"For decades, I've laboured under the notion that I'm incredibly fascinating and I seem to be constantly proving myself correct."
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Friday, July 03, 2009
New Rolling Stock
The Translink Buzzer is a publication of our transit authority. It used to be a tiny brochure found on buses and trains. In fact, they still are. Yet, the website now makes updates instantaneous and more engaging.
This picture shows one of the new Mark II cars. They were built for the new Canada Line SkyTrain that will soon start running from the airport in Richmond to downtown Vancouver. Apparently, the line will open earlier in the fall than anticipated. The new cars are going to be out on existing tracks. The first are being tested now. The whole system is driver-less being controlled from a central control room in Burnaby.
The new design looks nice just because it's new. Still, with each successive generation we have incurred substantial development costs. I know that we are basically, buying into new technology in order to make Bombardier, the firm, more competitive for other projects and overseas sales. Still, if the original car design from the 1980's were re-deployed the costs could have been substanitally less expensive. The first trains were smaller and noiser but at least there were plenty of places where passengers could hold on. All the plans were already there. The parts would have been interchangable. It should have been a 'no-brainer' to go with the tested and true. When it comes to mass transportation, having a BMW is nice but a little Toyota Corolla would have been sufficient. Public organizations and even public/private partnerships have a hard time staying practical.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
It Takes More Than a Neighbourhood
I really like living in a small urban area. I am sure that the choice to live where we do reflects personal aspirations. After all, if one is fortunate enough to pick where one lives, then it should be for reasons more than a roll of the dice.
I'm positive that people were meant to live in large groups. The best of humanity comes from centers big enough to support large ideas. Packing people into areas near a city allows increased cultural, work and transportation options. Pulling from a larger pool of people increases diversity and freedom. More importantly, a larger population can support greater infrastructure.
Yesterday, on Canada Day, we were downtown near Vancouver's new Convention Centre. It is really an amazing building. The immense ballroom sitting on the water and overlooking the North Shore Mountains is quite spectacular. Living in a rural area may have benefits but it takes an area the size of Metro Vancouver to utilize something of such an immense scope. 
Labels: Canada Day, opinions, Vancouver
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
This is Canada's 142nd Birthday
It's our fourteenth time celebrating. The picture of Jay was taken in Ottawa in 2001 on a summer, cross-Canada camping trip.
Labels: Canada, Canada Day
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Teaching First, Angkor Wat Later
I requested to teach a class which starts on Thursday. (Tomorrow is Canada Day, our national holiday.) The class will be my usual level but it's even a bit more intensive than the usual ones. We'll squeeze in the whole 84-hour course during the month of July. I thought sixteen hours of instruction per week were a lot but this one boasts twenty! This should keep me pretty busy.
After though, it will be time to relax a lot. There aren't any classes which run during August, so I will be idle. Then, I will take off September and October as well. This has been my routine over the last half dozen years or more. The autumn is a wonderful time to travel. The weather is fine in most places and the summer crowds have generally thinned considerably.
We already have tickets for six weeks on JAL. We go directly to Sri Lanka for a month and then we have a few weeks to stopover in Bangkok on our return flights. This will give us a chance to spend about ten days exploring some of Cambodia.
BBC Documentary - Angkor Wat - 52 minutes
Labels: BCIT, Cambodia, Q2_2009, travel planning, YouTube
Monday, June 29, 2009
Who'd Want to Jog?
This afternoon I walked uptown. Because I turn in the grades for my classes electronically, I no longer have to drive into campus after the final examinations. I got up early and had everything completed and submitted by 10:00 am.
I want to talk about my walk. It's only a mile or so to the top of the hill in New Westminster. I used to get really winded hiking up the fairly steep incline but now that I am slightly more in shape, it isn't nearly as difficult. I really like walking up Fourth Street as I can go through my park. I can then wind my way through the neighbourhood houses between Queen's and Sixth Avenue. What a lot of maintenance owning a house must take! Not only is there constant re-roofing and re-painting, simply keeping up with the landscaping seems to take a ton of work.
In this weather, trying to add enough steps to make my daily goal of 10,000 is pleasant. I so like hearing the birds and always wonder why they are so silent all winter long. The sun was out and the temperature pleasant. I am finally back to a place in my life where I enjoy just moving around outside. Like a child, I feel happy just using my five senses. I have no desire to have any electronic gadgets with me during these 'me' times.
I often pass through Tipperary Park when walking uptown.
Labels: feelings, New Westminster, Q2_2009, Tipperary Park
Sunday, June 28, 2009
No Man is an Island
There are some places which I wish I could share with others. A 500x384 pixel representation on a computer screen often doesn't relay the amount of information I'd like. Even with the new fangled direct-to-SD card high-def video camera, I never seem to spend much time sharing motion and sound with others.
Let's face it, most places can only be shared well by an actual visit. Unfortunately, other than my significant-other, there really is nobody to share the places of my world. When I first visited the Isle of Capri, off the coast of Naples, I dreamed of getting together with old high school friends there. In the harsh light of reality, I now realize I seldom even make it back to the town where I grew up. Of course, it was silly to think we'd fill up a section of airplane on a trip to Italy together. Moreover, my dad was never able to make it out here to Vancouver and now is probably not in good enough health to ever do so.
More to the point, there are seldom convenient chances to get together with local friends at present. So, any dreams of going off on a cruise, or perhaps on a foreign trip together just won't happen. It's hard enough to arrange schedules to meet up for a dinner.
Will anyone I know now, actually ever see Colombo, Sri Lanka?
My travels to and knowledge of Sri Lanka have become an enormous part of me. Jay and I have done it often enough so that it is a home away from home. Yet unfortunately, I cannot think of a single, living person who would actually have the time or money to fly there. Even if we buy retirement property and live there for four or five months a year, I cannot picture having any family or friends as visitors.
All this is not awfully sad but reality can surely bite a little, can't it?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Gold Digger, Dennis
This digital picture near the Fraser River is 7 years old.
I love the province of British Columbia. It's enormous and its size encompasses a huge variety of geography. We grow peaches here. We have a semi-arid dessert too. Of course there are mountains. At least twenty-two peaks are over 3,000 ft in eight different ranges. We have been out and about on a single trip which equaled the distance between New York and LA, even though most of our lands are inaccessible by road.
Alas, we have not been for a BC trip, even to the Okanagan, in a long while. Road trips from Vancouver always start off in a rather boring way. There is basically one road which heads north through Whistler and two side-by-side routes running eastward out the Fraser Valley. The first few hours of any trip are places we've been to too many times.
Labels: British Columbia, Fraser River, Q2_2009, road trip
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