Let's all stand up for Peru and its indigenous people

On June 15 I wrote about the Vancouverites standing up for Peru's indigenous people. Since then, Peru's congress overturned two controversial land laws and Yehude Simon, the Peruvian prime minister, announced his plans to resign in the coming weeks over the incidents of the land laws. In addition, the Peru's President Alan Garcia's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level in 18 months.

However, I have not heard much of what has been going on through the mainstream media or social media outlets. Everyone seems to be twittering about repression in Iran however there has been little attention paid to the repression of the indigenous people in Peru. In fact, I am not the only one noticing this occurrence. In her June 24th article article, A fight for the Amazon that should inspire the world, Johann Hari writes:

While the world nervously watches the uprising in Iran, an even more important uprising has been passing unnoticed – yet its outcome will shape your fate, and mine...The uprising In the Amazon is more urgent than Iran's - it will determine the future of the planet

Then we must ask ourselves, why? Well, according to Todd Gordon:

It’s no accident that the Canadian government quickly and sharply condemns some instances of repression, such as that in Iran, while it ignores or tepidly responds to others. If it’s good for Canadian business, then it’s okay. This is imperialist Canada in the developing world: exploit people and their resources to make a buck, and if some repression is required along the way, well so be it. This isn’t just an American act; it’s a Canadian one too, and it’s becoming all too familiar.

Although, I understand Gordon's position, I would not go as far to say its "a Canadian act". Most Canadians respect indigenous cultures, most Canadians are against ecological destruction and most Canadians are against repression of any form. In fact, today three civil society organizations (The Council of Canadians, MiningWatch Canada and Common Frontiers) sent a joint letter to the senate about "the lack of concern shown by senators with the escalating crisis in relations between President Alan Garcia’s government and Indigenous communities from the Amazon area." I think increasing awareness of the situation will propel Vancouverites, Canadians and people around the world to take more notice and stand up against all forms of repression.

Hungry For Change?

GG to open Vancouver 2010 Olympics

It seems the Governor General is everywhere these days. We have seen her eating seal meat and dress up in military uniform. Now she is going to open Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

OTTAWA – The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, is proud to open the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“It is in a spirit of solidarity and with great enthusiasm that we are preparing to welcome youth and the world for the XXI Olympic Winter Games. I am confident that Canada will be able to make this gathering a celebration of winter, sports excellence and fellowship, and I am pleased to be a part of it,” the Governor General said.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on February 12, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Newest Canuck

Jordan Schroeder welcome to Vancouver. I was really interested in seeing how the newest addition to the Vancouver Canucks ranked against other draft picks which led me to the NHL webpage. Although Schroeder seems small relative to other forwards, it seems he's a pretty good player. Time will tell us about his talent.

R.I.P. MJ

It seems everyone is talking about Micheal Jackson today. I was in the mood to hear some more of MJ's songs after hearing some yesterday.

Say it aint so MJ!

There was a news report that the ledgendary Micheal Jackson died. I was sitting at my desk when I received a call that told me MJ was dead. I could not believe it and initially thought it was a hoax because just a few weeks ago there was so much hype about his big comeback. However, as the day went by, I realized that it wasn't a hoax.

I remember wearing my MJ jacket with all the zippers and trying to imitate his dance moves as a child. He will truly be missed not only in Vancouver but around the world. R.I.P MJ.

Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day!

Since I joined twitter, I have been following the politcal leaders of our nation:
I was interested in knowing how they were going to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and found the following:

@pmharper: Stephen Harper
No Comment posted.

@M_Ignatieff: Michael Ignatieff
Off to Beauce for St-Jean Baptiste celebrations after a great lunch at Ashton’s and a walk along the St-Laurence

@jacklayton: Jack Layton
Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste day! http://tinyurl.com/ldxumg

Dear friends,
Today, I join you in celebrating this special day that is filled with tradition.

This holiday enables Quebecers to proudly celebrate that they are part of the Quebec nation.

I was born in Quebec, which makes me particularly proud to take this day to celebrate the diversity and the richness of culture that radiates not just in Canada, but across the world.

Quebec, the cradle of francophones in North America, is a unique place on Earth. Quebec's presence and vitality contribute to the growth of the French language across Canada, and Canadians are very proud of it.

I invite all Canadians from across the country to join in today’s celebrations, an ideal occasion to recognize the country’s unique history. Let’s take time with friends and family to celebrate the links that unite us.

On behalf of Thomas Mulcair (Outremont) and the New Democrat caucus, I join all Quebecers, francophones and supporters of French culture, both here and abroad, in celebrating a rich and vibrant heritage.

Happy St. Jean Baptiste Day!

Jack Layton

I was really surprised by how much Jack Layton had written.

How many bicycles in Vancouver?

Yesterday I wrote about people working in Vancouver. Today, I was feeling really good and just worked away on some projects that I wanted to get done by next week.

I think I have found my joy of biking again since biking uphill is getting easier. I found a good Vancouver site called ebikes.ca which educates on a form of vehicle that merges a regular bicycle with an electric motor. Just imagine how many hills you could conquer with an ebike! I was also wondering how many people bike in Vancouver at 6am and although I did not find the answer, I did find this great video by Katie Melua called Nine Million Bicycles.

Constructing Vancouver

I decided to try a new route today with my bike and found myself on the Grandview Viaduct. I found it dangerous, especially when you turn on to Clark Drive and head south, because there are a lot of big rigs (trucks). Nonetheless, I saw a vibrant Vancouver with lots of people working outdoors including a crew repaving a sidewalk (Clark Dr. and 20th) , a couple of workers painting a new home (Inverness St. and 29th) and a lot of other construction along the way.

Papa Day

Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers in Vancouver and beyond.

Enjoy the following poem:

The Child Is Father to the Man

"The child is father to the man."
How can he be? The words are wild.
Suck any sense from that who can:
"The child is father to the man."

No; what the poet did write ran,
"The man is father to the child."
"The child is father to the man!"
How can he be? The words are wild.

- Gerard Manley Hopkins

Can you Baseball or Dragon Boat in French?

Yesterday I blogged about some events happening around town and today I attended three of the best ones in Vancouver.

The Dragon Boat Festival featured tons of food, games, information booths...and boat racing. I won a shirt and got my face on a button courtesy of raiseyourhand.com. There were limited food selections and fewer tents but I enjoyed the race. I also ran into the editor of rabble.ca and co-chair of stopwar.ca, Derrick O'Keefe.

I also enjoyed Francophone celebrations at Vancouver`s Festival d'été. Thanks to some friends at Le Centre Culturel, I was able to enjoy a complimentary entrance to the festival and the show La petite fille aux Allumetters (The Little Match Seller) and was impressed by the performance. After the performance we were entertained by clowns, singers and one performer who was a jack of all trades who juggled, squeezed himself through a tennis racket and ran around blowing bubbles. Best of all it was in French, our other official language. I even learned how to say, "Je veux voler un cerf-volant"? I was also lucky enough to run into the Olympic mascots, Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga. The Festival runs until June 24th, so check them out if you can.

I finished off the day by attending the hottest ticket in town: the sold out Vancouver Canadians (also known as the C's) season opener. It was crazy at Nat Bailey Stadium. People had scribbled signs saying " Looking for tickets" and others were begging to be let in. When I finally got to my seat I discovered that we were sitting next to a professional recorder who was putting K's up on the rail. The seats were also great as they were very easy to jump in and out of. There were also some funny old ladies behind us yelling, "Mucho beuno!" every time the batter named Sosa came to bat. Although the C's lost 10-1, the C's gave everyone in the stand a burger and root beer from A&W. On another positive note, I met Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who was there to throw the first pitch of the game and then saw the night come to an end with some great fireworks.

Vancouver Event Mania

Summer is officially almost here and there is so much to do in Vancouver. Here is a list of things that are coming up:

FESTIVAL D'ETE FRANCOPHONE
(Till June 24 Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver)
West Seventh Avenue between Granville and Fir (www.lecentreculturel.com)

What is it: The 20th anniversary of the six-day festival celebrating francophone culture.

Who is it for: French speakers and francophiles who enjoy great music, both indoors and outdoors, and Canadians who are proud that French is one of the country's two official languages. Eh, oui! Years past have seen Quebecois legends like Robert Charlebois grace the outdoor stage. This year, Montreal band Malajube joins Karkwa and rising Quebec star Pierre Lapointe on the Air Canada Stage starting at 5 p.m., June 20. The festival culminates on St. Jean Baptiste Day, or fete nationale as Quebecers call it, with a June 24 fete at Richard's on Richards.

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FLAMENCO FESTIVAL
(June 28 to July 5 at various venues)
www.flamencocorosario.org

What is it: Flamenco Rosario's annual event celebrating the traditional dance and music of Spain.

Who is it for: Fans of foot stomping and castanets, customers of tapas restaurants who want to branch out.


CRAB PARK CANADA DAY FESTIVAL
(July 1) Crab Park, Portside, foot of Main Street
www.bandcouver.com

What is it: The city's other Canada Day party. A free, all-ages celebration from 1 to 4 p.m.

Hosted by the Crab Water for Life Society and Bandcouver, the event supports keeping up this green space in the Downtown Eastside. There are events for the kids at this portside park as well as a number of Vancouver bands. At 1 p.m. Maria in the Shower will be playing, followed by Fuzzcat at 2 p.m. and then Blackberry Wood takes the stage at 3 p.m. And you'll still have plenty of time to make the Canada Day parade downtown at 7 p.m.

Who is it for: People who like to feel good about getting down.


BOLLYWOOD WEDDING
(July 23 to 26 at the Italians Gardens at Pacific National Exhibition at Hastings Park)
Admission is free, ph. 604-893-8875 for reservations

What is it: An interactive outdoor dance and theatre production about the engagement and wedding of two young Indians brought together in an arranged marriage.

Who is it for: People who like attending weddings but don't want to shell out for a gift, interactive theatre fans suffering withdrawal now that Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding has come to a merciful end.


2009 WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES
(July 31 to Aug. 9, various venues around the Lower Mainland)
www.2009wpfg.ca

What is it: International sporting event for firefighters and police, customs and corrections officers to let off some steam and show off their athletic prowess competing in over 65 events including rugby, ultimate fighting, karate and, um, darts.

Who is it for: Family and friends of competitors, people who have a thing for authority figures.


VELO-CITY: VANCOUVER AND THE BICYCLE REVOLUTION
(Until Sept. 7 at Museum of Vancouver)
www.museumofvancouver.ca

What is it: Exhibit curated by Propellor Design that delves into Vancouver's bicycle culture and how it's shaping the city we live in.

Who is it for: Bike enthusiasts, guilt-ridden automobile drivers, future ministers of transportation.

I will probably go on a slow day.


CARIBBEAN DAYS FESTIVAL
(July 25 and 26, Waterfront Park, North Vancouver)

www.caribbeandaysfestival.com

What is it: The Trinidad and Tabago Cultural Society of B.C. throw the year's biggest Caribbean party.

There is a Caribbean cruise the Sunday before the festival, a multicultural parade on Saturday at 10 a.m. leading down to Waterfront Park and a children's parade on Sunday, July 26.

But the big event is an outdoor dance fest at the Marketplace Plaza near the SeaBus when the festival shuts down at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. You'll be jammin' to two bands and two DJs playing salsa to reggae until 1 a.m.

Who is it for: Anyone who likes a good party in the sun with spicy food and steel drums.

POWELL STREET FESTIVAL
(Aug. 1 and 2, Woodland Park, 700 Woodland Dr.)
www.powellstreetfestival.com

What is it: The 33rd annual festival celebrating Japanese Canadian heritage and culture in Vancouver.

The festival has moved to a new location this year but will also include a bicycle valet so getting there is easy. Some events will happen at the Britannia Community Centre.

The theme of this year's festival is migration--across Canada, back to one's heritage and into new media.

Past festivals have included demonstrations on martial arts, Kokoro dance, concerts and of course, there's the food. Sushi, anyone?

Who is it for: Those with a yen for karate and tasty Japanese treats.


MUSICFEST VANCOUVER
(Aug. 2 to 16, various venues)
www.musicfestvancouver.ca

What is it: Formerly known as Festival Vancouver, MusicFest "explores the connections between cultures, centuries and people" featuring more than 50 classical, world music and jazz performers from Canada and around the world.

Who is it for: Anyone who knows what a lute is, concertgoers not burned out by the folk and jazz festivals.



SUMMER CINEMA IN THE PARKS
(Mondays at 9 p.m., Aug. 11 to 18 at Grandview, McSpadden and Victoria parks)
www.thedrive.ca/event_cinema.shtm

What is it: A chance to get out of the living room and lounge in Eastside parks, watching old movies.

The event is free but cash and food donations are being collected by the Vancouver Food Bank. It's presented by the Commercial Drive Business Association.

The schedule is:

Aug. 11, Grandview Park, Wizard of Oz

Aug. 18, McSpadden Park, E.T. the Extraterrestrial

Aug. 25, Victoria Park, Shrek

Who is it for: The kids. The babysitter. The overly cute couple with a beach blanket on hand.


UNDER THE VOLCANO
(Aug. 9, Whey-Ah Wichen / Cates Park in Deep Cove, North Vancouver)
www.volcano.resist.ca

What is it: Canada's largest political festival. A grassroots celebration of arts and activism, taking place where Malcolm Lowry wrote his famous novel, Under the Volcano. Which is not about the festival.

In its 19th year UTV still has free shuttles leaving from Broadway SkyTrain Station every half hour, so leave the car at home.

Admission is by donation. The suggested amounts range from $10 to 20.

This year's lineup hasn't been announced yet but Tegan and Sara and Kinnie Starr have played previous festivals.

Who is it for: People who like their music with a dose of social justice.

There are many other Vancouver events. These are just a few that one of my favorite local papers, the Vancouver Courier, posted that I thought were worth mentioning since I am considering going to a few of these. Let`s enjoy this beautiful city.

Almost there...

So the week is almost over and I have biked 2 out of 4 days from home to work. I have tried different routes and still searching for the ideal route going to work and going home. In the process, I have discovered a few different streets that are bike friendly, including Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. The good thing about biking at 6am in the morning is that there is not a lot of traffic which makes it safer on major streets.

To tweet or not to tweet...

I have been hesitant to use Twitter for several reasons however I took the plunge today and started to tweet. Below are the three main reasons why I did not open a Twitter account.

1. Is twitter a fad?
Technology is always evolving and was not sure if Twitter was a fad or something that would be around into the future. I read about how most people open an account and tweet a handful of times and never tweet again but I have also heard of some people tweet all the time. After I joined twitter I was surprised at how much information was available.

2. What can you really say in 140 characters?:
I initially thought "not much" since most people write without limit on blogs and can write on facebook too. However, my view changed this week when I saw how it was used after the protested elections in Iran. In 140 characters, people were getting the message out concerning the Iran elections. My main concern is that messages can be anonymous and therefore can lead to abuse of a medium.

3.Most of my friends don't use Twitter, do I really need a Twitter account?
I thought since most of the people I deal from day to day don't use twitter, most of my friends were not on Twitter. However, when I joined, there were a few friends who I had not spoken to in a while that actually use it. It was good to see what they were up to.

I have tweeted and can now be found at @dimitrymorales on Twitter.

Google Killer or Flop?

I heard Microsoft came out with a Google killer! It's a new search engine called Bing, and being marketed as "the decision engine".


I went to bing.ca and tried it by entering "Vancouver" and waited for the results. Although it brought results, I was not impressed. The only feature that caught my eye at first glance was the "smart movie preview" feature which allows the user to view movies before selecting them.

A user can easily change countries so I decided to change from bing.ca (Canadian site) to bing.com (United States site) and noticed a big difference. The major being the shopping section, the travel section and the main menu on the front page.


I really like the travel search because it combines information from other sources, searches can be presented in a grid and you can narrow your search by category. I hope the changes are made to the Canadian site in the near future.

I will keep testing Bing in the next few weeks to determine if its a good source for "Vancouver" information and searches.

Vancouverites Stand Up for Peru

A group that calls itself The Solidarity Coalition For a United Latin America held a rally in from of the Peruvian Embassy today at noon.



According to the group:

On June 5th police officers killed more than 30 and injured many more indigenous protesters in Nagua, Corral Quemado area in Peru. The Peruvian government had recently signed a number of free trade agreements, including with the U.S . and Canada, which opened up the lands of Indigenous Nations in Peru to foreign exploitation. Indigenous people responded with massive peaceful protests which lasted for 56 days before the massacre.

The gathering prompted me to look more into the matter and found out that they are not alone in helping the Peruvian indigenous people. Today Amazon Watch issued a press release along with Washington Office on Latin America, Sierra Club, Oxfam America, Natural Resources Defense Council, Greenpeace USA, Global Witness, Friends of the Earth, Forest Peoples Programme, Environmental Investigation Agency, Environmental Defense Fund, Earthworks, Defenders of Wildlife, Center for International Environmental Law, Bank Information Center, and Amazon Watch defending the rights of the indigenous people.

I wanted to do my part to show my support for those Vancouverites at the Embassy and decided to write a letter to Mr. President Alan García



and also joined a Facebook group that promotes Solidarity with Peru.
I want to thank the The Solidarity Coalition For a United Latin America in Vancouver for making me aware of this incident and all the volunteers who are making others aware of the situation.

2009 Car Free Vancouver Day

Car Free Vancouver Day put on street parties at four areas in the city. I attended the Main Street event near my home and volunteered at the Commercial Drive event with barricades. Both of these events were well attended and it seemed that everyone was having a good time.

Scoring Big

I am really excited that the city officials are exploring how Vancouver can implement a bike sharing program. My family and I went to the seawall near Science World where Bixi has demonstration bicycles this weekend. Each bike station includes a pay station, bike docks, and bikes, and is equipped with solar panels that power the station. I tried one of the bikes and it was easy to ride. It was also very comfortable and the seat could be adjusted with breeze. Although the ride was smooth, the bike only has 3 speeds so I think its limited in range. Otherwise it was a pleasant experience. I also found out that these bikes are made in Quebec and if the city goes ahead with a bike sharing program they will be creating some Canadian manufacturing jobs. The demonstration ends tomorrow.

We also attended The Official Canadian Street Hockey Tournament, Play On! Vancouver, which took place nearby on Abbot Street near GM Place. It was lots of fun to watch. I even caught a glimpse of CBC news anchor Ian Hanomansing reporting his results at the tournament.

What's in a name?

Facebook allowed it users to select their name after 9pm PT. I logged in at 9:04pm PT and was disappointed to find out that someone had taken facebook.com/dimitry and facebook.com/morales. I tried a whole bunch of names before having to make a decision to use dimilicious or my full name. I went with my full name and can now be found at www.facebook.com/dimitry.morales. Hope you get your desired name if you use facebook.

Feeling like a Giant Rock

Almost a week ago, I posted I was looking for a bike and received a quick response from a friend. She told me she had two bikes and thought one was perfect for me. I went over to her house, tried it out and found the bike was just the right size for me. I now a Giant "Rock" model bike and hope that I'll be able to commute to work on it starting next week.

Are you part of the plan?

I visited BePartofthePlan.ca and filled out the online questionaire. I selected my transport priorities for the region, then my preferred existing funding options, and lastly ranked the future funding options that should be used. The consultation for Translink 10-Year Plan closes on June 30 and I wanted my voice to be heard. I hope Vancouverites express their interest in maintaining and improving a vibrant public transportation system.

Best Place To Live

I think that these days Vancouver looks more beautiful and I am not the only one. Vancouver just received another great endorsement. It was ranked as the 'best place to live' according to the Economist. I was pleasantly surprised because just a few weeks ago the Economist compared British Columbia to Columbia in an article called: British Columbia or Colombia? Organised crime brings fear to Vancouver’s streets. However, I think our mayor, Gregor Robertson said it best when he said, "There's often focus on our challenges and negativity, but when you look at the big picture, Vancouver is a remarkable place to live and work and it's great to be recognized for that."

We are all linked

Yesterday the Vancouver Aquarium announced that Beluga Whale Aurora gave birth to female calf and released a video of the birth too. It is great to hear that Vancouver has become the home of another beautiful mammal.

On the topic of home, Yann Arthus-Bertrand released a film called HOME which will be available on YouTube until June 14, 2009. You can watch a preview below.

Death by Mangoes on the way to sunset!

It was another beautiful sunny day in Vancouver. My family decided to go to La Casa Gelato to cool down. La Casa Gelato has the best ice cream in Vancouver. They are located in the middle of nowhere but its worth the trip. We tried a lot of flavours including cotton candy, chocolate almond, lychee and my favourite Death by Mangoes. They have 218 flavours which makes any grown up feel like a kid again. They even have wasabi and curry! Try at your own risk.

After getting some ice cream, we went to Kitsilano Beach and finished the day watching the sun set behind the mountains.

I found Gold!

The virtual Olympic Doorway opened today again and tickets went on sale starting at 10am. I was fortunate to be able to enter at 10:01am on my desktop computer while my laptop was greeted to the Waiting Room. I was able to acquire what I could not do on my previous attempt on the Vancouver 2010 website, tickets to ... The Opening Ceremonies! I am really excited.

Rod Mickleburgh in today's Globe and Mail compares winning tickets to an old-fashioned gold rush where "there will be winners, lots of losers and a bonanza determined as much by chance as careful planning". I really hope that everyone got tickets to at least one event that they really wanted to go to.

TGIF Friday

The 2010 Vancouver Olympic countdown is in effect. I received my official reminder from VANOC yesterday about tickets going on sale tomorrow. We have the opportunity to buy tickets to the opening ceremonies, men's hockey gold medal game and more. I am really excited and hope to have new tickets. I wish anyone success acquiring tickets.

Reminder: Olympic tickets on sale this Saturday, June 6 at 10 am (PT)

Tickets will be available to Canadian residents on a first-come, first-served basis. Don't forget to take a minute before Saturday to ensure that you're ready!

1. Know your Vancouver 2010 ticketing account — Re-familiarize yourself with your account by signing in before June 6. Sign in to your ticketing account now >>

2. Plan ahead — Tickets will be available for all sport and ceremony sessions. Make a list of the sports and sessions you want to see. View Competition Schedule>>>

3. Have your Visa ready — In recognition of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Visa sponsorship, we are proud to acknowledge Visa as the only payment card accepted.

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Olympic ticket designs

The first four ticket designs — Opening Ceremony, ice hockey, cross-country skiing and curling — were unveiled today! The colourful tickets reflect the graphic identity of the 2010 Winter Games, with its swirling palette of blues and greens found in the natural landscape of Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky region. This look will also be found at Games time in 2010 on banners, venue signage and buildings, giving the entire Host Region a seamless festive atmosphere as we welcome the world. You will have your tickets in-hand when they are sent by Purolator Courier later this year.
View the first four ticket designs>>>

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The Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre

Special hours for Phase 2 (Pacific Time):
Saturday, June 6, 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday, June 7, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Phone: 1-800-TICKETS (1-800-842-5387)
E-mail: customercare@tickets.vancouver2010.com
TDD/TTY: 604-629-7140 (for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing)

Thank you for your support of the 2010 Winter Games.

Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Team

Let's ride this heat out!

It's bike month and I have officially started to look for a new bike. I hope to get a bike that works well, was built to be fast, fits me well and is not expensive. Free would be even better. I am looking for inspiration and was thinking of visiting the Velo-City exhibit: Vancouver & the Bicycle Revolution at the Museum of Vancouver.

Vancouver’s human-powered revolution that's changing the way people experience and relate to the city, their neighborhoods, and to their own bodies.

The show opened today and runs until September 7, 2009. I enjoy taking the Translink because it allows me to read however I would like to be more physically active while doing mu part for the environment.

Happy Clean Air Day! Now Just Chill!

Hot, dry weather prompts air quality warning in Metro Vancouver
Today was an excellent day to promote clean air and good health across Vancouver. It was really hot day and residents are being asked "to cut back on activities that might increase air pollution, such as driving."

Instead of driving, take the commuter challenge or go for a walk with a friend and treat him or her to a Blizzard at Dairy Queen. Currently, if you join DQs Blizzard Fan Club you will get a coupon for a free blizzard when you purchase one.

Good music!

Matthew Good will be releasing his new album "Vancouver" in October this year. However, you can listen to one of his songs at his blog until tomorrow night.

Great Whales Of The Sea (Flash Required)

If you miss the deadline,  you can always watch one his older videos until "Vancouver" is unleashed.

Happy listening!

Bowen Island was Amazing!

I went to Bowen Island over the weekend. The weather was great and it was so easy to get there. Picked up the 257 - HORSESHOE BAY/VANCOUVER EXPRESS bus downtown at the corner of West Georgia St. and Seymour St.which dropped me off at the Horshe Bay Ferry Terminal where I bought tickets to Bowen Island. The ferry ride was about 20 minutes.

The place was paradise. Lots of beautiful scenery and friendly people at the local shops. Great family outing.