Tumblr?

I've been neglecting my camera lately. I've only touched it a few times since moving back to Victoria, and that makes me a little sad. Victoria is really quite a pretty place, and there are plenty of places I could take my camera. I'm going to try to start taking more photos, and I started today.
One of my favorite things about living in Victoria is that I'm so close to the water. In North Van I live "close" to the ocean, but here I'm really close. There are a handful of beaches nearby, and I love it. While Cadboro Bay is still my favorite place in Victoria, I'm going to try to find a few other beach-type areas. Today I walked off the end of Gordon Head road and followed a little path towards the water. While it didn't lead to a beach, it opened up to a grassy rock place that overlooked the ocean. It was dead quiet, except the sound of a few birds and the waves. It was really peaceful. It was kind of cold and awkward lighting (I'm still not used to it getting dark so early) so I didn't get very many pictures, and the ones I did get weren't very good (I didn't set up my tripod). I edited them (quite a bit), and I think they look alright. Here they are:

There's actually quite a drop off before the ocean here.

Also, I am not exactly proud of this, but I have joined yet another popular internet social-network-type-thing. Yep, I got tumblr (she said, slightly ashamed). I got it so I can micro-blog and share single photos/songs/other peoples gifs and pictures that I enjoy. I'm going to see how it goes. So yeah... that's a thing. If you're interested, check it out at www.zoe-click.tumblr.com Cheers!

P.S. It's my mom's birthday today. She's pretty great. Happy birthday mumsie!

Rifflandia!

As promised, here is my blog post about Rifflandia. I'm staying at the school after classes, because my internet is still down at my house (I feel like a real student, taking advantage of free wi-fi and everything!) I'm going to do the same kind of template as I did for my Folk Fest blog post, but probably a lot shorter. So here goes:
The Players

Name: Chelsea Brown
Age: 19
Rifflandia Experience: First-timer
Special Skills/Knowledge: Chelsea can remember almost every song she has ever heard. This makes her a handy asset in that she knows the name of most of the songs that the bands she knows play (cough cough City and Colour).
 

Name: Zoe Smith (me!)
Age: 19
Rifflandia Experience: First-timer
Special Skills/Knowledge: Intensely read up on all things Rifflandia before attending. Schedule? She knows it. Wristband connect? She knows where. What buses to take? She's got it. Pre-fest meal? OH BOY does she have a plan.

(not pictured)
Name: Jessica and Laura
Age: 19
Rifflandia Experience: Again, first timers.
Special Skills/Knowledge: Unfortunately, we lost them after the first set. They had a good time though.

The Venue

The cool thing about Rifflandia is that it is split up into day and night venues. I only bought a day ticket, so we stuck to Royal Athletic Park from 1 until 9, where there were two stages set up, the main one and a smaller side stage. I liked this venue because it was accessible, spaced out (but not too much so), and the stages weren't competing with each other. The sets were actually lined up really well, so they were never overlapping/playing over each other. This also meant that, if you chose to, you could see all of the acts playing that day. There was also a sweet food vendors area, featuring all Victoria-based food companies, which was nice to see. There was also "Artlandia," a small area featuring art from- yup, you guessed it- local artists. The night venues are split up all over the city, playing in different bars, clubs, and theaters. I definitely want to check it out next year, because I think it's a cool concept (although less convenient than having them all in the same area). Vaguely related to venue is Rifflandia's "Wristband Connect" and "Winlandia." Basically, simply having a Rifflandia entrance wristband can get you deals, free stuff, and entries into various contests all over downtown Victoria. Unfortunately, we didn't take advantage of this, but it's definitely an awesome idea, and something I would want to take into consideration next time.

The Music
We stuck to the main stage all day, and saw 5 sets. I really enjoyed myself- there wasn't an act that I didn't enjoy. Also, all the acts were on schedule, which was awesome. So, briefly, here's the run down: 

 Vince Vaccaro: A Victoria native (I think), I only knew a few of his songs, but I liked his style. The Peak plays "Catch a Fire" and "Costa Rica" a lot, but did you know he also does an awesome cover of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up?" Yeah. It's good. Anyways, Vaccaro was the first set we saw. It was good- his music was a perfect way to ease into the music-fest mind-set. Overall, I like his music to begin with, and was excited to see him live. He didn't disappoint; he also played a bunch of new music, including a song called "Emergency," which I really like. Also, instead of CD's, he sold download cards... that you can plant once you're done with them and they grow into flowers because it had seeds embedded in it. Yeah. Cool.

 Jets Overhead: I didn't really know any of these guys songs before Saturday, but Chelsea knew their music and really liked them. She was right- they were good, and I enjoyed their style. While their stage presence was a little boring, their music was still enjoyable. Also, they played some of their new stuff, which is always nice to hear from a band.

AWOLNATION: I'd only heard of AWOLNATION about a week before Rifflandia, and didn't even realize I was seeing them until a few days beforehand. I like them though; it's fast music that's fun to dance/singalong to. "Sail" is a particularly catchy one. This was a nice break in between some calmer, more "mature" music.

 Cold War Kids: Literally the only thing I knew about these guys were that they did the song "Audience of One." While it was cool to have one song I recognized, I actually really really liked these guys. They were probably my second favorite of the day. It's always nice to hear a band that you don't really know and end up really liking them. Also, they had some of the best stage performance we saw.

City and Colour/Dallas Green: This man is amazing. Seriously. I've liked City and Colour for a few years now, but I only really listened to his old stuff. Not anymore. I have 3 new albums in my iTunes, just waiting for me to listen to. For real, this guy was amazing live, and probably the only reason I didn't sink into a deep depression about not seeing Bon Iver in Vancouver on Sunday night. He had the best stage presence of the crowd, and the audience loved him. Chelsea and I waited about 45 minutes between Cold War Kids and City and Colour just so we could get a good spot. It worked- we were right at the front, and it was awesome. By the end of his set, people were crying, singing along, and calling for more. He casually sipped his way through a few bottles of beer throughout, and played mostly newer stuff, but the songs I recognized (and loved) that he played included "Sleeping Sickness," and "The Girl." He also played a fucking amazing version of "Body In A Box." Seriously, it was goosebump worthy material. For one song, he politely asked everyone to refrain from filming/recording/taking any pictures. While it was tempting, it was a really cool thing to do, and the whole atmosphere changed with it. Hands down, he was the highlight of the day.
 
 Crowd Surfers: There were a lot of them. I'm about the worst person ever when it comes to carrying crowdsurfers, but they're always fun to watch.

That's all! I had a great time, although I little sad I didn't go for the Superpass (oh wait- I'm a student, and it's pricey. But still...). There were a lot of other awesome acts playing, like Mother Mother, De La Soul, and The Knocks (who I wanted to see so bad). Rifflandia is a really cool music fest- read more about it here.

Cadboro @ Night Part 2

Cadboro Bay is, I've decided, one of my favorite places in Victoria. Last year, I often walked down there, day or night, to take pictures, take a walk, or just enjoy the view. Tonight, being the full moon, I once again made the trek down there (oh how I miss living on res at times like this) and took some long exposure pictures (Yes, I have done this before). The results are quite different from last time, but I managed to get a few cool ones (I think). It was super bright and totally clear out. From here on out, the weather is only going to get worse. Thank you for your time Septummer!

Anyways, back on topic, here they are, with minimal editing... how I spent my Monday night instead of studying:

Walking down Mackenzie

Things I Like

I can be quite a negative person on this blog. I complain/whine/list off things that could be better. In reality though, I'm generally an optimistic, positive person. SO, to bring some nice things to internetland, here is is....

THINGS I LIKE (note: this list is non-exhaustive, subject to change, and completely subjective.)

1) Music wise, at the moment, I'm particularly into the songs Boston, Super Bass, Candy Candy, and anything by Bon Iver. This isn't to say I don't like any other music (because I like almost any other type of music), these just happen to be the ones I've been listening to a lot lately. Also, I Love You This Big. But that's mostly because I have a secret soft spot for country music and, as you can see if you watch the video, I'm fascinated in HOW SUCH A DEEP VOICE CAN COME FROM SOMEONE WHO LOOKS ABOUT SIXTEEN. (I checked: he's 17. He was most definitely born in 1993. As in, the year after me. Whaaat?)
 
2) Celebrity wise, there are 4 boys who will always have my love: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Matthew Grey Gubler, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (seriously, I first saw him in Angels in the Outfield which used to be about my favorite movie ever). I won't bore you with why, but I'm just saying... these guys are my favorite. Also, due to her recent movies (uhhh Zombieland/Easy A/Crazy Stupid Love to name a few) Emma Stone is my new favorite actress. Like, I'd probably see any movie if she were in the trailer, even just for a second.

3) Small fluffy things. Don't lie. No one goes around saying "Fuck, I hate PUPPIES." No matter what, small fluffy animals will make you smile.

I miss UVic bunnies...

Recently I was at Jericho beach with my family for a family dinner. There are a lot of dogs at Jericho. A lot. Anyways, my sister and I befriended a Boston Terrier. I always thought they were kind of weird, but now I realize that they kind of look like Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch) and, as my sister pointed out, "they just look like they would be really chill if they were a person." So yeah... there's that too.

4) Right now, I'm liking Victoria. It's nice here. And I actually enjoy being back on campus. Also, today I sat in my backyard, in the sun, reading my textbook while little birds flew around the bird feeder in the tree beside me. How can I complain about that?

5) Live music. This summer, I saw Dan Mangan, Said The Whale, and many more (at the Vancouver Folk Fest and Live At Squamish) live. There are few things more enjoyable than good live music. My goal this year is to see more live music. Now that I'm 19, this is slightly easier, and I'm off to a good September start; Hey Ocean is playing at UVic next week, and today I got my Rifflandia ticket for the end of September!

6) Small things. For example, I really really liked canned peaches. Like, a lot. I could probably eat them everyday. This is a pretty small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it's good to remember what small things can make you day a tiny bit better.

Anyways, this has been a fairly general list, but I'm tired now so I'll end it here. Just remember; sometimes it's good to make a list of things you like, or things that make you smile, or people you like seeing. Think about it!

Back to Vancouver

BEFORE

AFTER

 Not pictured: my room back home, with an entire dorm room's worth of stuff piled on my floor. Oops. Today I moved back, officially, to North Van. It feels a bit weird actually, to be done with res life forever, but kinda nice at the same time. Not that I didn't like living in res, but it gets a little old after a while. There's definitely a few things I'll miss about living in Victoria, for sure, but for now it'll be nice to have delicious home-made food and see my fellow North Vanners again.

As promised, here's a cool video/song to listen to. (Last night my dad came over to my sister's house and led a bunch of my sister's friends in a jam sesh type thing. It was awesome, and at one point he was playing along to this one. As is the case with just about every song turned acoustic(ish), I dig it).

Vader

So, due to the fact that it's FINALLY stopped raining and has been nice and sunny the last few days, and I have lots of extra time on my hands, I headed downtown today to enjoy the sun and walk around downt-

 

IS THAT DARTH VADER? PLAYING THE VIOLIN? Why yes. Yes it is. A common sight in downtown Victoria, this guy plays a mean violin. And nothing else I did today is interesting in comparison.

P.S blogger you are stupid because you won't let me post the edited versions of my pictures, which are much more awesome.