Just-talking-out-loud

What you see in this video is not an exaggeration. BC is really that beautiful. The Winter Olympics are set to open in Vancouver this Friday, while Vancouver is experiencing one of the warmest winter ever. Thank to November snow, they were able to store some of that snow and used it now for games held at Whistler. I heard so much about this event  while I was there. Olympics always represented as something positive but I am not sure if I would think of it that way anymore. There are so many controversies around this event. Apparently, there was a budget allocated to providing shelters for homeless population but last year they have announced that they don’t have enough money to fulfill this promise. Homelessness and related issues are not new to Vancouver and I don’t know what have happened since. I have heard other things too but I don’t have any reliable references for them nor the time to go dig them up. Having said that I think it would have been cool to experience li...

White Cliff Park, March 2009

Some notes from July 06 Saying goodbye to this beautiful city is hard. I had the time of my life here. No matter what time of the year; when I would look out of my bedroom window, I could see green trees. I never got tired of this view or the view of downtown Vancouver from one of the bridges. I always admired the cherry blossoms on the Lower Mall and always held my breath when I was looking at the water and mountains from the Rose Garden. I have met some of the most interesting and not so interesting people here. I found friendship in people I least expected. I also got to know myself better. I never thought I would attach to a place again. You would think when you move a lot and leave your friends behind for couple of times, you get use to it. But that hasn’t happened to me yet. I guess it never will. I got emotional as I said goodbye to some of my friends. I want to be excited for the start of a new chapter in my life but it seems more that I’m living in a denial. I don’t even feel ...

If you visit Vancouver and you want to do something fun these are the things you should be thinking of doing. I haven't done most of them yet. I have to give Lisa the credit for coming up with such a comprehensive list. The Great Outdoors: Queen Elizabeth Park & the Bloedel Conservatory Walking trails in Pacific Spirit Park Wandering around Stanley Park and/or the seawall The beach(es) Nitobe Gardens Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens Grouse Mountain Butchart Gardens on the Island Whale watching Indoor Things: Museum of Anthropology The Vancouver Aquarium Movies (if it is rainy) Places to Eat: Aphrodite's Pies Cocoa Nymph Go Fish Naam (vegetarian restaurant) Saravanaa Bhavan (South Indian)

Almost spring, 2009 I think the last post was only an illusion because it's snowing now!

Almost spring, 2009 It feels like spring is finally here. I started this week by spending some me-time on Monday morning. After the exhausting workshop I had to go through all Saturday and Sunday, I knew I deserved to relax and not think about anything else. I took a long walk and enjoyed the weather; I breathed; I closed my eyes; I could imagine that all the flowers would be in full bloom in a couple of weeks. No wonder my ancestors celebrated the first day of spring every year and there is no surprise that this old tradition is still alive to this day.

Vancouver Buddhist Temple, 2008- A true calm peaceful place Today my boss told me that I look calm all the time. I think she meant that as a complement because she added that it was very good to work with people who are calm. I told her that I did not usually show what was going on with me (which is true). Then I said that I did not have any reason to be stressed out (which was not entirely true) . Anyway, this conversation made me wonder about what people may think about other people’s lives and circumstances just by the way they react daily. Life has ups and downs and all of us are going through the same thing at some level / at some point. No one has the prefect life. I always pity jealous people. Not only they think superficially but they self-pity themselves for not having the life of others. It seems that they are in a bubble. Completely absorbed in their own lives that blinded them to see beyond what is really there. Jealousy will also lead to miss any good thins that happ...

Vancouver, October 2008 When I was in Ottawa, I used to pass by a Tanning & Body Salon called "A drop of Sun" every day. I always thought what a waste of name. If something is named “a drop of sun”, it has to make people smile, like this truck! p.s. I've so much to write here but I don't have time.

Shoreline ,1936 by Emily Carr- Photo from McMichael Canadian Art Collection- Vancouver Art Gallery This past week has been chilly but sunny. It’s made me to enjoy the September breeze as I walk in my favourite neighbourhood. It's nice to not drag myself out of the bed every morning because I'm excited about starting a new day. It's nice when I go to bed every night, I'm so tired that I fall asleep right away. It's nice to be busy again with challenges and to be able to enjoy them. Not much is happening but a lot is new to keep me occupied.

I've always considered myself as a city girl. I've grown up in Tehran and spent almost all my life in big cities. I enjoy the fast-paced life, traffic, noises, and the liveliness of the big cities. Yesterday, I realized I really love my neighborhood (not because it is evergreen and beautiful) but because there are a lot of small stores all along one of the streets. There is no shopping mall close by. All the stores are privet own shops. Although it's a big city, it has the charm of smaller towns. I can sit in the bus for hours, look out side, watching people passing by, walking their dogs, or doing other things. I don't even want to read in the bus. There are other times that I get off the bus couple of stops before I reach my destination, so I can walk on the sidewalk. Specially these days that I can feel the spring, I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I wish I live here after I graduate (should add this to my list).