Stanley Park (2)

I had my second visit to Stanley Park last night, this time with F. F. It had been three years since my first visit. I started from the totem poles this time. They're magnificent but obviously every park is really nice in late spring and early summer where flowers are everywhere and it's all green. Or in a real winter when it's covered with snow. We walked for almost 3 hours and went to Lions Gate Bridge. It gets dark at about 16:30 hours these days so we had the opportunity to see the bridge and port at night under the lights.

We encountered a huge crowed on our way out to Georgia St. It was Night of Lights event, a kind of pre-Christmas gathering for the kids and their parents. Looked like it was organized by B. C. firefighters. Christmas lights were being displayed, train ride was available and music and food was being offered as well as other things, mostly as mentioned for the kids. It take a whole lot more time to see all the Park including its Beaver Lake and the Aquarium. We left them for another visit.

(Photo: I couldn't get a better shot of the totems in a gray, dark and gloomy evening of Vancouver!)

Idiots to Work With

I've already written about one huge and brain-destroying problem everyone might have at work and that's having an asshole as a comrade, co-worker, colleague.

Today I thought I can't stop writing about that shithead, R. S.! Here are a few of his quotes:

1- On N1H1 vaccine: I was vaccinated once 20 years ago and that protects me from all sorts of diseases forever (!!!!)

2- On smoking cigarette as he's a chain smoker. I asked him once how he would have rated his joy of smoking if he wanted to rate him between 1 and 10 and he said 0! Then he said that he feel the cigarettes are a little bit addictive (!!) because the companies add Marijuana to them (!!!!)

3- On rebuilding and renewing a long sidewalk in a tourist-attractive neighbourhood using Canada Action Plan funds: Why would they spend a million and a half here. That's my money. This is my tax money(!!)

What a fucking idiot!

Flying Birds

Have you ever tried to take a photo of a flying bird, for instance, a duck or a seagull?
Not easy, Ha? They fly fast and high. It's easier if you try that on a flock.
... Well I managed to do that yesterday at the shore. It was a stormy weather, strong wind and waves were growling. I didn't have a good camera on me but my mobile phone's. Seagulls and other sea birds were around, some riding the waves, a few were sharing a crab and some other just surfing the wind, with wide open wings, enjoying themselves! I wish I was one of them! Some of them were so close up on the air and they looked like they were just standing in the sky! The result is not too bad far that kind of camera.
Of course it's not as good to be sent to the new CBC photo contest but it's good enough to give me the joy of photography. I wish I only could catch them with the waves at the bottom of the picture. Nevertheless I'll go out for those photo soon and will reveal the results.
(Photo: Picture taken with a Nokia mobile telephone camera. Story above)

Got Screwed Again!

I had to do a little something for my job and I was supposed to get paid for that later. I spent some $30. I noticed that the money is refunded in the last pay-stub but obviously it was not the same amount although it looks like it is.

When you're refunded, the money is considered income and taxes are applied. So you get less than what you've spent. Simple as that!

(Photo: Capitalism gets back most of what it gives you, forcefully!)

Least We Forget

I'm not a war man, I don't support wars but at the same time I believe some of them are inevitable and justified. I appreciate the US's engagement in Iraq since 2003. Iraqis must have been punished for their invasion of Iran, Kuwait, killing of their own Kurdish people of north and harboring the traitors of P. M. O. I. And don't say that it was not the Iraqi people, it was Saddam. It actually was Iraqi people, a majority of them who backed up Saddam regime. So they deserve what's happening to them.

Talking about wars we have Canada's mission in Afghanistan which will end in 2011. I don't support that war but I'm not blind to see what's happening. Canada had to send its troops because the US, its main ally wanted it. You can't say No to a close friend many times when he asks you for a favour. Canada said No once in Iraq and had to say Yes in Afghanistan and is suffering as a result of that. More than 100 Canadians have been killed in there so far and big bucks are being spent. These poor guys and gals who are mostly coming from small towns of the country where's there's not many jobs available should not be forgotten and left after they're back. That's what Remembrance Day is for. The day which originally was to pay tribute to the soldiers of the WW I. A. F., an Army reservist, told me once that many of those guys are racist basically because they are grown in small communities where there's no foreigner. I don't blame them. I'd probably act the same. Many foreigners here in Canada are more racist compare to original European settlers, the Caucasians especially some East Indians and Chinese.

Anyway that's what I wanted to say about the soldiers who lose their life for their country. Canada Post has recently issued a new stamp to honer the ones who sacrifice their life and I just a pair today. You see it up here.

(Photo: The recently issued stamp by Canada Post with a P sign at bottom right which indicates that no price adjustment affects this product and is a domestic stamp)

Lay Offs from Secure Jobs

I was just goin' through the Sat. news and another disappointing news hit me, this morning. While the officials are talkin' about the recovery and actually there's many different versions of it, I just read that the City of Vancouver will lay off up to 180 permanent full-time employees soon! It's not clear what jobs will go but it could be anywhere from operations to even firefighters. VPD which is part of City of Vancouver will slow down hiring and that means longer wait to be responded when they are called. These are all must be done to compensate the budget deficit that the City is facing with. Property taxes are also going up as much as 2% to help the City as well. What else can I say? Not even a firefighter's job is secure these days, a job which is considered very risky and I call it very boring!

Richmond Olympic Oval

We paid a visit to Richmond Olympic Oval last week. That is a huge building for indoor activities and designed for speed skating, mainly. It has a 400 m. track which is as unique as the building itself. The Federal Government and the Provincial Government funded the $178 million building. The roof which can be seen in the above photo (Sorry! Did not get a better shot!) is made out of pine beetle trees of northern B. C. and again is unique in not only North America but also the entire world. The ice which can be seen, again, partially in the photo is 1 in. thick ,maximum, and has a blue and a white section, like any other track. The blue or inner side is for warming up and the white or outer, is meant for the race or competition.

The tour took only about 15 min. but was good enough. The gentleman also said that there was no seat left, are all sold out. So it's very unfortunate that we won't be able to see any race. Canada has good speed skaters including Cindy Klassen whom I personally met once in Calgary International Airport.

Anyhow that worth the trip but good for the people who actually can watch the live performances and also good for the young kids, like the ones in the photo, who can actually practice ice skating and enjoy their childhood in such a nice and wonderful sport complex.

(Photo: Richmound Olympic Oval from inside with the kids practicing ice skating on the track)

This Is It

We finally watched This Is It last Wed. I'm not disappointed but not thrilled though. The first hour of the documentary was really boring and could not help looking at my watch. Then it got a bit better. I think they could have made it much better by starting from when Michael started with Jackson 5 and just go through his life, his allegations and everything but I guess they didn't want to lose any time. They simply wanted to make the hay when the Sun shines!

Another thing is the legal restriction. I don't know what M. J. had put in his will which he prepared in 2002. There could be something like I don't want my kids up for any show or I don't want anything about my personal life revealed.

Anyways it's amazing what a guy can do at the age of 50 and after almost 4 decades. If you like Michael Jackson and his songs then there's a right movie for you. There was a moment that I really felt bad and that was the time he was singing his Jackson 5 hit, I'll Be There. He mentioned his brother's names and there were shots of him when he was singing that both at childhood and 50. I still like listening to all of his songs and I have a good collection of them.

(Photo: Michael Jackson at the rehearsal for This Is It tour with the Australian guitar Player)

Weight Watcher

I have been trying to keep a healthy for years but it's really isn't easy especially here in Canada because almost everywhere you go, you're surrounded by fattening, sugary and full of carbohydrate food. Back home it's all rice, rice, bread, bread, and again the same! You barely get out of that cycle which has no more better affect! Nevertheless fruits and vegetables are more natural and tastier over there but there's no education. Something you get here a lot from different media.

The said above turns to fat in my body and make me more inflated! I guess that's because I have a low rate metabolism. I started to keep an eye on my weight this past Oct., writing it done every day I would go to gym. The results doesn't seem right, basically because the weight is not fixed at the beginning, middle and end of the exercise. I made the table and drew the chart anyway. All I have to do is to make sure that I get it done everyday after I finished exercises.

(Photo: Simply a record of my weight in Kg in seven days of Oct.)

Oct. Results

Oct. was not a bad month in terms of practices and exercises. I did my Cooper Test practice 12 times in total and once I failed to finish while 4 times I did it in that soccer field. The above chart show the result of the days that the practice was performed on a treadmill but as it's seen there has been no improvement to the months before.

(Photo: Oct. chart shows ups and downs and no improvement. Horizontal axis is the sequence and the vertical is the length in miles. I guess I need at least 1.6!)