Anthony on , , , , , 04 Aug 2008 08:34 pm

Hmmm, a dramatic title for a post with no substance!  Just to bring the Kayla story-arc to a close:

  • After hiking on Monday, a cliff collapsed on the Sea-To-Sky highway (on the Tuesday) closing it for 5 days.
  • It rained for a good part of the rest of the week.  Gwen and Kayla did lots of shopping (Gastown, Pacific Centre, etc).
  • Friday Kayla took us out to dinner, back to Shabusen.  It was going rather well until Aidan … um, soiled himself.  And the booth bench.  And his shoes.  Ugh.  I got him all cleaned up and then Aidan and I drove home (and I tossed him in the shower) while Kayla and Gwen finished up and then walked home.
  • Saturday we went to Lynn Canyon in the morning, and the Gwen and Kayla went to Playland that afternoon.


The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

The view north from the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

The view north from the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Kayla and Aidan in the Lynn Creek Park

Kayla and Aidan in the Lynn Creek Park

Kayla beside Lynn Creek

Kayla beside Lynn Creek

Playland at PNE

Playland at PNE

  • To end out the day, Carla and Tomer (new engaged!) came over and we had a games night, mildly interrupted by the Festival of Light finale fireworks.
  • And on Sunday, we put Kayla on the plane to head back to Nova Scotia. According to her mother, she arrived safe and sound … but overtired and excited.
Anthony on , , , , , , 19 Jul 2008 05:43 pm

As Gwen mentioned on her Being Savvy Vancouver blog, the Surrey Fusion Festival is happening this weekend.  This is the sort of thing that appeals to both Gwen and I so we decided to drag the kids down to it too.  We made quite an adventure out of it: we took the bus to the Broadway Skytrain station and then rode the Skytrain to the end of the line (King George station).  From there it was a short walk to Holland Park, the venue for the festival.

The Fusion Festival is a multicultural festival celebrating the local ethnic diversity.  It had many pavilions showcasing food and products from diverse ethnic origins.

In addition, there were four stages set up around the park featuring music and dancing from different cultures.

Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player.

As you can imagine, there was a lot of South and South-East Asian ethnic groups represented (ie, India, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia) and China had a big presence too.  Did you know that they’re hosting the Summer Olympics this year?  >snort<  However, there were other groups represented too.  The Jamaicans had a surprisingly large presence.  The Chieftans are playing there, as is Jully Black.

There were a surprising number of RCMP there too.  They were there in typical ‘street’ uniforms, the Red Serge, bike patrols, ATV patrols, and I’m sure they had some plainclothes ones too.  I think it was all in the spirit of community outreach, but I bet the number of RCMP was in the dozens.

Gwen and Kayla stopped by one of the pavillions (ok, they were tents) and got some mendhi put on them.  WOW, Aidan sure didn’t like that.  Every time (yes, *every* time) he saw Gwen’s hand, he broke into tears and told us he didn’t like mud on Mommy’s hand.  And she couldn’t touch him with that hand either.  Our boy gets some weird ideas sometimes.

By the middle of the afternoon, the boy was beat and cranky so we headed back to Vancouver.  Since we were at the start of the Skytrain line, we got some primo seats.  In fact, Aidan and I got to sit in the very front of the first Skytrain car, so for the whole ride from King George to Broadway, Aidan sat on my lap and chatted insessantly about the trip and all the things he could see.  Given the length of the trip (about 30 km, about 30 mins on the train) and the fact that he got antsy on the ride *to* Surrey, this was priceless.  Oh, and that ride to Surrey?  Once again Vancouver proves how inconsiderate it is.  I mean, hello?  A pregnant woman gets on the Skytrain with a toddler in tow and is forced to stand because no one offers her a seat?  I was steamed.  So freaking typical for this city and its typically self-centred inhabitants.

We also had a cool, chatty bus driver on the trip from Broadway station back to Willow Street.  Translink gets a big double-plus good today.

And so does Surrey, for that matter.  Surrey knows how to do these things right.  The Surrey Children’s Festival is much better than the one in Vancouver, and I can’t imagine the Fusion Festival happening anywhere in Vancouver with the quality, diversity, or price that Surrey had.  In Vancouver, it would have cost $30 at the gate and sucked. :)

Anthony on , , , , , 29 Jun 2008 10:07 pm

Record breaking heat this weekend.  Cold and wet start to June (the local weather personalities were calling it “June-uary” — which got real old, real quick) and now blue sky and scorching heat.  Welcome to the dry season.

This weekend was busy doing an assortment of things.  Saturday was chores and errands in the morning, a quick trip (hah!) to Highview Lookout in Cypress Provincial Park for some photos and cache placement scouting, and then over to the COINANZA geocaching event in the Barnet Marine Park in north Burnaby.  Aidan had a good time playing in the sand and watching the trains whiz by as we socialized.  If you go through the photos at the event, you’ll see Aidan made it again. :) Grocery shopping after that, and then Aidan and I went by bike back to the grocery store because I forgot to get the one thing we were supposed to get — hamburger buns (for supper).  Doh!

Full size (10 MB)

And, oh, we also picked up a travel bug at the event:

Today was a bit more of the same.  Back to Cypress to drop off a geocache that we’re placing (not published yet, link to come) and then to the Wal*mart in North Van to get The Boy some summer jammies.  Back home for a nap that didn’t come and then we beat it down to Spanish Banks for a picnic on the beach.  Whew.

What kind of bug is this?  Anyone?  It was on the beach where we were trying to picnic:

You know, the views in Vancouver never get old.

Full size (9.5 MB)

Anthony on , , , , , , 17 Jun 2008 10:21 pm

On Saturday, partying it up with the Girl Guides.

Aidan took quite a shine to this one:

The girls took turns hitting a pinata, and of course, Aidan wanted a turn too:

This girl beat the stuffing out of it with a power-swing:

On Sunday, first off to Stanley Park.  They have a miniature train:

Then to the children’s farm:

Then the playground:

Back home for a nap, then off to the Car Free Day party on Main Street:

Supper at our favourite Fish ‘n Chips restaurant:

Then back home:

Whew, what a weekend.

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