An August Ritual at Carnarvon Place

Living in a high-rise often means you only cross paths with the people in your own elevators, the lobby, the swimming pool, or the parkade. But once a year, the two towers of Carnarvon Place, representing about 150 units, mingle at the ground level. Last night was the annual strata BBQ, a reliable August ritual.

I was thinking about the history of it all. I still have an old poster from 2013 advertising the 17th annual BBQ. This year's posters indicate it's the 28th year. If you account for the two summers we missed due to COVID, the math actually lines up perfectly. It means this annual tradition started the very same year Jay and I arrived in Canada, though it would be another two years before we actually moved into our apartment here.

While some folks at the gathering have been around nearly as long as we have, we also made a point to invite a young Asian couple with two little girls who just moved in next door to us about a week ago. It is always good to introduce the new arrivals to the community.

Jay and I went down for about an hour, just the right amount of time to socialize. It has always been a BBQ organized and paid by the strata, but in years past, potluck dishes from the residents were highly encouraged. While the current approach certainly makes things simpler, alas, we do miss the multicultural culinary variety of those older gatherings. Still, Dax, our resident manager, took on the role of head chef and handled the grilling. The menu was straightforward: hamburgers, sausage-type hotdogs, fresh condiments, various chips, and a few tubs of Costco brownies to finish it off.

It was a simple, well-attended evening, and just a nice part of living here during August.

Eating Burgers Outdoors

It is August! This is the time when our condo buildings have an annual barbeque. The bulletin board poster says that it is the 27th. By chance that is how many years we've lived here. However, it started before we bought our apartment. Numbering on annual events has to account for the years that COVID prevented many types get-togethers. Now it'll be easy to remember the number going forward as we'll match up.

This is often time when we have a chance to see some neighbhours that we don't run into in the elevator, lobby, or swimming pool area.  There are fewer folks who've been here as long as us nowadays.

   

I had a hamburger and a smokey sausage.  The last time I had these items many well have been during last year's BBQ.

That Time of Year Again!

The bulletin board notice say it all.  We've been going to our strata BBQs for years.  It is the only time that we get a chance to see some of the neighbhours.  We went down a bit early and stayed to see quite a crowd show up.  Dax was at the grills again this year and I had an excuse to enjoy a double burger.  

Our Annual Strata BBQ

I was looking forward to today's BBQ. My strata (condo) council plans one every summer. The traditional food is paid for from our yearly budget. Some residents bring ethnic food to create the perfect fusion. It is just about the only time when I get unlimited licence to eat junk food. It lived up to my expectations and then some. I ate my fill. I know I won't see those big, greasy sausages in a bun for another year.

Our Buildings' Barbeque

Last year we were away for our strata's summer BBQ. We're celebrating our 20th summer in this building but I don't much remember these events in our initial years. The building posters said today's was the 22nd annual!

Today was the first cold day in weeks. I haven't had on long pants for ever-so-long but this evening it was too cold for shorts.

Every item except the watermelon is on the bad-food list. I started with a large sausage and hamburger with copious snack food. Later, I ate at least three of the Costco, hydrogenated-palm-oil cookies too. I won't see these items again for a year if we're in town!

Food Favourites

Because we are home, we ran to the Supermarket today for weekly shopping. This must be a bumper crop for mangoes this year, or there are new, Mexican suppliers for our supermarket chain. They've been so cheap we have brought home a flat for each of the last six weeks. They are my most favourite fruit right ahead of local cherries and Okanagan tree fruit.


I'm glad we were home for tonight's strata BBQ. Every year our strata throws one during the summer months. It is a nice time to meet up with some of the folks who live in our building. Surprisingly, there are some people who come and go at different times whom we only see during these gatherings.

Also, it is special as it's a free pass to eat all the sort of food we never buy for ourselves. I make it into a competition as to how many hamburgers, bratwurst, and chicken I can stuff into my face. I also want a ton of over-mayonnaised potato salad and handfuls of chips and those Costco cookies with enough trans fats to kill a horse. Yipee! We were here for this evening's event. I can't believe I ate ...

Always in August

I ate too much.


It is just that we don't do our own barbecues and are probably one of the few without a grill on the balcony. So, when our strata (condo) association has its summer BBQ, I always scoff down way too much food. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken; I really didn't need all three types of meat. Lots of the fixin's come from Costco but people also bring potluck. With the variety of neighbours, we end up with things such as Jay's biryani added to the traditional picnic mix.




We have had two cloudy days since April but this afternoon we had a few sprinkles. It's hard to plan summer events in advance. This was the 19th annual event yet we have only lived here 17 summers. It's a good time to see some of the folks we won't meet until the next one. Then of course there are the folks from the other tower; they're often complete strangers until an event like this.

Our Buildings' Annual BBQ

Traditions are nice. Traditions involving food are great!

Our annual strata (condo) barbecue took place this evening. We like the chance to see some of the folks who live here. Even though we live so closely, our paths may not cross with a few of these folks until next summer.

An equally important reason for loving this event is that I get to eat foods which are not so healthy. Burgers are rare for me nowadays and the Smokies generally off limits. I haven't eaten a Dorito since last August, I'm sure. Oh, and then there are those artery-choking, trans-fat-filled, Costco cookies that I love.

Costco Cookies to Die for

Today started as a rather ordinary Saturday. Well not quite, today marked the 30th day with no trace of rain. That might not be close to records in all places, but it's quite a special thing 'round here. We didn't do shopping yesterday afternoon as has been the norm during recent weeks. So, we went to the Superstore in the morning and went directly to the Langley Farm Market up on Canada Way on the way home.

Oh yeah. There was something else special: It was our strata council's 17th-annual resident barbecue this evening. That made the day all the more special as it is carte blanche for eating otherwise banned food. Like at any good BBQ, I ate a hamburger, hot dog, and bratwurst. There was 1-2-3. That's not to mention the potato chips, Doritos, and super-mayo-ie potato salad. That was 4-5-6. Most of the other things were healthy, for example the chili, condiments, and fruit. But oh, the cookies may have been from Costco and each contained at least one gallon of trans-fats. You know the type I mean. They're about 6-inches in diameter. There were three kinds; so, of course, I ate three. It's all okay as I'm now smiling. May as well go that way, I guess.

The Great Canadian BBQ

More than any country in which I've ever lived or visited, Canada seems truly accommodating. In some countries those residing there the longest are most valued. In other places, all but locals are perpetual outsiders.

Here, there's an honest appreciation of everyone's differences. Yet things such as basic events are celebrated together in the truest spirit of a "fusion society". I really do love Canada.



Is it already time for our condo association's annual barbeque? It is one of my only yearly chances to pig-out on hamburgers and sausages with all the accompanying picnic fixings. This year, Jay's contributing fried rice to keep up multicultural additions to more traditional offerings. I wonder who'll bring sushi, kimchi, or satay?

Our Neighbours

We see some of the people in our building twice a year: during the annual strata meeting, and during our summer BBQ. The former takes place every November and the latter was today.

It started at around 4:00 pm and I ate far too much!

A Hamburger Hello

Our buildings had a barbecue this evening. It's not uncommon to have one annually although I am not sure whether one took place last summer. It's a nice time to say hello to people who live close but that we might never see. It is quite amazing how many months can pass without seeing a neighbour. If people are on different schedule, and one doesn't see them in an elevator, it's quite hard to meet up. That's one reason today was nice. We've been in this condo for 13 years now which makes us old-timers. It's nice to see the new folks and talk with others not seen since the last strata meeting!


The back patio area was used for the barbecue.

I Don't Often Do Burgers!

Today it's overcast again. Some of the lack of sun may be due to the high-level smoke from the numerous wildfires currently burning in British Columbia. This evening is our annual strata (condo) barbecue. The weather is not quite as nice as it was last year. There are eighteen floors in my building and the other attached tower is a few stories shorter. There are two 3-bedroom, two 2-bedroom, and one 1-bedroom apartment on each level. That makes for quite a few people in total. It's strange how few of them we actually know. There are many we only know by greeting in the elevators. There are some I don't even recognize by sight. Of course people come and go as well.

This makes going to this summertime and our later Christmas 'get-togethers' important for a creating a sense of community.

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