The long version: (Being entered when expedient)

Today was the start of Amy’s conference – our real reason for being here – so we packed up our gear and headed to the westmost tip of Vancouver – the University of British Columbia.

Campus is huge – it includes not only classrooms, libraries, and classrooms, but also the largest university bookstore in the country and two golf courses. Surrounding this campus is an area of land that is being consumed by the university. Houses and land are endowed to the school, which threatens to engulf the whole peninsula.

The Queen E Park is built on two old quarries overlooking Vancouver. Plants rise out of a open area carved into the mountain, a little waterfall tumbles down it, and a biodome filled with tropical plants caps the area. It was peaceful and tranquil use of the space.

Plus, there was a giant rubarb literally bigger than three Amy’s. I have pictures but will have to post them later.

Tonight, I swung out to the airport by myself to pick up Dan – labmate and conference attendee. He’s staying here at Casa de Lee. Amy & I took him out to dinner. We had an amazing meal of sushi and Korean barbecue. We ordered both a spicy marinated pork and a medley of seafood – including mussels, cuttlefish, salmon & shrimp. The beauty of the meal was that you cooked the food over a gas grill built into the center of the table. Amy & Dan took turns cooking bits of the meal, refusing to let me play with the fire. Despite that, it was still a great meal that immediately made us all sleepy.

Off to bed,

Joshua

After a late start on Sunday, we headed out to Lonsdale Quay – a shopping district across the inlet in North Vancouver.

Following that, we spent the evening eating sushi, drinking sake, and a variety of other odd dishes at a Japanese restaurant on Robsen Street – a famous shopping district.

Today was spent in the ScienceWorld. It’s a science museum and Imax theatre built for the 1986 World’s Expo. The top is a huge globe – like in Epcot in DisneyWorld. At several times, we had to reprimand kids and parents who kept butting in front of us in lines.

Tonight we head out with more of Amy’s friends to see the town.

Joshua

Today’s pictures involve Amy showing me her strange scientist ways:

Today started with Amy’s entire family taking me out to dim sum at Sun Sui Wah. It’s a famous restaurant in Vancouver and rightfully so. So many dishes pased across the table. Corn beef meatballs, calamari, spicy rice paper, barbecue steam rolls, shrimp fried in almonds, shrimp dumplings in bamboo shoots, pork riblets in plumb sauce, sticky rice and chicken steamed in lotus leaves. I ate until I could eat no more.

It was a pleasant honor to share this meal with Amy’s family.

Afterwards, Amy and I invited her younger sister – Jocelyn – to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park.

Dolphins, beluga whales, otters, and one giant sea lion framed galleries of tropical and north-western sea life.

After that we took a walk along the sea wall to Burrard Inlet. There I got some good pictures of several local statues, but missed the characteristic totem poles that mark the area. I’ll have to go back.

Lastly, I attended the Night Market – a large, outdoor market the carried a variety of products (and found a way to put Hello Kitty on most of them). My favorite touch was the live band that sang in both English, Cantonese, and Chinese.

More proof of my adventures:

Joshua

Thankfully, we had planned some indoor activities for the morning.

We started out in the Vancouver Art Gallery and their visiting exhibit on the works of Rodin.

We also saw the permanent exhibit on the works of Vancouver-native Emily Carr. In my view she has a style that combines the brush work and color sense of Picasso with the sweeping style of Georgia O’Keefe.

Following a brief visit to the mammouth Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch, Amy headed home and I continued exploring.

My all-go no-stop method of touring is not for everyone as several people can attest. I’m just so intent on making everyday count during my visits.

As proof of this, I then hit Harbor Centre with its 360 view of Vancouver’s harbor, Gastown – the historic birth place of the city. It’s know for two highlights, a statue of its founder Gassy Jack and a steam-powered clock on the street. I was fortunate enough to walk up as the clock sounded the hour; it plays the same tune as the clock in my grandparents home. That tune always brings a smile to my face.

From there, I meandered into China Town. Tons of shops filled with exotic foods and imports surrounded. I walked by and found the Chinese Cultural Centre and its traditional garden. Bamboo, willow trees, and lilypads surround a traquil courtyard.

There I had my picture taken with some officers in the Mexican Navy.

I lead a weird life.

Hope your day was as strange,

Joshua

6:35 Canadian Time

Proof of my claims:

Second, how stupid are these terrorists? Sure the attack was staged in an effective manner. Massive damage and shock value. But, do they understand what a political gift they’re giving to the conservative bloc that is seeking to continue the very policies the terrorists detest.

It just drives this ‘war on terrorism’ onward.

Okay, enough ranting.

Today, Amy and I spent the day at Granville Island.

My first surprise was a poster I saw on the SkyTrain.

Apparently, a company in Canada is making a documentary about my life.

It’s not a bad representation of my life, but I think it had to be edited to get past the censors.

Granville Island was a industrial district turned toxic wasteland turned trendy shopping area.

Amy and I wandered from boutique to boutique – many locale artists and craftsmen had stores here.

At one shop, we dined on fish and chips – made with salmon. It gave the meal a richer flavor that I enjoyed.

There was also an extremely large covered market that sold all kinds of produce and meats and cheeses.

Eventually, we grabbed some coffee and sat on the docks – watching ferries and boats pass by.

I did manage to grab some potentially great photos. One shows the downtown of Vancouver, the mountains in the distance, and all of it framed by a bridge across the inlet.

Of course, I had to climb down onto the docks to get it. At one point, I balanced my way over a loose board that stretched between docks over the harbor.

It’ll surprise my family, but I didn’t fall into the water.

Couple of other highlights:

I was asked to carve the roast chicken at dinner last night. I quickly trimmed the bird down into separate sections and starting passing them out to the waiting crowd. It turns out, I should have shredded the bird; it would make for easier eating with chopsticks. A minor faux pas that my hosts tried to ignore.

Also, Tim Hortons makes a really good sour cream donut and potato chips come in ketchup flavor here.

Some pictures:

Joshua

I’m sitting in the kitchen of the Lee household, typing away, as Amy plays the piano behind me.

I’m in Canadaland. For those of you who wonder, yes it’s raining and chilly.

The trip up here was filled with the prerequisite annoyances. Air travel’s convenience is only matched by the petty hardships you have to endure to utilize it.

My flight was booked as a direct flight from St. Louis to Seattle. Of course, the airlines version of a direct flight left an hour and a half late, routed me through Dallas, had me changing planes, and dumped me in Seattle at 2:00 AM.

The Lee family had generously offered to pick me up at the airport and drive me up to Vancouver. Through the rain and darkness we drove, only to be harassed by customs officers at the Canadian border.

It turns out that crossing the border once at 9PM and returning at 4AM with a random American makes a mountie little suspicious. Luckily, I had my passport (Amy reminded me to bring it) and we were able scoot on through after they ran my record.

My record still stands, these countries keep letting me in unmolested. That’s Joshua – 9, unsuspecting border guards – 0.

Coincidentally, my passport expires the day after I return to the states. Eerily, when I was 20, I knew I’d need some extra time in the summer of ’05 and filed accordingly.

Also, the border crossing was called the Peace Arch, but all the guards wore bulletproof vests. The irony did not escape us.

At 5 AM I was able to crash at the lovely Lee household and rose at noon to a brunch with the family.

Already little differences are standing out. The roofs on all the houses here have small eaves. It’s not a big change, but it makes all the houses look a little smaller when driving by. I’m reminded of driving in Ireland and realizing that all the houses had no eaves. They’re houses; they shouldn’t look different or odd, but they are.

Also, everything’s in metric. Finally a sane country that uses a base-10 system. (Take that Erik!)

We’re taking it easy today. Already we’ve watched a movie and I helped Amy’s dad set up a new wireless controller that I bought for his xbox.

Tomorrow, after catching up on more sleep, we begin touring in full.

Signing off, eh.

Joshua

PS. Amy wants me to mention that there is some blue sky over head now. Take that, naysayers!