The Mission
*pats myself on the back* Who could've thought the Bakka bookstore could be so hidden? Nestled among strip joints, fast food restaurants, and stores that sell a whole bunch of crap, the Bakka's own door doesn't even open onto the street.

As I mentioned, I got conned into going to the AGO's Whistler/Turner/Monet exhibit. I thought I would regret the $15 because galleries and museums are generally money-suckers. (Actually, the gift shop is the money-sucker). But I didn't regret it. Seeing a painting in real life is definitely much cooler than seeing a picture of it. I could've stared at the paintings the whole day.

I learned that artists do this funny thing of copying a "master's" painting or sketch in order to learn the strokes and such. For example, Whistler copied one of Turner's paintings to learn Turner's style of "unfinished" painting. Which later turned into Impressionism. It's strange because no writer would ever copy out Shakespeare to "learn" from the master. Another cool thing about Impressionism: you have to stand extremely far away from the painting in order to see it properly. You literally have to stand across the room. I tried looking at them closely to look at the real paint and the strokes. But it only makes you dizzy. How did Monet paint them, standing an arm's length away, without going blind? The guy didn't even have to wear glasses in his old age.

The book signing: Bakker is quite tall in person. Six feet at least. He seems nice. For some reason, fantasy authors don't look like authors. At all. Bakker looked like a uni student who majored in English, partied a lot, and now fronts a band with his buddies who also happen to be his drinking buddies. I know, his photo in the book suggests otherwise. But then GRRM's photo didn't make him out to be a chubby couch potato who wears Hawaiian shirts.

Even on a Saturday, the streets of our great city can be devoid of specimens. What does it take, man? I have to move to Montreal.