Sick day item #3 [Updated – link fixed]

More backlogged photos and video that I’d been meaning to blog.

Crab mosh pit

Updated: The link for the movie now works!

My house is right by the downtown Chinatown. If you’re not the kind of person who gets all queasy at the sight of fish and the like at open-air markets, Chinatown is a bargain-hunting paradise. A couple of weeks ago, after going out to Dim Sum with Deenster and her sister Lisa (who’s visiting from Tel Aviv) we walked by the markets just in time to see a fresh shipment of crabs get dumped into a stall and the shopping frenzy that ensued. I managed to get a video of the crab madness (1 MB QuickTime).

The Hippopotamus magazine party

One night in early September, I was accosted by a number of young women wearing hippopotamus costumes. After pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t some kind of wish-fulfillment dream, I found out that they were having a fund-raising party for a humour magazine called The Hippopotamus. While they could stand to work on their humour writing, they’re a cute bunch who throw good parties.

And hey, cute girls in hippo costumes!!!

I’m told the masks are modeled after the game Hungry Hungry Hippos:

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More Montreal photos

Once again, thanks to Dave Polaschek for the VIA rail vouchers, which enabled us to travel first class, home of the all-you-can-drink Grand Marnier and fine dining, as Paul demonstrates:

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Every Sunday, hand drum players in Montreal converge on what might be the world’s largest regular drumming circle: Tam Tam.

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In the land of the drummers, the one-accordioned man is king.

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Don’t I look as if I should be a member of the Buena Vista Social Club?