A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode XI

I went to the Vancouver art gallery with Roommate and his friend yesterday. There was a Matisse exhibit there. I feel so cultured and hipster at the same time.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode X

I started work today. This is where I work.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode IX

Not a lot to say about this picture. I took it on Monday. Its one of may marinas here in the Vancouver area.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode VIII

Found this guy yesterday at Jericho Beach

I wonder what the scavenging laws are here in BC...

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode VII

I found the kiters today. I went looking for them, and sure enough, there they were, just on the border between Wreck beach and Jericho beach. I talked to some guys and asked what kind of equipment I would need to get into the local kiting scene, and they all agreed: 12 m kite and a 5 mm wetsuit. 9 m kite if I wanted to go to Squamish.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode VI

It was a sad day today. I finally got around to working on my guitar. I was sanding down the excess sealer coat I put on in before I left Ottawa, and got some dust on my pants. I was brushing them off when suddenly my engineering ring departed my finger, became a projectile and disappeared. All I head before it left me was "Infinity, and beyooooond!" It is either beneath the planks of my deck now, or lost in the alley way beside my building.

If that story didn't seem to fit the picture, I will elaborate. This is a picture of my hand without an engineering ring.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode V

I did something crazy today. I grabbed a bunch of friends (Robin, Murray and Roommate), and headed out to Lynn Canyon for a hike. I thought Lynn Canyon had the Capilano suspension bridge, but it turned out to have just a regular suspension bridge, and this really cool canyon with lots of water running through it.

If you hike upstream from the bridge, the canyon gets really narrow (circa 3 meters across) and really deep (30 ft), with fairly high cliffs on either side. Murray and I convinced ourselves and Robin to strip down to our underwear and jump off said cliffs into said glacier water for fun. Since I didn't post this yesterday (I was busy getting over hypothermia), you get a picture of us on a random rock, AND videos of us jumping!

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode IV

Today I was supposed to meet a friend to play soccer. I got lost and never ended up playing soccer, so I went to the beach. Somebody apparently set these rocks up like this, so I took a picture, and now I'm showing you.

Its still raining, so I wore some old shoes to save my good ones. Turns out they aren't the best for walking around in. My feet hurt.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode III

I went for a walk in the rain, which had actually mostly stopped by the time I went for this walk. A lady was taking her dog for a walk, and the cat wanted to go to. He followed them down the block, and probably further, but they were out of my sight by that time.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode II

Today's picture brought to you by B 'n E. Not to be mistaken with breaking and entering. This bacon and eggs was every bit as tasty as it looks.

A Photo Every Once-In-A-While: Episode I

I wasn't doing a whole lot today, just cleaning up my room, unpacking some things, so I decided to go to Kits beach... which I did. I walked along the shore, skipping rocks, looking around, when pretty close to Granville Island I came upon this guy.

Come here... give me a hug.

I took the picture because I find it very typical Vancouver. Its art, nature, and housing all in one shot. It really does capture it all.

My New Phone Takes Cool Pictures

The past few weeks have been filled with me doing a lot of cool things, while mainly waiting to hear back from various places regarding jobs. I've been downtown, Granville Island, Stanley Park, Wreck Beach, Jericho Beach, and met a lot of Bruce and Rebekah's friends.

The Seawall at Stanley Park

Wreck Beach

This guy was nice enough to carry me. I had done a LOT of walking that day

Sometime in the middle of that, I decided I needed a new phone plan that would let me call my family back in Ottawa, and not charge me, or limit how long I could talk to them for. Unfortunately my old provider couldn't give me what I wanted for an acceptable price, so I decided to get a new phone on a new carrier. I opted to go with Wind Mobile on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus (an Android phone). I love the phone so far, I'm very glad I didn't get an iPhone, since mine is much more versatile and open.

With the exception of being able to call my mother for mother's day, the biggest perk has been the camera. It takes panoramic shots... and out here there's too much beauty around to capture in one simple photo.

Walking along the waterfront downtown Vancouver

I really hope that jogger didn't think I was creepy following him with my camera

A view of English bay from Stanley Park's 3rd beach

My big news for the past few weeks is I was offered a job! I have to sign the papers still, but I'm going to accept. I'll be working for Porter Engineering, who builds systems which create a 3D scan of a log before it is cut up, and creates an optimized plan for rotating and cutting it up.

There's an abandon railway track right next to my apartment.
I like to go for long walks down the tracks...

I got to church early on Sunday, so I went outside and took this photo

On my deck, there are two large pots which were filled with a lot of dead vegetation. My roommate and I decided that we needed to replant them, so we decided on vegetables and herbs. Yesterday I planted a tomato plant, some snow peas, green peppers, banana peppers and various herbs. I don't know an awful lot about gardening, but I'm hoping all we have to do now is water them every day, then enjoy free veggies later this summer!

The creepy animal statues came with the apartment

Anyway, that about sums up what I've been doing. Hope you all have a great summer!

Update and Musings

It has been over a week since my last post, and I think it is time for an update.

In the past week I have found an apartment which I am moving into today. Its a small two room which I am sharing with another guy. For now its just a four month lease, at which point I will evaluate whether or not I wish to stay in Vancouver, or this apartment.

I also have a job interview tomorrow. Its with a company which make systems for optimizing sawing up lumber. Its the first job I've ever found for which I am actually perfectly qualified for.

When I arrived in Vancouver, my cousins at Trinity Western University found me a temporarily empty dorm room at their residence which I could stay in. I accepted gratefully. The first day there, I ran into two people I did a French program with last summer, quite accidentally (I did the French program on purpose, I had no idea that these individuals went to Trinity). They graciously offered me lodging in their rooms for a few extra days. This weekend my friend from Victoria was in Vancouver and I decided to go visit him for a few days whilst I waited for my apartment and job interview.

The generosity and hospitality I have encountered over the past few weeks has absolutely blown me away. I am very grateful for all the people who let me sleep on their couches, in their guest rooms, and even in their own beds. I have met many of my friend's parents along the way and have been welcomed into their family as they open up their homes. Even people I barely know have shown me great hospitality. All of it has meant a lot to me.

I have done a little bit more than just look for a job and an apartment. For instance, just yesterday after I picked my friend up from work, we went to a local marina, and fed some random wild seals. They ate right out of our hands.

Seals are a lot like dogs. They look like them, act like them, smell like them, only difference is they live in water.

The day before yesterday, I took a leisurely hike up mount Douglas, which is right in Victoria. The wind was absolutely ridiculous. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was blowing at 35 or 40 knots, and that I was in danger of being blown over.

Another panorama. This is from the top of Mt. Doug. I'm not sure why it doesn't actually go all the way around...

An important lesson which I learned the easy way (luckily), is that a flashing green light in BC does not mean the same thing as a flashing green light in Ontario. In Ontario it means that everyone else has a red light, and you may turn any which way you like. In BC it means that the light will only change to red if a pedestrian presses the crosswalk button, therefore look out for pedestrians. Turning left on a flashing green without looking for oncoming traffic will get you in an accident pretty quickly.

BCers love their green space. To me “green space” in Ottawa means “dog park” or “a few gardens, a few trees, and a lot of grass”. To someone in BC it means “Rain forest”. There are a few parks right in the middle of Vancouver, where it is literally a city block worth of rain forest! I love it.

Just another walk in the park