Vancouver Christmas Market 2010

Once again, I’ve gathered up five interesting reads from around the Internet that I thought were worth sharing. This week’s selection is mostly focused on my hometown of Vancouver, with a special appearance by a young boy and his stuffed tiger.

We start our journey with Vancity Buzz, telling us that the German-inspired Vancouver Christmas Market is set to open this year on November 22. Many people (myself included) will say it’s too early to be talking about Christmas already, but the stores are already stocked with gifts and decorations. I imagine the market will be mostly the same as when I went a few years ago, but it was still a great way to spend a couple of hours.

If you’re looking for something else to do and you don’t have a penny to your name, Bored in Vancouver has just the solution. Until the middle of March of next year, you can enjoy free pitch and putt golf at Vancouver’s three courses: Queen Elizabeth Park, Rupert Park and Stanley Park. The courses will only be minimally maintained and there won’t be any flags for the holes, but you certainly can’t beat the price for a quick round of casual golf.

Turning to a more culinary treat, Ed Lau recently attended the Preston’s Taste of Canada event. The media soiree featured dishes inspired by all across Canada, including west coast oysters, bison carpaccio representing the prairies, Quebecois-inspired poutine and maritime lobster rolls. Former BTR blogger Lesley Chang also attended the event, posting her thoughts and photos on Two Girls One Blog.

I throw words together for a living, so the Joseph Planta interview with Hal Wake is of particular interest to me. That’s because Mr. Wake is the artistic director of the Vancouver Writers Festival. Many “authors of national and international note” will be in attendance at the various events, mostly centered around Granville Island. The festival started yesterday and runs until this coming Sunday, October 27.

And finally, we depart from Vancouver for our final stop at Mental Floss. Staffer Jake Rossen was offered the very rare opportunity to have an interview with Bill Watterson, the legendary artist behind Calvin and Hobbes and one of my biggest life influences. In the interview, he discusses remakes, Pixar, licensing, cultural relevance and the infamous Calvin urination sticker.