Times Changed + Dirty Dog

Before leaving Toronto I was told many, many things about Winnipeg... some from people who had been here before, some from people who were actually from here and some from people who had just heard things and felt entitled to pass what they had heard on. Most of the things I was told could be categorized as warnings. I was warned most frequently about the weather (i.e. the cold, which apparently rivals Siberia for coldest city in the world-- I learned this today), second most often I was told about the mosquitoes, occasionally I was warned about the violence (homicide capital of Canada) and finally I was warned that people didn't really go out at night (which for me is a warning that is almost as bad as the weather, mosquitoes and violence warning all combined). Luckily, a handful of thoughtful friends and acquaintances thought it might be good to send me out west with some of Winnipeg's highlights in mind so that I wouldn't feel as though I was moving to the equivalent of hell! One of the highlights that was mentioned to me on more than one occasion is a place called: Times Changed, and since arriving I have been itching to check it out.

Thanks again to my wonderful room mate, Dane, I did check it out last night and let me tell you, people most certainly DO GO OUT AT NIGHT in WINNIPEG. Apparently Sunday nights are the best nights for this old blues bar that has character beyond character beyond character, so I assume I saw the best of it and based on what I did see I will definitely be returning on future Sundays. It is a fairly small place that is literally plastered from floor to ceiling with posters and pictures that appear as non-sequitor to the foreigners eye but likely tell a cohesive story to the regulars and the old timers. My favorite poster, stuck up high but in clear view, read in bold plain font: WHAT WOULD NEIL YOUNG DO?. That's it, that's the whole poster, that's the message and the question! Amazing.

The bar is entirely centered around watching music. And the music consists of a band that has a rotating group of players and a rotating group of vocalists. The band and the vocalists perform old blues, folk and country tunes, although last night there was even a little psychedelic interlude... again, Amazing. Some of the musicians were pretty excellent and clearly dudes and ladies that had been playing and loving music for a long time. The vocalists were pretty dope too. There was one younger woman who got up and sang 'The House of the Rising Sun' and I swear I was fighting back tears with every bit of strength (and desire not to totally humiliate myself in the one place where I actually felt truly comfortable since arriving here) I had. She was clearly new to performing and had a shyness that combined with her powerful but timid voice just broke my heart. She hit every note perfectly (not an easy task with that song) but didn't quite break through her self consciousness and although this may have been a problem for another performer somehow it just made her execution of the song that much more intense. I spoke to her after the set, to let her know how great it was and she was super grateful and cute and told me that she had never performed in public before. Amazing x 100000000000000.

So yes Winnipeg does indeed have gems and the Times Changed is for sure one of them. When you all come visit me I can take you there, K?, K.

On a separate note Toad and I were taken to the 'dog park' today which was actually a dog field or a dog prairie ( it was just sun bleached grass-- no trees-- and went on and on and on), a little bit outside of the city and toad fell in a puddle of mud, here all the pictures to prove it. Unfortunately, they don't really capture how hilarious he looked. The poor guy didn't find it nearly as funny as his people companions did. He was then dipped in the dog pond, to clean the mud, which he found equally unpleasant and is now totally conked out under the bed and I don't expect to see him till tomorrow.

Lastly, thanks for joining guys... now don't forget to comment. Please comment. Sorry I'm so high maintenance.

Love,Myera.

p.s. apologies for sloppy writing, think I'm a tad sun stroked from the prairie/park