Foxymoron

The Most Diverse, Tolerant and Open-minded Place on Earth

I'm proud to be Canadian today, more so than other days as our federal government passed Bill C-38 to legalize same-sex marriage last night. The majority of Liberal, NDP and Bloc MPs voted in favour 158-133 of changing the definition of marriage from "The union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others" to "The union of two persons to the exclusion of all others."

It seems like the debate has taken forever to settle and although Senate still has to vote to make it really, really official, I'm glad that Canadian men and woman can live happily ever after no matter who they want to live happily ever after with.

John Ibbitson wrote a very nice column in today's Globe. Here's some of it cut and pasted together:

Healthy conservatism promotes the continuity of civilization, the importance of community, the dangers of thoughtless change. It does not, or should not, assert the right of white, Christian heterosexual males of a certain age to limit the rights of everyone else. The past 100 years of social history has been dedicated, on good days, to constraining the dominance of this minority. Yesterday was a good day...So, enjoy the summer while it lasts. And congratulate yourself. You are part of the most diverse, tolerant and open-minded place on earth.

If you're curious about how your MP has voted on bills related to the rights of GLBT, please visit the Egale Canada website.

The Chronicles of Sarnia

I went to Sarnia, Ontario this weekend. As my friend Matt says, Sarnia is like a puddle of gasoline -- it's beautiful but also disgusting. It's beautiful because it sits on the southern tip of Lake Huron where the water is a surprising serene blue and the air smells natural; the city is disgusting because it's an industrial town where at every turn, I saw evidence of decay in factories and old buildings.

We had a wedding to go to, but not before we ate truck fries under the Blue Water Bridge and befriended goats at the Children's Animal Farm:

Michael and Rebecca's had a gorgeous ceremony in her parents' backyard which just happened to include a beach and the lake. We continued the reception at the Imperial Theatre — the same theatre Emm Gryner recorded live tracks for Girl Versions (the masters were allegedly ruined and she ultimately re-recorded that album). It was a funny coincidence since we ate a snack at Stokes beforehand and that's where Emm held her after party that night. Things are pretty much the same there, only the pool table has been replaced by a small stage with what I assume is a stripper pole. Clearly, we only go to classy establishments.

The trip ended with a rude awakening — some naked child screaming and crying repeatedly in the hall (at 8 a.m.!) outside our Best Western room, an enjoyable drive back to the city and a veggie sandwich from Tim Horton's.

More pictures from the weekend are in the photo grallery.

Dragonette

Remember The New Deal? Remember Martina Sorbara? (I'm still semi-traumatized by the latter's sexy video for "Bonnie and Clyde.") Dan Kurtz (bassist for TND) and his wife of just over a year, Sorbara, have formed a new band called Dragonette. Denise Benson writes about their musical baby in this week's Eye. The band is playing tomorrow night at the El Mocombo and on July 8th (free show at the Harbourfront).

Musically, Dragonette's sound is a little more retro than The New Deal and obviously more dancy than Sorbara's folk-pop. It's fun and you should come with me to tomorrow's show. Check out a couple mp3s from their website ("I get around") and Fluxblog ("Competition")

It's OK to like Coldplay

I haven't sat down and seriously listened to X&Y in its entirety, but so far, it's not that bad, especially when it's exactly what Coldplay has sounded like in the past (which seems to be their biggest crime). But they were doomed before they even started recording. They were just too sweet and too well-liked by both the indie music fans and the mainstream. The latter, as a fellow Coldplay fan points out, makes people uncomfortable which is part of why I think many people are saying they don't like the album. Coldplay isn't popular in the way that those who pride themselves with indie cool can like them in that kitchy ironic kind of way. It's about reserving "indie cred" (whatever that means to you). Like as soon as you like the entire discography of a single band you lose musical credibility. I'm not saying everyone has to love Coldplay or even like them. This isn't even about the band, it's just an example of how I think the cool of music is preceeding the love of music.

Hong Kong

Everyone's been asking me "how was your trip?" and I've felt pressure to reply with an enthusiastic "Great!" But the fact is, Hong Kong isn't my type of city. Despite it's glorious food, towering skyscrappers, plentiful shopping and the most efficient public transportation system I've experienced, I don't love Hong Kong. I don't love it like I love San Francisco or New York. Those cities make me feel alive. Hong Kong, on the otherhand, makes me feel uncomfortable. It's not because of the overpowering heat and humidity, it's its emphahsis on appearances, wealth and commerce. It's just so...well, superficial.

My good friend Connie, who has lived in Hong Kong for a year now, put it best: "Canadian malls have The Gap and Old Navy. Hong Kong malls have Prada and Gucci." I prefer vintage shopping and even though Con's always had expensive tastes, she admits life on the island has made her more superficial. She just cares more about how she looks now, which isn't that bad.

Having said all of the above, I do respect Hong Kong very much. As I wrote in my travel blog, my roots are in Hong Kong. My parents and their parents grew up there. It's a land with a fascinating history, one that explains why it's a city built on those superficialities. It's also a city where there's a lot of opportunity for a university graduate (x2), native English and Cantonese speaker like me. So, despite our differences, I'm going back to Hong Kong next month. I've taken a three-month internship at The Standard starting mid-July. I was skeptical at first since I had JUST returned from Hong Kong. But the truth is, there isn't much here in Canada for new journalism grads like me. I'm 24 and I can't afford to do another non-paying internship. So here I go...

RRJ 2005

Last night "Uncle Tim" graciously had the Ryerson Review of Journalism 2005 crew over for drinks on his lovely deck. Despite the jetlag, I went and it was great to see all the ladies. Here are some pictures and the rest can be found in the RRJ photo gallery. In about 10 hours we convocate and that'll be it for me, no more student Chiu and to be honest, I don't know what non-student Chiu does. It's over. It's really, really over and I'm scared.

Photos: All of the RRJ 2005 minus a few and plus a tree branch (top). Sam (of Friendly Neighbourhood Journalist and Blog on Blog fame) and me (bottom).

The Ryerson Review of Journalism at "their best in years"

Again, I'm behind, but a classmate passed on a kind Globe and Mail piece about the state of journalism with praise for the Ryerson Review of Journalism. John Fraser says:

But these articles from Ryerson, mostly written by students under professorial guidance, tackle difficult subjects head on. Of course there are infelicities and submerged prejudices here and there, but the broad thrust is impressive. The level of fact-checking seems very high and the stylistic flourishes often surprising in their effectiveness.

A few years ago, the world of intelligent and intelligible Canadian magazines looked set for oblivion. Perhaps it is merely coincidence, but today Saturday Night is reviving wonderfully, the Walrus continues to surprise, and terrific smaller publications such as Geist on the West Coast, Border Crossings out of Winnipeg and Maisonneuve from Montreal seem to be surviving against all odds. The new issues from Ryerson seem emblematic of this new optimism.

Read the full article at the Globe site or Workopolis.

Dear world, fuck off. Love, Montreal

Now in Asia, I'm a little behind on my magazine reading. But earlier this week, I flipped through the latest Maisonneuve and found "Go Away" Maisonneuve, by Martin Patriquin. I laughed, felt a little guilty and laughed some more. Basically, he writes, yeah, our music may be good but don't come here, we don't want you in our city. I can't help it, I love those who won't love me back.

I miss Canada.