well, it’s finally over. today i left the apartment and was greeted by the beautiful smell of spring blossoms and the realization that my bus had returned to it’s normal route.

i haven’t written much as i have been really busy with the film, but i have been thinking a lot about what our city has gone through in the last month. it’s crazy to think back  about all of the different emotions and events that happened. it’s probably not fair to assume that all vancouverites will wake up and smell the rot that corporate greed leaves in it’s wake but i hope that a few of my fellow citizens were as enlightened as i was over the past month.

this piece of art is so inpsiring- created by local artist Tania Willard

some of the best quotes i have read:

“The days of single issue activism are over” – Yifan Li

“Fighting the government is a full time job” -Guillaume

“… the contested symbol that is now the Canadian flag may be returned, once again, to state control, where the Federal government shuts down safe injection sites, where the arts are cut 90% (and virtually eliminated altogether), where public celebrations are curtailed, where the Vancouver Police Department calls the shots in determining the collective responsibility of its citizens, where, in short, “No Fun City” expresses the true heart of patriotism.” – Fugitive Philosophy

“A mature form of patriotism, in Canada or anywhere else, would have a very different character.  Much like being a parent responsible for one’s children compared to a 20-something with no responsibilities out clubbing on Saturday night, a mature society would take care of its duties before partying.  A mature society, one to which true patriot love could adhere, would have found a way to address poverty in a comprehensive way, would have sought real solutions to 1st Nations aspirations, and would fund the arts as if they really mattered, not just as backdrops to a sports party.  A mature society would see more value in putting millions into medical research than into Olympic opening ceremonies, ceremonies that are all circus and really have nothing to do with either sports or the needs of our daily lives.” -Dr. Chris Shaw

“One lingering critique is that those of us opposed to the Games tended to treat pro-Oly people like slow children who couldn’t do math.  This was unfair of us: the pro side is made up of fully functional adults…who can’t do math.” -Dr. Chis Shaw