29.7.04

bocce and 2 hibachi's.

tonight we all got together at kit's point to celebrate mori's (dirty ho) (34rd) birthday...(i can't wait to turn dirty-ho). we broke out a couple of hibachi's and rod's bocce set and had a great time. it's kind of cool to discover new spots in vancouver that you don't always frequent--we set up right in front of the duck pond, threw some big balls around (bocce is very relaxing to watch), and had some triple blueberry pie. again we witnessed an amazing sunset--we certainly have been getting spoiled by the summer we're having.

my camera is still missing in action, but i will post the photos that floe took soon.

27.7.04

master and commander.

i have always loved the concept of sailing, but i've never really had a real chance to go. i've been on a 'boat' before, but tonight was my first real sailing experience. after some encouragement from kevin, i signed up for a social sailing night at the yc. i didn't really know what to expect, but all i have to say after the first few minutes on the water, and it being a pretty windy day, it was like being in the movie master and commander. imagine the boat almost tipped over on its side, with all of us (a cozy 6) on the other -- very exciting!

the lesson was informal but informative. i learned that i didn't know how to tie any knots, and that i'm not that great at steering the boat just yet (since i sort of exasberated one of the other's nausea). afterwards a few drinks on the patio, which is probably one of the best ones in vancouver (and not just because of its exclusivity), a few cold deep fried cheese sticks and an amazing sunset, it was not too shabby of a way to spend a tuesday night.

24.7.04

beach day.

today, we got the crew together and had a beach day, down nearby the jericho sailing centre. a bit of volleyball, a few beverages, some food and a guitar -- it is summer days like the one we had today that we will dream about and wish for in the winter. seriously, when the sun was setting, it was almost like we were in hawaii...an epic day for sure.

of course, i was in a rush and forgot my digital camera -- will have to remember to keep it on me all the time.

here's a picture of floe with 'the ladies'...

21.7.04

green thumb.

...well not exactly. i'm pretty lucky to have a patio with a shared deck. i've been here for almost 6 years, and until now, i haven't done anything with my deck except place a few empty container pots. i've threatened to do some gardening, and although its late in the season, i finally planted a few things. hopefully i won't kill them!

here's the evidence...next project -- get some patio furniture!

18.7.04

bookworm.

my mother always told me that people who read a lot are smart. one of earliest memories as a child was our trips to library when i was very little, where we would spend saturday afternoons, picking out my favourites, which include 'curious george' and the like. we would take out 10 or even 15 books, and my mother would read them to me, i could never get enough of books. even better was when my mom become librarian at my school. my mom would remind me on how lucky i was because i would be able to read the books before everyone else, because she would always take them home to give me a sneak peak before they made their way to the shelves for the rest of the school. even after grade school, weekly trips to the library still happened on a regular basis. i think i owe a lot to how well i did in school to that.

however, i'll have to admit though that these days, i'm not a very good reader. i read newspapers, and magazines, but novels, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, or other literary works -- it takes me a long time and they are few and far between. i don't know why the reading bug that my mother planted in me sort of flew away for a while. but now, i've made a conscious effort and i'm back. no, reading books for me won't be as prolific as the number of movies that i've seen, but i've made it a personal goal to always be reading at least one current book. going into a bookstore is especially hard for me with so many choices, but i've realized that i need to pick books that speak to me some how, especially in subject matter, which right now are books with some sort of gay text or subtext. i just finished michael cunningham's book, "a home at the end of the world". while maybe i personally was hopefully looking for a 'hollywood' ending, cunningham's portrait of these the characters is rich and totally engrossing.

...and finally, a book that i've read before i've seen the movie.

14.7.04

happy birthday(s).

there seem to be a lot of birthday's in july -- and they all celebrate them so close together. it's weird how sometimes i have nothing to do and then all of sudden i have like 8 million things happening in span of many days or even just in one day. i guess i shouldn't complain to have many friends.



a picture from ed's birthday



a picture from brian's birthday



a picture from antonio's birthday



a picture from dean's birthday

8.7.04

the hot men project - july 2004 edition.

...the long awaited hot men project for july 2004. again, not a definitive list by any means, just a list for now.

click here to view the list of hotties.

discuss amongst yourselves.

going home song.

just waiting for the work day to end? wish it was time to go home? want something to look forward to? my co-workers already know this tip, but what i do is when i'm packing up to go home for the day, is play the 'going home song'. as you know i work for a web development shop and we are lucky enough to have speakers on our desks, so at the end of the day, when i'm packing up i usually play a 'happy' song, either some groovy house track or some stevie or whatever makes me feel happy!

try it today. but before you put it on, announce to everyone that it is "time for the going home song!" before you know it, you'll be getting requests. trust me, i'm a nerd, but it works!

7.7.04

de los reyes flowers.

a photo of a flower pot in the de los reyes' garden. it was a brilliant weekened for weather, wasn't it?

5.7.04

carless.

after months (actually more like a year of threatening) i've finally sold my car. since i only walk to work, and can get around almost everywhere by foot, by transit or by taxi, i found that i was only using my car once a week. given maintenance, parking, gas, etc., i could not really justify the cost. as well, i've never really been a car person. i do not enjoy driving all that much, especially when i have to be somewhere at a certain time. however i will certainly miss the convenience that having a car brings -- being able to visit a friend on the other side of town, making a jaunt to ikea or costco by myself, or heading up to cypress after work for some riding in the winter.

i plan to join the car co-op -- i know several people that have joined, and it seems to work out for them. of course it is not exactly the same as the luxury of owning your own car, but at least i'll have access to one when i need one. there is actually one parked right by my house!

i truly am a downtown guy now!

4.7.04

campbell river.

just got back from campbell river, after our performance at the tidemark. overall i would have to say the performance was a success -- the show went off without a hitch, the energy level was high, the audience gave us rave reviews, and want to invite us back every two years! some people were there from victoria and even want us to come and perform in their city within the next year!

most importantly i think the dancers, especially the rookies had a great experience and friendship have definitely formed. one of the hardest things with the dance group is that things always inevitably change, people come and people go, so it was definitely good to see the makings of the next crop of dancers starting to emerge.

i was lucky to stay with the de los reyes' again in campbell river. no, this is not a post card, but in fact a picture of their garden, from their house which overlooks the ocean. i'll post more pictures later.

2.7.04

do you?

i don't know about you, but i rarely cry at movies. when 'rose' watched 'jack' drown in titanic, i was probably the ones in the theatre that did not shed a tear.

i like a romantic story; i would say that i'm in love with romance, the simple story of meeting someone, falling hopelessly in love, an obstacle placed in the way of that love, and in the end, the happily ever after ending. but rarely do i cry in movies with these themes. so after the review from some from friends and reviews that i've read, on a rather melancoly day, i went to see this movie.

the movie, wonderfully acted, beautifully shot, unfolded deliberately and with patience, giving the simple story and its characters a depth and tenderness that i haven't seen in a while. however even though we knew what would unfold at the start, the ending, as sweet and poignant as it was, did not manage to bring out much emotion in me.

reflecting, i thought of the movies that i have shed a tear in. it was that moment between river phoenix and keanu reeves character by the campfire in "my own private idaho". it was during the last exchanges between father and son in "life as a house". it was that intense, fateful moment between kevin spacey and chris cooper's character in "american beauty" in the garage.

i guess a simple love story won't bring a tear to my eye. what will are movies and stories that speak to my experiences in some little way, and in unconventional ways, stirring up emotions that make me wish that i had a tissue in hand.

balloons.

i love it when children first come to a new situation they are so stiff and nervous, but when they see something familiar or something that they like, all those feelings seem to slip away.

this was the case when lauryn, my other beautiful goddaughter, started pointing at the balloons in the sky with wonder, at emily's birthday party last weekend...