when in British Columbia

My first visit to Vancouver came courtesy of my friends Clement and Gigi.  I was invited to their wedding ceremony and reception in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

I was excited to see the city because I've heard great things about it.  During my last visit to BC, I wasn't able to make it out to Vancouver.  This time, I booked five days to be a full-on tourist as well as attend the wedding.

On day 1, a few friends and I went to Stanley Park.  We walked about 1/3 of the park before finding our way out for some lunch.  The park is enormous .. With the weather so hot and sunny, there was no way we were going to walk the entire park in a day.

For lunch, we went to the most recommended ramen restaurant in town - Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. Was it as good as they say?  I thought it was ok.  I wasn't blown away. The broth was a tad salty and greasy despite me asking for less salt and less lard.  Anyway, it was my first ramen experience so bucket list item? Check.

Later that night we attended the wedding rehearsal at St. Augustine church. The church had a plain exterior but inside .. Wow.  It was beautiful.  With the sunlight shining through the stained glass windows .. I sat in the pews and took it all in. The photographer in me kept looking for the perfect spot to take photos.

I woke up early Friday morning to meet up with Shirley and Briant to head out to Whistler.  Our plan was to do zip lining and the Peak 2 Peak hike.  I had never been zip lining before but a coworker had highly recommend that I do it.  So I did. :). The zip lining package included 5 zip lines. The first was 2500 ft, followed by a 400 ft, 300 ft, 2200 ft, and a 500 ft.  I screamed and held on so tightly on my first zip that my hands hurt.  As we completed each zip, it got more fun.  By the end of the adventure, we were zip lining upside down!  

After lunch, we went up the mountain via gondola and then by chairlift.  It was probably the scariest chairlift ride ever.  The ride was at a 50 degree angle but felt like 90.  The chairlift would stop half way up, the chair would swing a bit. When all you see is the mountain side beneath you, it's petrifying.  When we got up to the mountain top, the air was crisp and clean.  The views were gorgeous.  We completed a few hiking trails before riding the gondola across to the other mountain top - hence the name of the hike "Peak 2 Peak".

The views of the second mountain was nice but not as beautiful as the first one.  I saw snow capped mountains, emerald colored lakes, and wildflower.  I never thought I would see the mountains again but thanks to my adventure seeking friends, I got to see it again.

On Saturday, I was up early again - are you seeing a trend?  :). I had to get ready to be at the bride's house to help photograph the wedding.  They had hired a professional team of three photographers for their big day  I was the fourth shooter.  It was my first time shooting a wedding.  I've always wanted to do this but the opportunity didn't come along until now. Clem and I used to shoot the badminton events together so he kind of knew what my photography skills were like.  My shooting style is photojournalistic - I tend to capture the natural expression of my subjects.

I liked a lot of the photos I took and I think Clem and Gigi will be pleased with them as well.

I can now check "photograph a wedding" off my to do list.

The day after the wedding, a few of us decided to hit Lynn Canyon for a hike and to walk the suspension bridge.  It was a different kind of hike and so much stair climbing!  After hiking for three hours, we decided to head back downtown.  My friends are avid cyclists.  And me?  I've never biked before.  I never had a bike as a child and so I never learned how to ride one.  We went to EzeeRiders and rented three bikes and a trailer portion.  The trailer attaches to one of the regular bikes to create a tandem bike.  I wasn't going to do it at first but Shirley encouraged me to try.  It was the perfect opportunity to learn.  So I went along.  My lead cyclist was a strong cyclist so he would be able to control the bike.  He guided me through the ride as we biked around Stanley Park.  Our ride was perfect because the sun was starting to set and the scenery was breathtaking.  It was a great first bike ride - yes, I pedaled and got the hang of it.

I had the best time in Vancouver.  I left with three bottles of wine, six bruises on my legs, and many items crossed off my to do list.

I definitely will be back :)

Cheers,

Pudgy

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inspired by nate

it's important how we feel in our homes, because feeling good makes us more gracious.  and that makes it easier to welcome others not only into our homes but into our lives.

i saw this quote this morning by nate berkus.  it almost made me cry.

for years, i put off decorating my home. that feeling of not belonging and not knowing where i would be in 5 years caused me to put off buying good furniture.  i would buy temporary pieces but the word "temporary" constantly reminded me that Ottawa wasn't my real  home.  it saddened me because i hate moving around and starting over.

when i bought my home, i figure that it would be temporary.  i would flip it and then move again.  but as i started designing the interior and choosing the fixtures and finishes, there was an attachment being created.  i used to say that "when i get my own home, i would do it my way." and sure enough, the opportunity came and i was designing it with my vision.  i continued to struggle with staying versus moving.  and over time, coming home to a place with 'temporary' pieces made it difficult to enjoy.  the only room i found joy in was my kitchen.

nate's quote is very true.  home should be like a warm sweater on a winter's day - it hugs you and gives you that sense of security, accomplishment, and comfort.  home hasn't felt like my home because i've been reluctant to commit.  what was the point in buying furniture to suit a house that i was going to sell in a year or so?  i've been told by many that my next step should be to turn my home into a real home.  a place where i feel good being in and look forward to coming home to.  over the weekend, i went furniture shopping .. and i bought a set of accent chairs that i had been looking at for months.  these are not temporary pieces and i know exactly where they would go.

i waited so long and wondered why i never felt like i belonged.  now i know.  i didn't realize how big of an impact this "temporary" vision had on me.  buying my first permanent pieces was a good thing for me.  i used to think that buying stuff also meant filling the void and i didn't want that to be the reason.  i didn't want to look at every piece and know that i bought it because i was empty.  i needed to fill the void with my own truth of who i am and what i stand for.  and i wanted to look at my furniture and know that it was a design decision - rather than an emotional one.  but coming home to an empty house and staring at empty rooms also reminded me of why i was waiting and the negativity attached to that feeling.  but most importantly, the empty rooms reminded me of what i had lost.  i would stand in the empty room and know exactly why it was empty.  i didn't want to fill the void during an emotionally turbulent time but the longer i took, the less "gracious" i was and i began shutting everyone out.  Perhaps adding a few pieces will give me the boost I need.  maybe once i am able to feel good in my home, i will be able to welcome others in.

my new accent chair

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