PNE visit on Labour Day

It was lovely summer Labour Day.  I was fatigued after racing dragon boats for two days.  What do do?  Go to the Pacific National Exhibition!

It's very intercultural, as people can have their choice of Chinese food, "Curry in a Hurry," Japanese sushi and other dishes, "Hunky Bill's" perogies, "Belgian Waffles," "Bavarian Sausage," and even "Beaver Tails."

We first walked into the Marketplace, checking out all the vendors selling their wares.  We liked a little miniature toy car display.  We checked out the Hawaiian style shirts. 

In the animal buildings, we went to the petting farm where little Vietnamese pigs, miniature goats, and lambs rubbed against people for attention.  We also saw friend Melissa Issac, who does location management for CTV reporter/ weather person  Tamara Taggert.  Melissa told us to come back for 6:30pm, as Tamarra would be racing pigs.

Also in the Safeway Country Farms, we saw a calf who had just been born, only 90 minutes earlier.  The calf was standing on wobbly legs and tried to suckle for milk.  Mommy cow licked her baby, cleaning the calf of birth residue.  Then we watched a ferrier fashion a horseshoe for a horse.

It was fun to walk past the amusement park rides of Playland.  We didn't go on any rides, but enjoyed watching the people on the Drop Zone, Hell's Gate and others.  You will never catch me on the Revelation ride.  Moving to the ground face first at speeds up to 100kph from a height of 160 feet, does not interest me.
Last month I spent a day at Playland with an autistic boy that I work with.  We rode on Break Dance, Scrambler, Wild Mouse, and lots of rides at the Bumper Cars.

A woman complimented me on my t-shirt.  I was wearing a cotton Gung Haggis Fat Choy t-shirt.  I explained that it was for our dragon boat team, which also hosts a Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner.

"Are you Mr. Gung Haggis?" she asked, standing next to her husband.  "We've heard you on CBC Radio."

I gave her my business card, and invited her to come and try dragon boat racing, as well to come to the dinner next January.  Hmmm... we might have a new paddler.

I had really wanted to watch the Rod Stewart tribute performance.  This was fun.  I have been a Rod Stewart fan since 1975, and even had tickets to his 1977 concert.  I last saw the real Rod Stewart in concert at GM Place back in 2000. And he did play one of my favorite songs - Rhythm of My Heart - but they didn't have an accordion for the introduction of the song.

We finished off the evening watching the Rollin' Thunder Revue show.  It was an exciting performance of fireworks, flash pots and country music.