The Vancouver Island Holiday Events Guide

Christmas Hammy 4Christmas is coming,
the Blokes are getting fat
please do put some money
in the food bank’s hat
if you haven’t got some money,
a food donation will do
if you haven’t got a food donation
than God bless you!

It’s not the exact lyrics to “Christmas Is Coming,” an American Christmas carol, but I thought I would give it a West Coast Canadian twist instead. The holidays are fast approaching (although some may dread it), but do keep in mind that the holidays shouldn’t be about commercialism. What truly matters is to spend this time of year with your family, your friends, and to have enough food on the table to share it with them.

If you believe in exchanging gifts, I would say keeping it simple is the best way to go about it. Avoid maxing out your credit card, pay cash for simple gifts. And if you can’t afford something, then price isn’t the be all and end all, it is the thought that counts. When buying a gift, I try to make my purchases at locally owned shops. This means buying from an independent store and not from a corporate owned or franchise. Doing so ensures your money stays on the West Coast rather than being sent to a company in a Eastern capital city or the United States.

Continue reading

A Ghūl’s All Hallows Eve Guide to Frights & Entertainment in Victoria & the Gulf Islands

22271_1331667404240_2567935_nThe Dead of October is here. As a paranormal and archaeology enthusiast, there’s plenty for me to do at this time of year. But trick o’ treaters and lovers of horror films can find plenty of chills, thrills and frights to choose from. When a certain craving hits, thankfully this time of year is not always about the private parties or candy. Instead, it’s about what can transpire when Hunter’s Moon arrives.

The list of activities is nicely varied and there’s plenty to choose from for the young and old to partake in. Yes, even some nerdish delights can be found in this update, but who wants to be stuck indoors? The excitement is all in what can be found outdoors or in the fringe! But for residents of the Gulf Islands, just how they want to get the inner ghoul on means deciding in what is more interesting to attend. Presented here is a guide for what’s coming up:

10580135_651998624895778_3972538185895529457_n

Oct 5, at 2:30pm – 5:00pm
Meets at Centennial Square – Victoria

Put on your best corpse, and somber on down a route to encourage the best that the plague will do upon the masses! This zombie walk will feature a few local makeup talents to help make your costume all the more gross. More information can be found on their Facebook page as to what the route will be.

Continue reading

GottaCon 2015 Update

Gottacon2015GottaCon announced the official hotels for their 2015 convention. Both Quality Inn Downtown Victoria and The Fairmont Empress are returning as official hotel sponsors for Vancouver Island’s largest gaming convention that’ll take place from Feb 27th to March 1st, 2015 at the Victoria Conference Center.

Convention-goers should book early to avoid disappointment.

For more information on what amenities are offered for each hotel, click here.

In addition, the Community Applications are now open for all gaming groups and clubs. To apply for a booth at GottaCon, click here.

Wontonly Walking with Dinosaurs, the Arena Spectacular Review

IMG_7371

Continues in Victoria, BC at the
Save-on-Foods Memorial Center
till September 21

with shows in Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg
before continuing in the States beginning Oct 15, 2014

Just like evolution, so must the Walking with Dinosaurs Arena Spectacular change with the times. With a good meal packed into my belly at a new Chinese diner simply called The Cozy Place, my appetite for crustacean was aptly satisfied with some excellently made garlic shrimp rolls before I would head back in time to the Cretaceous period.

When this show first started in 2007 and it came to Victoria around 2009/10, I missed the opportunity to see it then due to evening classes at Camosun College. I’m glad it returned. To see what I missed, I had to browse YouTube and I found the technology more thrilling to see in how the dinosaurs came to life.

Continue reading

[Victoria, BC] T’was A Special Day for Chinatown’s Freemasons Society

ChinatownParade2The Victoria chapter of the Chinese Freemasons celebrated their anniversary on August 17th and I was there to witness it for the first-time. They were established in 1876 and are considered to be one of the oldest Chinese Freemasons in Canada. To have such distinction is reason enough to celebrate on a grand scale. People who attended the celebration under the gaze of the Gate of Harmonious Interest were not only treated to a Fo Shan lion dance but also martial art demonstrations by students of the Wong Sheung Hung Fut Kung Fu Club.

And for the curious tourist, there were two tours offered to take them into a glimpse of one of Canada’s oldest Chinatown. Lucky visitors were able to receive rare glimpses into buildings that are not normally accessible to many people throughout the year.

Continue reading

It’s Morphin’ Time: Two Power Rangers to Appear at IF Con 2015!

IFCon2015The list of guests for the Island Fantasy Convention continues to grow and with their latest announcement, I squealed like a nerd.

Our fair city of Victoria, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, will see in 2015 not one but two Power Rangers! Wether they are here as special guests of the con or they are expecting the Empress Hotel to be smashed by a giant creature is anyone’s guess. I’m just happy they’ll be here — destruction or no.

Continue reading