I’m currently on vacation in Europe and this month also marks my seventh year in Vancouver. To celebrate, I’m highlighting a few things I’d miss about Vancouver if I moved away:

I’ll miss Stanley Park the most of I ever moved away!

I think every city should have a ‘Stanley Park’, not necessarily a park/forest in the middle of the city, but a welcoming sanctuary away from a bustling metropolis.

Vancouver would not be the same without Stanley Park, it’s part of the city’s charm.

The first time I explored Stanley Park and walked the Seawall, I knew I’d found something special. I moved closer to the park and have never looked back.

I’ve probably spent more time in Stanley Park than any other place in the city; I’ve probably walked/ran the Seawall a million times. Stanley Park is huge, and seven years later I’m still discovering it.

My favourite activity is to run the Seawall, which has literally saved my life. It has helped me think,� de-stress and keep healthy; I’ve also met some wonderful people on the way.

Walking up to Prospect Point is another favourite of mine; I meander through the cool Avison Trail and come out by the bridge.

I spend a lot of time exploring Lost Lagoon in the summer and taking in views of the city.

I’ve spent countless hours at the beach.

Wildlife at the Park

The sea that straddles the park.

And the people!

Stanley Park is basically my gym, my therapy and my getaway. I doubt that I’ll find that anywhere else.

I’m currently on vacation in Europe and this month also marks my seventh year in Vancouver. To celebrate, I’m highlighting a few things I’d miss about Vancouver if I moved away:

The O Canada Horn is one of those things that’s uniquely Vancouver.

Everyday at noon, The horn blares out the first four notes of O Canada (the Canadian national anthem) loud enough to be heard all over the downtown area.

From the West End to Gastown no one misses noon time in Vancouver.

It’s always comforting to hear that sound when I’ve been out of the city for a while, and I’m sure it’s a welcoming sound to visitors too

The horns sit atop of Canada Place (on top of the Pan Pacific hotel), with sets facing different directions.

Called the ‘Heritage Horns’,� history has it that the horns were designed by steam engineer Bob Swanson for the BC Hydro Canadian Centennial project in 1967, and blared for years from on top of the old BC Hydro Building. It moved to Canada Place when the BC Hydro building was converted into condos.

The O Canada horn at lunchtime is a charming Vancouver soundmark that I’ll miss if I ever moved away.

My mom is a member of the West End Seniors Network, an organization that provides social, educational and recreational programs to seniors in the West End.

Remember when I said I wasn’t sure what my mom does with her time? Well, she spends a lot of time at Barclay Manor where the seniors’ centre is located.

Last year she took an Excel class, so she helps Paul with the books these days.

On Wednesdays she goes to her conversational English class and sometimes she meets a group of ladies for a game of cribbage.

I hope I like cribbage too when I’m old and (re)tired because it looks like I may be playing a lot of that.

Last Wednesday the West End Seniors’ Network had their 30^th anniversary dinner and dance and my mom attended.

She was very excited to go, she got her tickets about a month early and couldn’t decide what to wear.

She wouldn’t stay still enough for a decent picture.

Sadly I wasn’t at the event to document the fun, but she had a great time.

She may have also met the man who’s going to be my new daddy.

They waltzed, which is a bit disappointing because we’d been practising the Charleston ever since that Mad Men episode.

This is my brother Joe

When we were kids he wrote an essay for school that started out like this;

“My name is Joe, just Joe. Not Joseph, Joshua or Jose. I’m Joe, short for Kojo because I was born on a Monday”

Everyone acted as if he was Shakespeare reincarnated or something.

Joe and I didn’t get along when we were kids, I thought he was bratty and he thought… well, I don’t really know what he thought of me then.

I believe our clashes was mostly due to our parents (yes, if you think about it hard enough, you can blame almost anything on your parents!). When my parents divorced, my dad got custody of Joe and I, except my mom fought tooth and nail to take Joe, even risked going to jail, but she left me with my dad. Granted, Joe was like six years old then, but for years I resented my mom for that and Joe to some extent. Anyway…. bygones – we have a much better relationship now that we’re both adults.

So Joe grew up to be a pretty decent guy and I sometimes have to remember that he’s no longer a child. He’s a man, who not only does manly things, but also independent adult things.

He has opinions and responsibilities. He cares about the planet – he took a Photovoltaics course this summer, next summer he’s going to try to build his own solar panel from individual components.

He’s militant about recycling and don’t get him started on his vision for wastewater as a renewal energy source.

He reminds me of my dad sometimes; my dad was a dreamer too. My dad was going build his own micro hydro system to generate enough power to run a farm, and make safe drinking water from rainwater; needless to say, we went seven years without electricity or running water. Joe purposefully works for one of the most socially responsible companies in North America.

Joe still remains my mom’s favourite, but I’m ok with that… years of therapy has helped me deal with it.

But what mother wouldn’t love a son more when he brings her orange roses?

What mother wouldn’t love the son who goes on walks with her more than the ones who don’t.

Who would you love more, the son whose work colleagues sends you flowers when you’re sick or the son who doesn’t even bother to call you after your mastectomy?

Last night it dawned on me that my mom raised a gentleman, and maybe it was all worth it.

For months now, I’ve been looking for the perfect bag for my ‘gear’.

I was looking for an alternative to the typical camera bag, a stylish alternative, if you would.

I find that the typical camera bag is either bulky, ugly or screams “rob me; I have thousands of dollars worth of equipment in here”. Most of these camera bags are geared towards professional photographers, and most of the ones for consumer use are a weird triangular shape or looks like a bucket.

I’m going on vacation on Saturday and I’m bringing with me; my camera (with lens attached) and two other smaller lenses.

I don’t want to carry two bags; I want a bag/case that fits inside my (large) hand bag.

Like I said, I spent months looking for the perfect bag. It became a bit of an obsession, I looked and looked desperately. I’d sneak away in the afternoons browsing shops. I looked in seedy places. I couldn’t tell anyone because even I knew I was being ridiculous.

I googled “alternative to camera bags” and ‘met’ thousands of people like me. Most of the alternatives suggested were messenger bags.

I learnt about luxury camera bags like the Billingham and the Brady Bags.

I considered getting a cosmetic bag, I actually got a cosmetic bag, I hated it but my camera and lenses fit.

About a week ago I went to camera shop at Aberdeen Centre and saw the Lowepro Terraclime 100.

It wasn’t love at first sight; it’s still a messenger bag – what had me looking was the padded wrap it comes with.

It’s also eco-conscious, made of recycled PET bottles, a portion of sales of each bag goes to Polar Bear International.

It’s spacious enough for my camera, an extra 50mm lens and my wallet.

I don’t mind carrying my stuff in it if I’m going somewhere specifically to take pictures. It comes in green, black and plum, I chose green.

I like it so far after several days of light use; I guess we’ll see how it performs on vacation. I’ve used the wrap more often than the actual bag.