31: CHASING LIONS AND GEESE

I've been meaning to take some long exposure night time shots for some time now but have yet to invest in a tripod. However, thanks to Allen and his tripod connections, I got to take some of the Lions Gate Bridge tonight. It's so pretty and always reminds me of Christmas because of the red and green lights.

And here is a goose that I chased around Granville Island. I think I scared it, because it relieved itself in front of me shortly after.

30: FOR RECYCLING

A bottle of merlot, and a box of 100% pure apple juice.

29: SPOTLIGHT

Looking up the textured walls of my house.

28: FLASHBACK

...to me in the 80s!

Here I am, inside a frog picture frame, enjoying playtime at McDonald's.

27: PUBLIC ART

Downtown Vancouver, in preparation for the Olympics.

26: A RESISTANCE TO WINTER

A reminder of autumn, and a prelude to spring.

25: RAINDROPS

Looking out the window into the streets of this rainy city.

24: WROUGHT IRON

Today I worked just steps away from the beach. But I didn't get to see the Pacific Ocean at all, because I didn't get a lunch break and by the time I was done it was dark and rainy =(

This red brick apartment building and wrought iron fence were on my way to work downtown.

23: NEW WESTMINISTER, REDUX

I think the city should invest in a trash can for this street corner (see day 20).  As I was taking this picture, a group of teenagers walked by and asked me why I was taking a picture of trash...

22: TRYING TO FIND SOME BEAUTY

In the concrete strip malls of Whalley. Not very successful, because all I saw during my lunch break were trucks, cars, parking lots, fast food drive throughs, all grey grey grey. Some colorful bums, but I did not try to take pictures of them.

Customer of the day: "How long do I have to wait? 15 minutes? I can't wait that long, I really need to get home right away so I can watch the Haiti telethon. I need the painkillers...hmm but I want to watch the telethon so I will come back tomorrow!" What priorities.

I watched the telethon. Seeing the Haitians being pulled out from underneath the rubble even up to eight days after the earthquake, as well as all the injured people lying on bedsheets on the dirty floors, really struck me. I have not been keeping up with the news this week, and the only pictures I had seen were from the newspaper on the first two days of the earthquake. To me, those pictures did not convey the devastation of the country the way these Andersoon Cooper-hosted videos did. I think if I watched the news and CNN everyday I would be such a sad / paranoid person because there is so much death, destruction, and violence in this world.

The Canadian government matches donations, at http://www.canadaforhaiti.com/Forms/Donate.aspx

21: SHELVES OF BLUE AND WHITE

A lady came in today with a bad cough, and it reminded me of how I had a bad cough in Greece, and the mean Greek pharmacist refused to give me DM (a cough suppressant) and would only sell me homeopathic cough syrup instead. I do not believe in homeopathic drugs because they have no scientific evidence!

20: ON THE STREETS OF NEW WESTMINISTER

What a considerate litterer. I wonder if this person thought tucking their garbage away neatly like this makes them better than the people who throw their trash on the sidewalk.

19: BE STILL MY HEART

Today, lights became hearts. Grazie alle mie ragazze; I wish all nights could be like this.

Upside down traffic hearts:

Christmas light hearts:

18: STOPPING THE MOTOR OF THE WORLD

I took this picture of the abandoned railroad tracks, thinking about how railroads like these led to the growth of the cities in North America. And now they're all mostly gone, having been replaced with highways and planes. It's such a shame, really, because I think passenger trains are preferable over busses. I liked taking the trains in Europe, although I can think of certain train rides I have had in the summertime that involved suffocating heat and endless delays. How I would have preferred an air-conditioned car then!

17: REBIRTH

A bit of green, rising from the woodchips. We're still technically only one month into winter, but I can't wait for spring to arrive!

16: TRACK AND FIELD

I used to come here to go jogging in the summer. Going around and around the track got a bit boring, so eventually I started going to the golf course instead, since one lap around the golf course is 6 times longer than one lap around this track. However, since the path around the golf course is very shady, it housed many bugs that liked to fly into my mouth. I am an avid meat eater and don't need the extra protein, so maybe I will come back here instead next summer.

15: CLIMBING UP THE WALLS

Here we have my rock climbing shoes hanging from a stick.

Rock climbing is one of my new favorite hobbies, but I don't know many people who can belay, meaning that I can't go very often. I'd go rock climbing all the time if I had the choice. Although, according to my mother, it does mean that my hands will get so rough from holding onto rocks that no man will want to hold my hand in the future...

14: HAVING MY DUCKS LINED UP IN A ROW

A large number of ducks congregate outside one of the hotels near downtown. There were a lot more ducks than what you see in this picture, but some had waddled away after I tried to get too close to them (one of the consequences of having a lens that doesn't zoom).

A conversation that took place today:
Old lady: What ethnicity are you?
Me: I am Chinese
Old lady: Wow, you have such a beautifully shaped face. And wonderfully shaped eyes and nose.
Me: Um thank you!
Old lady (leaning closer): But you're not my type. Don't worry!
Me: ....?????...
Is not being an old lady's type a good thing or a bad thing?

13: MESSAGE ON A STEEL TREE

'You who lift a penny from the gutter & with the same hand point out stars, find me.'

I found this sculpture on the corner of Broughton and Government streets, and this phrase is taken from Carla Funk's poem called 'Hide and Seek'.  Carla Funk is Victoria's first Poet Laureate and I want to email her to ask what this means. It's too bad I can't find her email address anywhere.

One thing about being sick while being away from home, is that my only source of hot water is the coffee machine, therefore making all my hot water taste like coffee.

12: VICTORIA LIGHTS

Victoria (this street, anyway) is so pretty at night!

11: AT THE FERRY TERMINAL

I will be in Victoria for the next 4 days.

This photo was taken at the ferry terminal from behind a window, when it was raining pretty hard. I was sitting in my seat, looking out the window and waiting for the ferry to arrive, when all of a sudden, I saw something black and oddly-shaped walk past me. I blinked and looked again...it was a black horse! More specifically, it was a horse costume being worn by two people who were wandering around the ferry terminal. As they walked by, I could hear the person who was the backside of the horse complaining about how he couldn't breathe. Poor guy.

10: VANCOUVER 2010

After spending the day chasing around Giosy's cat, Chiara, trying to get my photo of the day, I decided not to go with any of those pictures because she looked so unhappy in all of them. I think I have traumatized Chiara, seeing as how she ran away every time she saw me and ended up hiding under the bed (which did not stop Rae from getting her picture of the day).

Afterwards, Rae and I went to pick up her uniform for the Olympics. I wasn't allowed inside with her and was stuck in an ugly room with nothing to do and lots of time to kill. I went outside and took photos of the only things nearby - trees and 2010 banners; I was not prepared to venture out and walk down East Hastings by myself in the dark just for fun.

9: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO A PARISIAN

This looked a lot better in my head... anyway here is a sign on a stick, in front of some lit up poinsettias. Happy birthday, Cat!

8: AN H1N1 FLU SHOT ORDEAL

Do you see that bandaid on my arm? I got my H1N1 shot today:

C: I want to use up the rest of my H1N1 vaccine. Do you want one?
Me: Sure!
C: Hmm the sleeve of your shirt is too tight, I need to get to your upper arm. You'll have to take your arm out of the shirt. We'll do it in the back so no one will see.
...We walk to the back of the pharmacy and I take my arm out of my sleeve as C brings the vaccine over. As she is about to swab my arm with alcohol, a man walks up to the counter with a prescription.
C: Oh no! I have to help him. I'll be right back!
...I hide awkwardly from the customers, partly unclothed, waiting for C to come back.
K: Arabomb-shell, I need you to come here for a counsel!
Me: Ok, I'm coming!
...I put my arm back into my sleeve, and walk up to the front while buttoning up my labcoat. T looks at me weirdly.
K: Um, why does it look like you are putting your clothes back on? What are you doing back there?
Me: ....Why didn't I wear a short sleeved shirt today???

Oh and if you were wondering, I am holding a stick that was a Christmas present to me from my friend Giosy.  The box it came in lists some examples of ways to play with this plastic toy stick:

- Put one Incredible Toy Stick on each side of your head so people think it's one stick (I only have one stick so I can't do this)
- Give it to your Dad and tell him that you're sticking it to the man
- When someone says "you can't beat it with a stick," prove them wrong
- Wave your stick in the air like you just don't care
- Dial phone numbers from far away (I like this one because I think it is useful)

Giosy, I am making use of the stick now!

7: DELICATE

Flowers growing along a wire fence; or am I ignorant, and are these actually weeds?

6: RADIO GAGA

There's no better drive to work than one where the sun is shining, the radio is blasting Queen songs, and I'm not being deathly afraid of hitting something/someone on the road. Except maybe if the driving was being done by a chauffeur!

Because I didn't realize how long it would take me to scrape the ice off my car, I was almost late to work, and so I was unable to take any pictures of the gorgeous day during daylight hours. I had to resort to taking a picture of an old radio from the 90's in between two slanted candlesticks instead.

5: UP IN THE AIR

I stepped out of the shady and forested black diamond trail, relieved that I survived the steep incline during my first snowshoeing session. Finally out of the blanket of trees, I turned my head to the right and was greeted with a stunning view of the mountains. No matter how hard I tried, my camera could not do the mountains justice, and so I turned towards this bird instead. As I took the picture, it opened its wings and flew up into the air, leaving me with this photo.

4: ON THE 41

People at work are always surprised to find out that I prefer to take the bus instead of driving. There is one store in particular that takes me 1.5 hours each way because I refuse to drive there.  The sacrifices I make to avoid parallel parking...

3: LOST SUNGLASSES

How long have these been sitting here outside my neighbour's house? Is a poor little girl wondering where her green polka dot sunglasses are? Does she miss them? Or did she secretly hate them and hide them here while her parents weren't looking? I will never know.

2: WELL-WISHING FINGERTIPS

Happy 2010!

1: RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH PEASANT SANTA

Happy new year! Since it's Jan 1, that means today is day one of my project 365. This Peasant Santa I found in my house comes bearing gifts of candles and pinecones. Maybe this is what farmers in the countryside ask for on their Christmas lists.