by Annie | Aug 17, 2010 | Other
Here’s the final version of my visual storytelling project, a short film created to tell a story through images. It’s quite a bit different from the original preview I posted two weeks ago. I’ll let the images speak for...
by Annie | Aug 5, 2010 | Other
As term 1 is starting to come to a close, we have several projects out on the table, from presentations and exams to level designs and drawings. One project we have coming up in less than two weeks is for our visual storytelling class. The name of the class gives away the main focus: telling stories through images. Our visual storytelling final project involves a short movie using anywhere from 50 to 300 images, preferably set to music. After an initial storyboard and lots of time spent crafting pieces from construction paper and pipe cleaners, I finally snapped the necessary photos and have moved into the editing stage. Here’s a preview of the first minute (a very rough cut in low quality) for your viewing...
by Annie | Jul 7, 2010 | Other
I had my first experience with Canadian healthcare today. Well, not Canadian healthcare proper, but I was injured, and a Canadian cared for me and helped me regain health. I’d say that counts. On my way to school this morning, I realized that I’d forgotten to remove the lights from my bike last night. Dangerously close to being late, I frantically tugged at the lights, forgetting that they had release switches. Swearing under my breath, I managed to yank off the rear light. One down. The front light was a little more stubborn. I was about to give up when I decided to make one last attempt. One hard jerk later, the light was free, taking along with it a chunk of my left index finger. The chunk, while not huge (~4mm in diameter), was just large enough to draw a decent amount of blood, enough to stain my bike gloves and be annoying. Thus, without a band-aid handy, I alternated between gripping the handlebar and sucking on my bleeding finger during my ride downtown. When I arrived, I couldn’t find any staff members to beg for a band-aid, so I settled for the security guy. Figuring he would point me in the direction of a first aid cabinet or the student services office, I was shocked when he grinned with excitement and pulled out a duffel bag full of first aid supplies. “I’ve trained extensively for this,” he explained, eager to assess my injury. With purple latex gloves on, he carefully cleaned the wound, warning me of possible stinging, and followed up by applying a fresh band-aid. As...
by Annie | Jul 1, 2010 | Other
In honor (or, as Canadians would write, honour) of Canada Day, Joe and I headed out to Granville Island, a community filled with markets, theaters, galleries, unique shops, and restaurants, to partake in the festivities. Perhaps it was the lack of sunshine, or the critical mass of people, or the sheer Canadian spirit, but countless pedestrians and bikers on the path to Granville Island seemed to have lost their wits. One biker, while enthusiastically waving a miniature paper flag and staring at a nearby sculpture, headed straight for us, veering out of the way mere feet before an imminent head-on collision. Among other potential crashes, some close calls were caused by the following: – a kid who suddenly ran across the bike path without warning – a group of people who had stopped in the middle of the path to admire and photograph weeds – a girl who had wiped out when trying to make a sharp turn on gravel. I would take speeding cars over oblivious pedestrians any day. Of course, the Granville Island festivities made the frustrating ride worthwhile. We enjoyed sizzling bratwursts while overlooking the water and downtown skyline, laughed and cheered for a charming street performer (pictures below) who juggled basketballs on an 8′ unicycle, and savored a homemade mint and dark chocolate ice cream delight from a local chocolate shop. After a delicious dinner made with fresh veggies from the market, we’re preparing to head down to the beach to enjoy the Canada Day fireworks after the 9:30pm sunset. O Canada! Happy 143rd...
by Annie | Jun 23, 2010 | Other
Sunny and 70. There could not be better conditions for my first solo bike ride to downtown Vancouver. Having just taken a bike safety class this weekend, the warnings, words of advice, and proper hand signals were fresh in my mind. Anxious to get on the road for my 2 o’clock Nexus appointment at the Canada Border Services Agency downtown, I unlocked my bike from the basement bike rack around 1:15pm. Speeding through the smooth concrete floor of the garage, I rode up the exit ramp and emerged into daylight. A couple turns later, I was on the Seaside Bike Trail, headed east. I breezed past beaches, picnickers, swimmers, and joggers, all basking in the afternoon sun. Turning off the Seaside Trail, I made my way up the Burrard Bridge with the downtown skyline growing more and more in focus. At the peak, I took a few deep breaths of relief, then sailed down toward increasing traffic and busy-ness. Without a dedicated bike lane, I had to ride in traffic with the cars. As I was taught, I took over a whole lane, huffing and puffing over hills and dodging parked and turning cars, using the proper hand signals the whole way. By the time I reached my destination, my shirt was soaked, and my face was beet red, but alas, I was alive! With just a few minutes to spare, I locked up my bike and headed inside for my appointment. After being directed to the proper counter, I gave the agent my name and informed her I had a 2pm appointment. “Um, no, you don’t,” was essentially...
by Annie | Jun 13, 2010 | Other
Due to the relative scarcity of squirrels in Vancouver, Sofie has taken up a new pastime: seagull chasing. She has yet to grasp the fact that wing power can outmaneuver her four short legs any day, so she expends lots of energy in the hunt. In the spirit of the sunny day, we did some hiking in the Endowment Lands, a gorgeous 14-square-kilometer area of forest and beaches just west of the Vancouver city limits. As soon as the leash came off, the hunt was on. Slow…one step at a time…sudden full-on seagull chase! Stop to gulp seawater. Back to the chase! She did come close a couple of times, but I don’t think she would’ve had the slightest clue what to do had she actually caught up with...
