I met Douglas Coupland once.

Two days before my friend Joe was getting married, Douglas Coupland was signing copies of his (then) new book (Hey Nostradamus) at Borders in Bristol. I'd been at home in Essex helping organise things, giving Joe a bit of moral support and getting drunk with my friends. It was a lovely summer. My present to Joe was a trip to Bristol (where I now live) a ticket to the signing and a copy of the book.

Douglas Coupland is Joe's favourite author (he did his dissertation on his work) and I thought that this was a cool present, getting him to meet his literary hero.

We took the train from Colchester to Bristol together. Shared good conversation and our rubbish senses of humour. Between Chippenham and Bristol I tried to convince Joe to move out west, it didn't work. We spoke to a fellow passenger, who had an interest in the history of place names and was a train conductor on his way home, in the grown up not-laughing-at-the-crazy-man-talking-to-us-for-no-reason manner that society expects. When we arrived in Bristol we took a bus to my flat. I can't remember but we might of had some food, and maybe a few beers. It had already been a good day, spending time with my closest friend in a way that work and other comitments no longer allow us.

We went to Borders with an ex-housemate, a now ex-girlfriend, and her housemate. Douglas didn't actually read any large amount of the book (the ocasional page was sprinkled in amongst the rest of his talk) but instead answered his "favourite questions"; what was his favourite Simpson's song? what music did he like? where sis the names of his characters come from? He spoke with the confidence of someone who had done this many times, but didn't seem to be bored.

After his talk we were asked to form a queue to get our books signed. Joe was strangely nervous and refuesed to tell Douglas that he was getting married. I went up, said "hi" etc. and he noticed my t-shirt I was wearing. It was one I had made myself 2 years earlier, worn probably because it was clean, that had my name and bar code on. It seemed to entertain him and so he drew a similar thing into my book.

We drove back to Essex with now ex-girlfriend listening to Jurrasic Five, amongst other things.
Since then I've had a fantasy of a bar code tshirt wearing character appearing in a Douglas Coupland novel. But he'd never actually know the story behind the day (unless he goes through blogs alot) so it wouldn't be the same. It really impressed on me how people can come into contact for a few seconds and not know what the other was really experiencing, like when you see someone crying on the tube.

Anyway, that's how I met Douglas Coupland. He seemed a very nice chap, I'd happily meet him again.

Have started my ORCA Blog. Which will contain my efforts as I try to get ORCA to work....