Fun at the motorcycle show!

Trade show season is in full swing, and we’ve attended the International Motorcycle Show in Seattle. The Seattle Boat Show is running over the coming two weekends – we are going, just not sure which days – and then the Vancouver Boat Show arrives the week after that. Also in February are both the Annual Wellness Show and the Zoomer Show, and the BC Home and Garden Show. There isn’t anything of interest in March or April, but then May brings our favourite trade show of all, Eat Vancouver! The last one of the first have of the year that interests us is the EPIC Sustainability Expo at Van Dusen Gardens this year in July.

But this was an interesting weekend. The Vancouver Motorcycle Show was running out in Abbotsford, it was…OK. Smaller than usual, and we didn’t really find much to keep us there long. I looked over the bike I have been hankering over, one last time, scoped out the luggage and mounting rack and requested a quote, and just reaffirmed my decision. Other than that, not really much for us. We did have a great chat with the father of the youngest racer we know, and he was thrilled to learn that I have a series of shots I took at the start of last season of his ten year old son taking a pretty great crash, but which he hopped right up from and ended up third overall in the race.

We also attended another show we’d never been to before and, when offered free tickets for, we opened our minds and decided to check it out – the Taboo Naughty but Nice Sex Show. It was. . . different, and gave us a lot to think about over the rest of the weekend. The human body is a beautiful instrument, and sex is a wonderful thing to be enjoyed and celebrated. I don’t really have any interest in fetishes – dressing up, the use of props, swings, and other strange things – but I can see how some might find them fun to introduce a little extra something. But I really don’t understand the section of society that seeks to hurt, to debase what should be a shameless and wonderful experience. Is it a result of a lack of self esteem, or something to do with how North Americans are so repressed sexually and there is a strange backlash in an unusual direction? I have no idea. Everyone deserves to feel good, but I just don’t understand when it becomes less than respectful of the human body and of the sensual act of two bodies and minds meeting in harmony rather than what seems more like anger.

We looked at some strange things, listened to some unusual seminars, and some of it left me a bit sad that there is a faction that finds pleasure in pain and violence. There was quite the cross section of society, including pretty much every strange stereotype you can think of. I am glad we went, we did find some things of interest – amazing body painting, beautiful, sensual, respectful, black and white nude photography, and one booth that really did have some stunningly beautiful European lingerie.

To round out the day, we went to a show of a different sort, we saw a comedy show – Steven Wright – at the River Rock Theatre. He was fabulous and hysterical as always. It was the second time we’ve been to see him and he did not disappoint on the second time around. He left us breathless from laughter again. He is the King of the one liners, and I just love his observations on the idiosyncrasies of society and language. Excellent show.

But since we were at the Motorcycle Show, we had to take the obligatory dorky helmet shot, although it’s getting harder to do so since the new helmet laws came into effect and novelty helmets have been banned – but that’s a good thing!

Love this guy!

#42 – Funny