In search of an obscure supplement I went to Kerrisdale today, a place I’ve never been before, aside from teaching in a school in that general area and visiting a friend who lives on the outskirts, I’ve only visited that area of shops there in novels. In reality it reminded me somewhat of border towns in Washington. I managed to get quite lost and was surprised by the volume of traffic and a sign outside one shop announcing the arrival of a green pan. The other thing that perturbed me was the sale of processed marrowfat peas in a tin! Imported of course from England. Wha? Who would seriously shell out $2.49 for tinned, processed, marrowfat peas. I discovered the tinned peas because I’d entered a place that promised “British products” in search of a packet of Jaffa Cakes because my beloved son has become fixated on them due to a podcast he listens to that references them and I’d promised to reveal what they are.

On the shelf were a number of astonishingly expensive teabags ($12 for 80 $9.00 for 40), a bottle of Schweppes Bitter Lemon (er?), tins of treacle, and other unremarkables. The tin of marrowfat peas almost knocked me over. Not least since the best local shelling peas are delicious and in season all over the place. Tea, chocolate I understand but a bottle of Bitter Lemon and a tin of Marrowfat peas …. and what? Lie back and think of England?

On a more remarkable note, there is still a camera shop in Kerrisdale.

On the way home I passed a billboard outside BC Women’s Hospital that read Canada’s Leading Maternity Hospital. Are they recruiting pregnant women to fly in and give birth from other parts of the country? It’s a v odd billboard. What’s the criteria for being Canada’s Leading Maternity Hospital exactly versus any other maternity hospital? And who is it exactly they’re advertising this to? Is it designed to reassure women arriving to give birth … and by this token does the most regressive hospital in the country also have a billboard?

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Certain news events & stories in the last week had me pondering conscience and what of the make up and brains of humans who don’t have one? The rate of sociopaths in the US was quoted at 4 per cent  and I can’t imagine it’s that different here. It was v interesting reading descriptions of people with a complete absence of conscience in relation to their behaviour. The advice however was to have absolutely nothing to with a person who matches the description of a sociopath. I wondered about the resultant isolation of that person and how that exacerbates and furthers enables them to carry on mindlessly. But the experts were absolutely clear. Avoid, avoid, avoid at all costs is their advice.