SNOW HEAVEN

I missed it by one day! That's half a foot, baby!










That's alright. I still got to ride on 4 cm of cover from the night before. It was amazing!! Got some good speed. Plus, I discovered some really serene, yet challenging glades. But, my legs are burning now!

And about the same amount of snow fell in Calgary...

I WAS MCDONALD'S EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH - TWICE!

I just noticed that there is a McDonald's ad in the desktop weather tool that I use. Mmm. Very tricky. Actually, A saw it and pointed it out! Very suitable segue to this next musing...

This would have made a very good MBA thesis/project. Except that, in order to succeed, you have to consider bribery, using genetically modified plants, growth hormones, deploying questionable labour management (read: using dispensable and inexpensive juvenile service crews), launching objectionable marketing campaigns aimed at kids (or in my case, unsuspecting desktop weather tools!), or corrupting nutritionists and politicians. The finer points of a graduate business education that is spoken about, but never officially part of the curriculum. Yikes! Obviously, this simulation was written with a certain slant in mind. But with recent attention to this coporation's practices (the Super Size Me documentary, the Fast Food Nation book), it's worth more than a fleeting thought when you decide to order a Happy Meal!

www.mcvideogame.com

By the way, cows in factory farms aren't mad, they're just misunderstood!

BRRRR....

Always worth checking the desktop weather tool before heading outdoors...










I actually put on my snowboarding base layer just to go outside!

USELESS DISTRACTIONS ON HARDWOOD FLOORS

From time to time, I receive "fake" comments to a posting which turns out to be annoying spam. Easy enough to fix; just click on the little garbage can icon and it's gone forever! Recently, I stumbled on a blog that I found to be quite humorous. It's called Useless Advice From Useless Men. Readers submit questions on any topics and the contributors respond. Often, the replies are very tongue-in-cheek AND ARE SO FUNNY! So, it appears that the most recent comment was left by one of these Useless Men. Yet, it wasn't your typical spam because it actually made references to certain things in the post and things found within the website! I feel like I've been paid a visit by a celebrity! I had recently linked to their site by quietly tucking them away on the side bar, but now I feel like I should pay tribute to them by devoting some more blogging space.

My colleagues like finding things to help make a night shift go faster: KEEP UPS WITH A TENNIS BALL

I'm finding that I'm spending more time at the local recreation centre. I'm used to capping off my swim/run workouts with some circuit weight training. Now, I will also scoot down to the gym and pull out the Infusion b-ball that S gave me for my 30th and shoot some hoops. The hard wood floored gym is always open and I find it very relaxing to be working on free throws or threes!

KEEP THE STOKE ALIVE!

This is why everyone who snowboards should buy a Burton board! I sent in my story about our adventure on the cliffs at Sunshine and Burton responded! They also sent some cool stickers - thanks Billy!






Having returned to home in Calgary and settling back into a routine, I've had time to reflect about my past week in Toronto. And one thing becomes very apparent to me. It relates to one of the biggest challenges that one experiences when moving to a different place. For me, time continues to pass, minute by minute, day by day. I do work, I do chores, I do exercise. When I was in Toronto, I did all these same things. But the difference is in HOW I remember doing those things. That is because I was surrounded by a community that took an interest in what I was doing and I had deep relationships with this community. So, regardless of whether it was working, going out to share a meal or just hanging out, relationship adds zip to an activity like a squirt of Sriracha. And I now realize that this happened quite often in Toronto. Whereas in Calgary, these moments are few and far between. Families that move as a unit have an easier time because there is always a default connection. I'm not saying that I am homesick and am ready to return to Toronto. Rather, I realize the value of community and also the patience required in building genuine relationships (after all, it took me 30 years to build up the ties I was blessed with in Toronto). It was such a blessing last week to be completely inundated by all these "memorable events" (hence so much I could blog about), most of which were initiated by others.

One thing that has been on mind since returning is how can my profession contribute to His Kingdom in the here and now. A software engineer can decide to create open source applications so that more people can benefit from innovation. A lawyer can advocate for the rights of children and the disenfranchised. A pharmacist can use her clout to move life saving drugs to areas where they are desperately needed. A teacher can impart the ethos of social consciousness on a demographic that is most impressionable. But what can an Energy Trader do? I'm still learning my trade and constantly keeping an eye open for where there are opportunities to make a difference. But I don't know enough to see if there will be such opportunities. Or perhaps this is just a "transition" period, as I continue to acquire skills that may lead me to something else. Or perhaps this is just a vocation, something I do to acquire resources so that I can support a ministry outside of work. It didn't help that Bono's recent talk at the National Prayer Breakfast was so moving! Mmmm. Still pondering...

Procrastinating from studying...

PB, TMH, IC, PIA, XL

I've noticed that people in Calgary like using acronymns. Not because they are lazy, but it seems to be one of those interesting communication things that makes this culture unique. It's never Boston Pizza, but BP's. It's not Canada Olympic Park, but COP. Thank you is T-Y!

PB. Met up with D and G, who are pure bred Calgarians visiting Toronto for training and med school. We planned to go to church together, so we decided to grab a quick breakfast at Pickle Barrel beforehand. I had a very nice French toast breakfast, served in true PB-enlarged proportions!

TMH. Ah, so nice to be back in the Silver City that serves as church for The Meeting House - North Toronto. Many a times, I've been there, long before the service started, helping to set up the sound system. Today, it was quite nice just to be a participant worshipper. "Seeing" Bruxy in person adds so much to his sermons, which I still continue to listen to online. I hope that one day they will upload the actual video.

IC. Ok. This whole "all-you-can-eat" phenomenon in Toronto is plain getting way out of control. I-Cook is an all-you-can-eat dim sum place. It's nice and the food quality wasn't too bad. Sadly, I think that if people get used to this way of eating (be it sushi, or Korean BBQ, or Indian food), not only will they eat more than they need (perpetuating this growing obesity problem) but that people's perception of value will be skewed (i.e. if it's not a buffet, you're somehow getting ripped off). In fact, I feel a certain twinge of guilt if I only order once, as if I'm not getting my money's worth.

PIA. Or just the airport, as most Torontonians refer to it as. One doesn't realize how bad this airport is until you've been to other airports. Does it really make sense that they charge you $2 for a cart? Plus, parking is just plain highway robbery. And that you never know when you arrive there what you will find. Will there be a line up to check in? Will there be a line up to get through security? My experiences with the Calgary Airport have been completely the opposite. You don't have to pay for a cart and they are amply stored in logical places. If you get to the airport, park, pick up your party and leave within 1/2 hour, it's free! Even if you go overtime, parking fees are very reasonable. The layout is unintimidating and it's not hard to find your way around. I realize that this airport is many times smaller than Pearson, but keep in mind that Pearson also charges higher airport fees, so they have a proportionate amount of money to spend on imporvements.

XL. Not really an acronym, but a numerical device used to communicate a larger meaning. No, not larger clothing size, but the Roman numeral for 40. As in Superbowl 40. If I truly was a die-hard fan, I may not have booked my flight back right in the middle of North America's most watched sporting event. But, I flew Westjet. And I can't stop raving about Westjet, for their competitive pricing, for their customer relations, FOR THEIR ONBOARD LIVE SATELLITE TV's!!!! So, I caught XL at 30,000 feet, hurling at 500+ mph. Of course, it was the Canadian feed, so I didn't see any of the ads. No worries, because, thanks to the internet, one doesn't have to be glued to the TV to see them (poor, poor advertisers - no pun intended). Can I say that I almost peed my pants when I saw this ad: http://www.devilducky.com/media/41804/

MOM'S COOKING, MORE SETTLERS, AND NBA STARS

Relatively speaking, today was a pretty quiet day. My mom hosted a family dinner that was quite the feast. This was, in part, to make up for me missing the New Year meal last week, but more so as an excuse for my mom to cook a lot of amazing food (which she loves doing and is easier when there are more people enjoying it). It was also to celebrate "everyone's birthday", as observed in Chinese tradition. So, she actually had my dad pick up a birthday cake! After dinner, I went to my sister's house to play another round of Settlers. It's interesting: after each time I play this game, I find myself thinking more and more about strategies and scenarios. I'm thinking of making Settlers a regular thing while here in Calgary: first I'm going to look for my own set, then I going to find people to play/learn to play. After my brother-in-law won (once again!), we drove over to the Roof Lounge to meet up with T & C. This place is located on the top level of the Hyatt Hotel. A pretty cool place just to chill. The background music is unobtrusive, the decor is not too stuffy and they have a good selection of drinks. Yet, it's a popular place for celebrities and other famous people. Ah! I got to spend time with a cute blonde from Belgium; well, it's always a treat for me to have a Leffe. We also had good conversations about vocation, studies, camping and why a 24bit Tiff just doesn't cut it for medical images! I saw a guy who I'm pretty sure was Robert Horry (dude was like 6'10); it's possible because the Spurs are in town for a game this week. I had a great time!

SLUSH, CONGEE AND 360

7 a.m. Time to get up. Time to throw my snowboard gear on once again. This time, I will be propelling down good ol' Blue. This place is meaningful to me because I spent countless hours here reflecting, awing, falling, rising and learning. Despite what I've seen out West, doing the trip up Highway 400, then along Highway 26 (through Stayner, turning right when I see the Tim Horton's!) is one I was looking forward to. And, even though the conditions were a little challenging (snowy rain all day, making the playground very wet and slushy), I had a great time. I'm also grateful that I was 'Kavinder' for the day (who allowed me to use his 5x7 pass). We called it quits at around 3, since we were just dripping wet. One of us got hot chocolate spilled on us at the Starbucks (poor kid; I think he was so embarassed that he refused to accept another one), but this led to an interesting conversation I had with the father who noticed my Toronto Marathon shirt. I had an amazing candy apple in the village and then the day was over. Well, the part at Blue anyways.

Ah, good ol' Congee Wong. If there was any reason to keep up my minimal Chinese language skills (well, I'm sure there are many more importants reasons than this), it is so that I can order delicious Chinese food! And so, there I was, facing off against "luong ha yee mein" (lobster E-noodles), "wat dan ngow hoh" (Rice noodles with beef and egg sauce), "sing jow chow law bac go" (Singapore style pan fried turnip), ummm, "#7 in the rice section please" (Winter melon fried rice - hey, I told you my Chinese is limited!). Anyways, I'm surprised that 4 people can spend more than $50 here, and I was even more suprised that we finished off most of it. Except for the turnip. So, we proceeded to ask for a box to take this out. That's when I learned more Chinese. We asked the waiter for a "hup ji" (little box, literally). However, in Mandarin, this is very close to asking for a monkey ("hoh ji"). So, of course, a lot of monkey sounds and hopping around the table ensues!

So, XBOX 360 is useful for MORE than just video games. It can be used as a media extender so that you can incorporate your 50" plasma tv (if one has one) into the whole Windows Media Center setup. So, we were able to view pictures and videos from the Vermont trip with full surround sound! It was a great time reliving memories from less than a week ago. Sound bytes from the evening: "LET-ME-IN!", "DING-DONG", "Beep-Beep-Beep - here comes the grooming machine!", "AND ME!". My participation in the poker game was short lived, killed by a 9 in 2 hands that basically did me in! It was a good time!

DISAPPOINTMENTS AND REUNIONS

Ever since arriving in Calgary, the one family member that I've kept in touch most with is my 8 year old cousin, P. He seems to always be online and so he's constantly im'ing me. The most recent MSN thread:

me: hi p! guess i will see you tonight for dinner!
p: yuo ya
me: did you just get back from school?
p: yes
p: not happy
me: why? are you ok?
p: i cant go to my frind brithday you are coming over
me: oh; i won't be there for long; maybe you can go over to your friend's party after dinner...
p: nope the party end at 600
me: oh. sorry. :(
p: it ok

Ah, such innocence, perhaps feeling the rare sting of disappointment that his young life has yet to experience! I had dinner with him and his family and he soon forgot about his friend's birthday party and we had a great time.

I then headed over to my former Thursday night small group meeting. Though, I've been gone for 3 months, and was reminded of such by the very warm greeting I was met with, it was like I never left this group. The group was planning a community impact project and it felt so good to be around people with such strong social consciences. And though I won't be able to join them for their weekly gathering of the minds, a part of me will always be there; my experience with this group has molded my perspectives into what they are today. I REALLY HAVE MISSED THIS GROUP AS A CONSISTENT, RELIABLE ASPECT OF MY LIFE.

TODAY WAS A VERY MEANINGFUL DAY...

You know that you are on vacation when:
1. You can blog about the events of the day, everyday.
2. You actually do enough things everyday that are worth blogging about.

Perhaps it is more common in North America to be comfortable with vocational stability: having a permanent position, a fixed remuneration scheme and predictable timelines (like when to work and when not to work). And because of this, it takes that much more courage to depart from this bubble of comfort. So, many kudos to C for his recent decision to venture into doing his own thing. I had a good time catching up with him and T over Italian cookies and Perrier.

What does it mean when you can still get together with former colleagues, even though the previous office has been completely dismantled? It means that we had a good thing going, that we created a culture that made work fun (which actually led to some real, fiscal upsides for the company). I was so delighted that all of my former team from the previous Toronto office (including my former director) got together today at Spring Roll for lunch. Everyone is either working at a different company, or gliding on their severance parachutes and still looking. I've known it before, but I really, really appreciate now just how good of a work environment I was part of for the last year before EPCOR Ontario went through its transition.

It doesn't really make sense for me to purchase anything in Ontario if I know that I can buy it in Calgary for at least 8% less. I was pondering this as I walked from Spring Roll (Yonge and Eglinton) down to the Eaton Centre. Taking in the Yonge Street experience when one is a visitor (despite having grown up with it) is interesting - I found that I noticed even the little things and somehow appreciated, as if for the first time, the shades that make it uniquely Toronto. I was drawn into Sam The Record Man, a mainstay landmark that I've unconsciously passed many times. I somehow gravitated to their electronica section and thought that I probably couldn't find some of this music in Calgary (not that I've looked, but I was justifying a purchase, you know). Anyways, new tunes on my MP3 player:










(one is an interesting collection of well-known classical pieces that have been fused with electronica backbeats; the other is by Massive Attack, a group that pioneered the whole trip-hop scene in the U.K. back in the 80's - they are also responsible for the theme song from House)- click below to hear samples - haha! I figured a way to trick Youtube into allowing me to upload songs!!)




Ah, nostalgia at Fairview Mall's Rainbow Cinemas. I caught the matinee showing of Glory Road, which is a mildly touching screen adaptation of the real life story of the 1966 Texas Western Miners NCAA championship b-ball team. It follows a typical Disney family-oriented film formula, so it's nothing to write home about (i.e. no one dies and it's a happy ending). Plus, the atmosphere was enhanced(?), as it always is at these matinee showings, by a bunch of obnoxiously loud teenagers.

ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI WITH 9 OF MY CLOSEST COLLEGE BUDDIES. Nuff said.

Another impromptu visit. After the sushi feast, I gave a call to my best man, S. He happened to be home and I told him I wanted to pay him a visit. Him and his brand new, humungous house! His master bedroom is probably bigger than the condo that he lived in for the past few years! He hosted about 35 people for a New Year's dinner and I can see that he would not have had any problems fitting them all in. It was a short, but worthy visit. But, I will be seeing both S and I in Calgary in about a month's time. Yeah! Another excuse to go have steak!