancouverites don't like to make long-term friendships with strangers) to me - which begs the question "well, why are you like this?" and of course they just stuttered away. I attribute it to the anglo-saxon way of life - not that they are born with unfriendly genes, but if you grow up in an environment where everyone else is like this, it is kind of hard to not be like this, unless you make a conscious effort - actually one of the Vancouverites who said this, was of Chinese origin, but born and raised here - my case in point (about more the environment and less the genes). I love quite a few things about anglo-saxons, their work ethic for example, but warming up to a fellow human being is not one of their fortes. And before you send me hate mail, I never said all of them are like this or even most of them are like this. Remember, 40% is still a majority if the rest of the 60% are not in unison - as we learned from the Canadian elections in 2009.
A couple cops were on their radios now, obviously I was not the only one who feared a disaster. After about 15minutes she went inside and didn't come out and people dispersed and I walked away too, choking back my tears, because now I had a story in my head for her - she's a good looking career woman who has an amazing job and lives in this spiffy condo and she works out every day and eats right and is all cosmopolitan and then one day her boyfriend leaves her for someone else and she just goes nuts. I know right? Out of all the possible stories, that was mine!!!
In retrospect I can come up with several stories - she was a prostitute hired by one of the richnesses in that condo, but a prostitute with bi-polar disorder; she just took a bet with some of her friends that she could go naked on the balcony and now her friends are inside the apartment laughing their hearts out; she smoked a bit too much pot…. Later I was surprised at how many non-oh-the-poor-victim stories I could come up with… and I sincerely hope it was one related to a fun bet or something like that… I could see myself taking a bet like that… or maybe not… probably not…. :D If you are visiting me this summer, please don't try this on me - I don't think I will do it actually… :D
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