Category Archives: Blog

Meeting up with old friends . . . …and visiting old favourite places (Ikegami shrine, soba-ya and our old swimming club).

Only a couple of days before the year ends. If I had to choose a word to describe the good, the bad and the ugly of 2016, I’d go for ‘colourful’. Much of it was many-hued, vibrant and beautiful; but there were also too … Continue reading →

I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Part of its beauty is its natural setting and the abundance of nature in the city. We have mountains and the sea, a huge urban forest park and splendid … Continue reading →

There are a number of things in life that you are generally rather certain won’t or couldn’t really happen. For my part, I am pretty sure I’ll never (yes, I know, never say never) be German chancellor or Canadian prime … Continue reading →

Last week was Random Acts of Kindness Day – who knew? While I am a big believer in random acts of kindness, I have rather mixed feelings about attributing a special day to something that should really be part of everyday life. … Continue reading →

  The free Vancouver weekly The Georgia Straight runs a column called “Confessions”, an “outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives”. Rather than being an agony aunt column, where you put a problem to someone who will then answer and … Continue reading →

Early morning at Burnaby Public Library: people practising Tai Chi to traditional Chinese music. The contrast between the soft sound, the gentle weightlessness of their movements and the loud cacophony and frantic bustle in the Crystal Palace market on the other side … Continue reading →

  Just realized it’s less than a week to the lunar new year. It’s been my excuse to send Christmas/New Year’s greetings very late but still in a ‘timely’ fashion. I reckon the surprise of getting a card in February, when … Continue reading →

Thwarted by obtuse would-be technology – argh! Japan on my mind.   Trying to pay cash at a self-checkout machine: my $20 goes in, and out, in, and out, in, and out, until it is almost perfectly ironed and there are no … Continue reading →

Walking in the rain Cherry blossom memories Stage friendly takeover. Rainy days and Sundays in Lynn Valley. Raindrops free fall from my Goretex hood onto my nose; old mints and receipts dissolve in the mini-puddles of my jacket pockets. Lynn Creek has turned … Continue reading →