With Jordan Keij, owner of Tiger Alley in Penticton
Jordan Keij is the owner of Tiger Alley, which sells all sorts of cool stuff, including clothes, housewares, gifts, shoes, and more. The following interview with Herald reporter Dale Boyd was conducted via email. Responses have been lightly edited.
HERALD: How long have you owned and operated Tiger Alley in downtown Penticton? KEIJ: 7-1/2 years HERALD: The shop has a unique feel and an ever-changing curious collections of things to buy. How do you go about curating what you sell?
KEIJ: I hunt around, high and low, and if it feels interesting, I buy it.
HERALD: What is the weirdest or strangest thing you’ve ever had in the shop or sold?
KEIJ: A handbag made out of a zebra’s face. Or the shove-a-looney-up-Mulroney savings bank.
HERALD: Why is it called Tiger Alley? Anything behind the name?
KEIJ: Taking Tiger Mountain is an album by Brian Eno. Tiger Mountain. Tiger Alley. Tigers make good logos.
HERALD: You host interesting events around town, most recently the Prohibition-themed New Year’s Eve party. What draws you to putting together these events?
KEIJ: My dream is to live in a large-scale diorama. The parties come close.
HERALD: If you had unlimited resources, time and funds, what kind of dream event would you put together?
KEIJ: I would build an amusement park. Not with rollercoasters or fast-moving rides. Mostly just visual stuff that you could interact with. Although I’m pretty sure all those places went out of business. And mini-golf.
HERALD: What is your favourite song or band right now?
KEIJ: I’m listening to my mother’s classical mixed CD in my car.
HERALD: If you could do any other job in the world, what would you do and why?
KEIJ: I’d work exhibit maintenance at Disneyland.
HERALD: What are you looking forward to in 2018?
KEIJ: Rest and relaxation.