The Great Winter Storm of 2016/17

This winter, we got to enjoy the company of Sayaka's family while spending the Christmas holiday in their hometown of Hiroshima, Japan. It was a great trip that refreshed my mind and inspired me to be a better me for my family, clients, and friends. However, I had to return home ahead of my wife and kids to prepare for the upcoming year, which we anticipate to be busier than the media hopes. This winter also saw Mother Nature surprise the South Coast of BC with what the rest of Canada considers normal. We had an actual Canadian winter, complete with frozen lakes, blankets of snow, and frigid temperatures. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated when we are clearly not prepared for or accustomed to being surrounded by snow for a long stretch. While such weather systems bring with it the inconvenience for commuters, the strenuous chore of shoveling the driveways, and the fight of the century...for salt, it was a wonderful sight to see all the people playing outside and having fun with it! I sure wished my family was here to enjoy it all with me. Here is how I will remember winter of 2016/17. 

Pond hockey

One of the treats of the recent cold snap was the frozen ponds around town. Growing up, I spent a lot of time at Trout lake, having lived only 1 block away as a child. I had only ever seen it frozen once but finally, this year I could proudly say that I got to skate on it. A Canadian tradition that we Vancouverites have never complained about and would happily trade in for our mild West Coast weather we usually enjoy, it was rather pleasant to see how a natural frozen sheet of ice can bring out a small-town atmosphere to the community. When I went, it was the second day after officials deemed it safe for public enjoyment, and literally thousands of people were seen skating on it. Pickup games formed with the power of one guy with a shovel and random strangers joined in and taking turns to etch out a rink. It was great teamwork and lots of fun! No one kept score and there was no discrimination against age, race, gender or religion. Maybe world peace is possible after all. We just need one guy with a shovel. 

Beautiful snow covered trails

An unexpected perk that I personally got to experience was the natural beauty of the snow-covered trails around Burnaby Lake. I frequently take walks around the 10.2 km Burnaby Lake Loop with our dog, Boke and it's a beautiful lake to begin with. But covered with snow, partially frozen lake with a back drop of ice capped mountains, snow covered trees and pure white trails can truly take your breath away. If you can tough out the -3-degree temperature, the added difficulty of stretches of icy trail and deep snow, it is worth a try without the long drive through winding roads outside of the city. 

Ice flowing down the Fraser River

Lastly, one of my favorite spots in the Lower Mainland is in New Westminster at the Quay. I often take the family to the River Market to have a tasty lunch with one of the top-notch vendors and go for a scenic stroll along the picturesque boardwalk. The wooden plank trail is lined with flowers and takes you along the mighty Fraser River, where tug boats and loggers are frequently seen at work. I went there in mid January and to my surprise, ice was flowing down the river! I imagined seeing a stranded penguin or polar bear on one of these patches of ice like the documentaries of the arctic but it was just plain slow moving ice. Maybe it was just me but I found it so peaceful to observe the movement of pieces of ice flowing down a river wondering how far it traveled and if anyone got to play hockey on it.    

Although it was cold throughout the day and a little bit difficult navigating through some small streets at times, I would happily trade in these inconveniences to have a chance to enjoy the next Vancouver edition of a Canadian winter with my family any day of the week. It was rare for us City Folk to experience the long stretch of winter and seeing everyone and their dogs enjoying the outdoors together. That is how I will remember the great winter storm of 2016. Spring is just around the corner so let's get ready for some family fun in the new year!

 

 

FUN with SON: Lego Imagine Nation Tour

Living in Vancouver, we are spoiled by the surrounding natural beauty, fresh air, and picturesque views. We are also a magnet for many awesome traveling exhibits, conventions, and concerts. Last weekend, I managed to take a whole day off to take my little buddy D on a Fun with Son adventure to one of these events, the Lego Imagine Nation Tour while the girls had a relaxing day at home. Ever since school started, we don't get to spend as much time together doing fun stuff so this is big treat for both of us. In my mind, I expected to spend the day playing Lego with the boy. When we got there, it quickly occurred to me that I would only be watching him play. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

The tickets were relatively cheap ($28 each) and we had been looking forward to this event ever since we purchased the tickets back in August. We had a similar trip to Legoland in Tokyo last winter and had so much fun that we were looking forward to going back soon. Together, we had the whole day planned which included a nap before the event, catching the skytrain there and back, and taking a cab to dinner. Leading up to the event, I thought about when he was 2 years old and only into Mega Bloks. He would put together 3-4 blocks and tell me he built a car or a robot. These days, he would hold a seminar to show me how his complex Lego robots, driven by two Lego men shoots rockets and transforms into a coffee maker so he could make me a drink. I await the day when he builds a running time machine out of LEGO and asks me to come with him so he could tame a T-Rex.

Held at the Vancouver Convention Center between September 30 to October 2, the Lego Imagine Nation Tour is an interactive family event for fans of all ages. Luckily they made a stop in Vancouver as they only planned five stops in Canada. The tour is made up of 14 exhibits and experiences that feature displays of life size iconic characters like Darth Vader, The Hulk, Spiderman, and R2D2. FUN FACT: Did you know there are only 7 Lego Master Builders in the world? Don't worry, I never heard of it either but one of these Masters were in attendance to give a demonstration on Lego building techniques so that the world may one day have 8 or 9 more Master Builders.

The missions and experiences that were introduced varied and caters to a wide range of fans. With limited time, we were only able to get through under half of it but we made the best of our time. Starting at Lego City, I watched as D expertly assembled a speedster that looks like a monster truck with its large wheels, crew cab, and a reinforced bumper meant for destroying anything that meets its path. He tested it numerous times to his satisfaction. After 45  minutes of his improv engineering, he declared that he was ready to race and challenged anyone who dared. I am pleased to announce that he won most of the races and the only car that got destroyed was his own. The genius planners save some space for people to valet their creations so they can come back and continue building if they please. 

Next door, was the Minecraft exhibition. D asked me to help him build a fort but as I was collecting pieces, I noticed all the kids were fighting for a 2 cell block with the letters TNT on it. D told me his was rich because he collected more TNT than anyone else. Puzzled, I asked, what is the TNT for? At least half the kids at the booth looked at me as if I were Donald Trump attempting an apology. They told me that it was like money in Minecraft; that the more you have the richer you were because you can blow things up. I still don't know what so great about it which, apparently, means that I am an uncool dad. 

Across from Minecraft was the NEXO Knights mission. Here, kids are asked to make a shield for their knights to display proudly during their epic battles. D worked hard at his simple but cleverly named, "My Face Shield," which he said is designed from his own face because he can scare people. The Lego helpers agreed that it was scary and rewarded him with a NEXO Knight catapult Lego set to take home. He was beaming with pride that his Face Shield was appreciated.

After a brief water break (where I lined up for 20 minutes), we continued through the event, where we finally arrived at the Ninjago Dojo design mission. The lineups had been long all day because the kids were to protect their creations from attacking ninjas in a virtual reality platform. We decided that I would line up while D works on his architectural master piece. He told me he would build a bridge to the dojo where he will plant some Minecraft TNT that he borrowed from the other exhibition and set some traps so the ninjas can't touch his dojo. After 45 minutes, it was time to put his ninja skills to the test. He did a lot of chopping and kicking and punching and spinning and slipping and winning. When he was done, he collapsed to the floor out of breath. It was quite an acrobatic display of poorly practiced ninjitsu that only warrants a pat on the back from the ancient warriors of Japan for his efforts.

D was drained as we entered the Star Wars challenge. The coolest part about this exhibit was the life size models of Yoda, Darth Vader, and R2 D2. It was an incredible display of  dedication, creativity, and determination for someone to put it all together. Anyhow, the challenge was to build a fighter ship and display it proudly in the Star Wars Galaxy display table. After all we had already been through, this was considered a pretty tame booth. Unfortunately for D, the Force was not with him as he soon passed out on a pile of lego at the Brick Pit.

Although I spent most of the day in lineups or on the sidelines staying out of the way of all the children who were feverishly picking out blocks, I felt we had a great time together. This is a traveling road show that we will definitely return to should they choose to come back to Vancouver! Until then, we shall "Play on."

 

Sea to Sky Highway View points (August 5, 2014)

We recently had some family members visit from overseas and decided to take them to Whistler to see the Olympic venues and the lakes that are nearby the Village. We did not stay overnight as time was limited so we planned our trip carefully. The plan was to drive up in the morning and visit the Alexander Falls viewpoint, which is a quick 10 minute drive off the main highway at the entrance of Whistler very near the Olympic park.


Our next stop was Alta Lake just before the Village. We spent some time here enjoying the lake and views of the mountains and beautiful real estate that surround it. The lake was warm and filled with little fish that we were able to try to catch with our hands. The kids had a great time!
 

We decided to stop for lunch and get some rest before we went and explored the rest of Whistler Village. There are many great places to dine and you will most likely find something that suits your taste. For us, since our visitors came such a great distance to visit, we spoiled them with afternoon tea at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

After replenishing, we walked around and lets the kids play at the wooden playground at the Olympic Plaza. In the winter time, the Plaza also turns into an outdoor skating rink and the site of numerous outdoor concerts year round.

On our drive home, we made plans to stop at every view point we could to capture the natural beauty that our province is known world wide for. First stop was Tantalus viewpoint 10 minutes north of Squamish, which offered an impressive view of the Callaghan Valley.

Our favorite stop happened to be the last stop at Porteau Cove. If you have never heard of Porteau Cove then you must make a stop there on your next trip up to Whistler if not for the view then at least for the washrooms since there aren't very many on the way. What we liked about this stop was that it offered a beautiful view from a unique dock with elevated platforms, right on the Ocean and the variety of activities that it offered which made it a fun place to stop for a break. To the south of the dock was a camp ground, which we took note to come back for in the future as camping just off a beach sounds a bit too tempting for us.

The Sea to Sky Highway offers many other stops which we did not have time for but if you are planning your next trip to Whistler and want to make a few more stops, consider the Stawamus Chief for a hike up to the peak of Squamish or ride the new Squamish Gondola to get to the Summit for a real treat. Shannon Falls is another great Squamish stop and if you are looking to hit the links, Furry Creek golf course is an incredible golf course which offer breathtaking panoramic views from almost every hole. I hope you and your family enjoy your next trip up the Sea to Sky.

Skytrain adventure Part 1: Ferry to Granville Island (June 29, 2014)

One of the nice things about living in Burnaby is being far enough away from Downtown that it actually feels like we are going to a foreign country when we take the Skytrain. On a side note, the skytrain is good place to observe each area's demographics if you are unsure where you want to live. Each station has its own personality.



Because of all the places you can go by taking the skytrain, we will share with you in this first part of the Skytrain Series, our trip to Granville Island and the route we chose to take. We started off on a train towards Waterfront Station from Lougheed station where we parked our car. Waterfront station is the last stop on the Expo Line and this is where we switched trains towards YVR on the Canada Line to our destination, Yaletown. At Yaletown, we boarded the False Creek Ferries / Aquabus and crossed False Creek to Granville Island. The trip totaled 45 minutes and our little guy had a sensory overload from all the things he got to see along the way and talk about along the way.

The arrival dock at Granville Island couldn't have been a better place for us to have our picnic. We sat on a bench which overlooks all the boats at the marina and a breathtaking view of the city with its mountain backdrop. To our surprise, a street performer set up a few meters from us and play some soothing recorder music while we enjoyed our lunch boxes.

After replenishing, we went for a walk through the market and took in all the atmosphere that Granville Island has to offer. Just a sample of what caught our eye...

Hope you give this journey a try and enjoy your local explorations!

Fishing at Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam (June 20, 2014)

This week we went somewhere and did something we haven’t done before. Fishing for rainbow trout at Lafarge Lake in the center of Town Center Park in Coquitlam. For those of you who have never been to this part of town, it is approximately 40 minutes from Downtown Vancouver and about a 15 minute drive from my home in Burnaby, which makes it a very convenient outing for my family! 

 

Lafarge Lake is known to locals as a fun fishing hole where the Fraser Valley Hatchery keeps the lake nicely stocked throughout the year. After reading some reviews, we decided to set up camp on the North side of the Lake closer to the playground and Volleyball courts for the simple reason that we can always retreat to a more familiar activity if the kid loses interest.

Speaking of familiar activities, I haven’t been inside this park for at least 10 years and I was pleasantly surprised by all the extra-curricular upgrades done to enhance the experience of the visitors. Besides the playground and volleyball courts, there is also a skate park, Water Park, track and field/soccer stadium and the main event, outdoor concrete ping pong and foosball tables!!! Remember to bring your own paddle and balls! 

Back to our feature activity, as fishing can be a complicated sport, I spent an hour the previous day preparing the boy for casting his reel for the first time. When he got the hang of it, he taught mom how to cast a line so that she was ready to go for her first time. He did an amazing job and sent the line at least 5 meters out on his first try. After about an hour of testing our patience, we decided to pull out the picnic lunch that the wife prepared and quickly ate so that we can try again. Another hour of catching nothing but seaweed we decided to go for a bike ride around the park instead.

I should have added a disclaimer at the beginning but it’s not too late to note that you shouldn’t take any fishing advice from me. I might be able to tie a knot on the hook but that is about all I can say about my fishing experience. If you plan to try this activity, remember to pack a lunch, bring some bait and an extra change of clothes as little kids tend to like splashing water. In our case, he jumped right in. I hope you enjoy your next outing at Lafarge Lake! Catch ya later...