Rebirth of a Noble Light
the smiling buddha
claimed by war and decay
reborn in a noble light
On the last Thursday of each month, the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) stays open late and hosts a pay what you can. A higlight for me was the Neon Vancouver collection.
The smiling Buddha Cabaret (sign above) still operates on E Hastings. Incidently Smiling Buddha was also the code name for India's first atomic bomb. #thingsyoulearnbyaccident.
My peacenix self says down with nuclear winter; up with noble gases. Be careful even still. Neon, argon, helium, xenon, and krypton give off a bright light when excited with an electric current. Radon is radioactive and a little too excited already.
Mountains and ocean and even our foodie culture is more likely to come to mind when thinking of Vancouver, but the city has had a long on-and-off love affair with neon. Thus why so many of them were found in the trash heap and then put on display at MOV.
Whether you love neon or think it dated, it adds color and a sense that something is going on, even if all it is some irridescent reflections in a pot hole's puddle. On those rainy and deserted Vancouver nights, when I rushing home for warmth, I am thankful for the glow of these noble lights.
All photos are my own. A big shout out to 