Interests

Here you can learn about my interests, hobbies and all the other things I do when I'm not busy with either school or family

Snowboarding

I started snowboarding in high school, mainly because I got bored with skiing the same old flat Ontario hills. Snowboarding offered the chance to learn tricks, so the size of the hill didn't reall matter. Its really a superior sport though, and I've never skiied since the first time I picked up a snowboard. I've been riding for over 15 years now, and though I no longer do it regularly, I still get one or two days out in a season. I mainly ride halfpipe these days. Here's a video of someone much better than me riding halfpipe, just to give you an idea of what I'm trying to do:

Skateboarding

Movies

I used to watch a lot of movies before I had kids. I don't watch as many as I used to, but they remain a favourite pasttime. These days, I watch a couple of movies on the weekends, after the kids go to bed, as I either fold laundry or wash dishes. I might even have a beer or glass of wine as I watch. That's about as wild as I party since becoming a dad three times over. I tend favour movies are 'quirky' in some way, like those by Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman, Wes Anderson or Richard Linklater. Three of my recent favs have been:

Synecdoche, NY

Music

I used to listen to alot of punk and hardcore music, but I've mellowed out alot in my old age. My favourite bands these days are probably:

Sonic Youth
Radiohead
Daft Punk
Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire have a knack for inspiring really good fan-made videos. Here's one of my recent favourites:

Books

I don't read as much as I used to, but I used to be quite fond of science fiction and fantasy books. My favourites are:

Tolkien's Silmarillion
Philip K Dick's Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends
Kurt Vonnegut's Slapstick

Food

Since having kids, food has become a much bigger part of my life. Its the last indulgence I can enjoy openly, anytime of the day, in front of my kids. So I've become a much better cook, and have even expanded my interests into gardening. When my family and I lived in Oakville, we had a very big garden, growing tomatoes, carrots, onions, potatoes, beans, lettuce and cabbage, as well as herbs. Here's a picture of me showing off some of our produce:

James Ede