adopted

Since my last post something happened to change my life forever.  I have adopted a 16 year old boy from Indonesia who had lost his parents and older brother in a car accident in the mountains while on vacation.  All the occupants of the vehicle died when it ended up crashing into a mountain ravine.  One moment your world is fine and then the next its all upside down.  So after the accident, Wahid was looking for someone that would fill the roll as his father.  He found me through a friend on Facebook, so the social media online do serve some useful purposes!

Wahid chats with me daily, as often as 3 or 4 times each day.  A bond his formed and one that is likely to stay for the rest of my lifetime.  I did offer to adopt him legally as my son but I have left that option open not wanting to apply too much pressure considering what he has already been through.  Wahid does want to finished his college education and then come live with me in Canada.  In the meantime, the FB chats and exchanges of emails will have to do.  Those of you that know me on Facebook will know much more about this. 

So,  what have you been doing this summer? 

Meantime, for those living in Canada and the United States, enjoy the long weekend, Labour Day!  I plan to take a hike in West Vancouver tomorrow on trails on the lower part of Hollyburn Mountain, so more photos are coming.  Enjoy what remains of summer, and the long weekend!

- Volker

Happy Canada Day!!!

Those of us living in Canada (and elsewhere) are celebrating Canada Day (or Dominion Day) today on the country's 144th birthday! For our American friends, Happy 4th of July, your national holiday!

The photo above was taken in White Rock, British Columbia as the Amtrak train was passing through on its way from Vancouver, BC to Seattle, Washington in the United States.

Today its overcast and dull, weatherwise, but the sun does make attempts to come out. Its not the warmest day we've had but we're hoping for far warmer temperatures in the near future. We"ll take what we can get for the moment.

Enjoy a safe holiday, everyone!!! - V

Thanksgiving

Today being Thanksgiving Day, a statutory holiday here in Canada, I had accepted a shift to work the day from 8 am till 4 pm but since it was a holiday, it meant that the buses were running on a Sunday schedule (which also applies to holidays). This meant walking to the SkyTrain station as opposed to taking the bus since those started later than the trains.

So, I left home at 6:20 am heading south along a major thoroughfare. As I walked briskly, I noticed the light frost on the ground. The grass and the cars were coated with the white stuff, a true sign that autumn was here! Then as I walked along southward, I noticed the quarter moon high in the dark sky. Dawn and the rising sun is later and later as the weeks progress toward Christmas! The moon was at about 85 degrees above the southern horizon and to the south of it were streaks of clouds in parallel as if sprayed by an invisible hand in the night sky. The odd bright star could be seen, those that weren't blotted out by the bright city lights.

As I neared a turn before heading westward, I could see the sky brightening off to the east-southeast, the dark giving way to a lighter blue shade along with rose! The sun rises further south as we near winter. Once winter arrives, the sun is rising from behind the Cascade Mountains near Mount Baker, a volcano in the state of Washington to the south, while during the summer months it is rising from behind the Coast Mountains north of the Fraser River. This means it is rising in the east-northeast but I digress!

So I got to the station, and while waiting for the gates to open, observed a flock of ducks flying eastward over the Fraser River near Columbia station. The southeastern sky continued to brighten as 7 am approached. The rose colour became more obvious and the light chased away the darkness. Then the gates opened shortly after 7 am and I was off on a packed train with others heading to work or to where ever their day's activities would take them.

My day went quick and was over in no time. Well, it certainly seemed that way. Rather than sitting behind a desk all day, I was off doing rounds through the building. This made time fly and before I knew it, it was time to head for home.

Despite it being Thanksgiving, I opted against having any turkey, which is traditional here (as well as during Christmas), and had some sandwiches, nothing particularly fancy, but some with cheese with jalapanos, some with garlic sausage, and later after the hot Italian sausage was ready, I had a couple of those with some hot sausages left over for tomorrow. Now I'm sipping some white wine, some Viognier from the Pays d'Oc in the south of France to be exact, Hugues de Juste 2007. Hugues de Juste by the way was a chevalier cathare (cathar knight) born in 1211 AD and who died in 1244. But I'm digressing once again.

So, as it's getting late and I'm about to head off to bed (5 am comes early), how was your Thanksgiving Day? Care to share your story??? - V.

Canada Day ahead

The weather made a great improvement today. The sky was mostly clear and the sun shon brightly quite a change from the dull, overcast weather of the last few weeks. There were some exceptions but in the main it wasn't very appealling to many of us who were expecting more summer-like temperatures (and the sun!). Now temperatures are in the low 20s Celsius during the day and have climbed up to 15 during the night, up from the 9 to 12 degrees Celsius range. Being near the ocean, the weather can be unpredictable and miserable but when the sun comes out, it can get extremely nice as Brad will soon find out.

With the weather the way it is I plan to head up to Hollyburn Mountain to trek one of the many trails. Brother's Creek Loop seems an ideal choice! Should the weather hold, I'll be taking plenty of photos again, in which case the best will be posted. Once Brad arrives perhaps we can do a bit more exploring together, not to mention picture taking. It would be awesome to have him with me now. I could think of all sorts of things we could be involved in, couldn't you? More about all this (Hollyburn) after my trek.

Meantime, I am off for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). I'm back to work on Monday at the usual time and working on Tuesday, Canada Day! Things should be rather dead at work that day. Some employees had already left for an extented weekend today (Friday) and won't be back until Wednesday, July 2nd. For those of us that end up working that day it means plenty of money (time + time & a half). Enjoy your weekend and holiday however you choose to celebrate it. If you live outside of Canada, enjoy your weekend too and have a great time. - Volker

Apartment hunting

Well, I've been apartment hunting in earnest since early February looking for a decent two bedroom apartment for Brad and I.  Yesterday after work I went to look at a 2 bedroom apartment on Kingsway near Joyce Street in east Vancouver.  I could have saved myself the trouble.  At 750 square feet it was definitely too small even for one and lacked enough closets and storage space.  The master bedroom was small and the second was of such a size that I've seen walk-in closets that were larger.  It probably took me less than five minutes to decide this was definitely not the one.  At $1000 per month it was no bargain, so I told the lady thanks but I'll keep looking.

I did send out an email to get more information on a 2 bedroom apartment in "downtown" Vancouver asking for the rough location (i.e. downtown Eastside or Westside) and the square footage.  The reply had none of that and gave me information I didn't ask for.  Besides, it turned out that the unit was furnished, something the Craig's List article didn't say.  I asked for a straight answer and got something other than what I asked for.  So, I sent a reply that I would continue looking.

Now I've found a two bedroom apartment at a complex in Coquitlam.  Two bedroom units of up to 1000 square feet have rent up to $915 per month.  More reasonable!  In order to compare, a two bedroom unit I saw in north Burnaby was renting at $1130 per month.  As you get closer to Vancouver, the rent go up and the further away from the city you get the lower the rents get but then transportation costs rise the further out one gets.  So I sent out an inquiry regarding the one in Coquitlam and hope to see a unit soon.  The complex is close to a major mall and the SkyTrain and there are plenty of buses, including ones to Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby.  This complex seems very promising.  By the way, I didn't find this one in Craig's List but in a bi-monthly rental guide.  I've pretty well given up on Craig's List for now at least until there are some improvements, like more photos.  Very few have them.

Today I heard the results of a loan application.  It was approved but not for the amount I was asking for.  A thousand dollars will help though.  Between that and what I have (including what I'm getting pay-wise) that will help cover the first month's rent and deposit.  Let you know more as this search continues.  -  Volker

Scene in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

Image of the fishing boats in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia is taken from the Wikipedia commons. Google Yarmouth to find out more about this town of over 7,000 people in the southeastern part of this maritime province on Canada's east coast.