Random Thoughts and Rants...

The Five Stages of Grief

2010-12-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2010 - In 1969, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced what has become known as the five stages of grief. The five stages are:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

The model was originally used to describe the process that people go through when suffering from terminal illness, but was later expanded to other personal losses such as death of a loved one, break up and divorce, job loss, etc. Kubler-Ross explained that while not everyone will experience all five stages at a time of loss, most people experience at least two of the stages and many experience a roller coaster effect - that is going back and forth between the different stages.

I don't know where I am on this spectrum. Over the past 12 hours, I think I have experienced all five stages. There were times when I'm definitely in denial. I was angry at times but mostly just sad and disappointed. I've cried and yelled. I've tried to tell myself it will be okay and have tried to understand it, but I'm still confused as ever. Then it goes back to the denial stage all over again.

I feel like a part of me died. And I'm in mourning.

Its weird that I'm coming back to blogging after a few years away, but I think writing about the end of this once very important, if not the most important part of my life will hopefully help me deal with it better.

Olympics Wrap-Up

2008-08-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

August 24, 2008 - So after 2 weeks of watching more sports than I have in the past 2 years, my Olympics watching officially came to an end with the Closing Ceremony (which I had to watch on youtube!). Surprisingly, I watched way more of the Beijing Olympics than I thought I would, thanks to the CBC online streaming site that allowed me to watch pretty much every sport and almost every race or competition that I want. With the end of what may be the most spectacular Olympics ever, I thought I would share three of my most memorable moments of these games (at least the moments that I managed to watch):

- Matthew Mitcham of Australia wins gold in 10m diving and kisses his boyfriend in front of tv cameras

This kid (only 20 years old!) managed to beat the heavily favourite Chinese divers with an amazing final dive and won the only gold medal in diving that did not go to China. How did he celebrate his win? by running to the stands and kisseing his mom and his boyfriend! Aww. He is also the only openly gay male athlete out of the 11,000 at the Olympics. Kudos to him for 1) winning the gold medal; 2) being openly gay in a field that's still homophobic and 3) for making his sponsors fly his boyfriend over from Sydney so he could watch him compete. It doesn't hurt that he's super cute as well.

- Matthias Steiner of Germany cries on the podium holding a picture of his late wife after winning gold

No one really thought he would win gold in weightlifting after he failed to lift the two lighter weights. In his final shot, he decided to go for it and raised his weights by 10 kg - to 258 kg. He groaned, yelled and lifted it over his head. The announcers were clearly shocked - no one thought he could do it. On the podium, as the German national anthem played, and with tears flowing down his face - he took out a picture and smiled at it: it was a picture of his late wife, who died a year ago in a car accident. On her death bed, he had promised he would make their joint Olympic dreams come true. And that he did.

- Natalie du Toit of South Africa swims in the open water race with one leg

For many, it's hard enough to swim with two legs, but this girl from South Africa became probably the first one-legged swimmer to swim in an Olympic competition. Her determination and grits are hard to match. She finished 16th in the race, but she is definitely inspirational. Anyone who came back from the shock of losing their leg to training for the Olympics deserves our applause.

The excitement of winning medals at the Olympics are truly memorable, but what I think makes the Olympics special are these truly inspirational stories. I'm sure I missed a whole bunch too, like that story of the US swimmer who has testicular cancer at 24 and still swam in the Olympics, or the story of the Somalian girl who came in last in the 200m race but still got a standing ovation. It's great that for 2 weeks every 4 years, the world focuses not on multi-millionaire baseball players or hockey players, but on real athletes that show what true sportsmanship is all about.

Am I Moving to Vancouver?

2008-08-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

August 21, 2008 - As some of you know, I have been applying for jobs for months now. My theory is that it never hurts to see what's out there, cause you never know what could happen. So to my surprise, on Monday, I got a call from TransLink, the regional transit authority in Vancouver, asking me to do a phone interview with them for a Transit Planner position!!

To say I was shocked is an understatement, given the fact that I have applied to out of province (and out of the country) jobs a number of times and have never gotten an interview. To have the opportunity to interview for what sounds like my dream job in my dream city is really truly unbelievable.

Of course, even if I do get the job (and I don't think I will based on my interview today), it's not like I will take it. Yeah, it's great to imagine how cool it would be to move to Vancouver, but really, am I willing to give up everything that I have now and start fresh in another city? I think the answer, at this point is no.

Oh well. At least I tried!

Montreal is the new Boardwalk?

2008-08-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

August 20, 2008 - Back in February, I blogged about the new Monopoly "Word Cities" edition contest where voters can choose which 20 cities will make the board for this new version of the game. Today, the full list of cities were announced: Montreal shockingly will become the new Boardwalk, with Riga, Latvia as the new Park Place.

I'm not sure how Montreal became the most expensive real estate (over London, Paris and New York?) but I guess kudos to Hasbro (the folks behind Monopoly) for sticking to the results of the voting by fans. Still, if it was really based on a list of world cities, I highly doubt Riga, Kyiv, Taipei and Gdynia (I had to look up where that is - it's in Poland) would ever make the list.

It's a bit disappointing - but at least two other Canadian cities made the list: Vancouver (as the new New York Ave) and Toronto (as the new Virginia Ave). But no South American cities? or any other American cities other than New York? a bit shocking.

The board game itself is pretty though - each block has a picture that features the city and around the blocks are pictures of the 68 cities that didn't make the list. Definitely a more worthwhile collector's item than other editions I think.

Here's the full list of 22 cities that made it into the game:

Dark Blue: Montreal, Riga
Green: Cape Town, Belgrade, Paris
Yellow: Jerusalem, Hong Kong, Beijing
Red: London, New York, Sydney
Orange: Vancouver, Shanghai, Rome
Magenta: Toronto, Kyiv, Istanbul
Light Blue: Athens, Barcelona, Tokyo
Brown: Taipei, Gdynia

I got 11/20 from my list - not too bad I guess! The game will be on sale starting August 26.

(Photo credit: Kris Abel/CTV)

Highlights from the Big Apple

2008-08-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

August 19, 2008 - I'm back from spending three days in New York. As always, New York is just an awesome place to visit. It's every urban planner's dream of what a city should be like: the buildings, the crowds, the transit system. What I love most about New York is the fact that there is always something new to do. Despite my many visits to the city, I still have yet to visit the MET, or see a Broadway show, or go to the Bronx Zoo. It's a good thing that NYC is close by eh.

Anyway, Julie and I hit up the city - this time, it was more of a shopping trip. We are both broke now (she bought 3x as much as me though) but we had lots of fun. Here are some highlights:

- Shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue:

Normally I would not go inside this super duper expensive department store, but when you're shopping with someone as rich as Julie, 5th Ave is a must. Anyway, it was still fun looking and touching things that you can't afford. Favourite moment: the purple-suit salesman at the Prada section came up to me and said in a high pitch tone "'excuse me sir, THAT purse is $960". Err - thanks.

- Chanting USA-USA-USA in the middle of Times Square:

Turns out New Yorkers are watching the Olympics too. We were glued to the tv the whole time we were having dinner at Ruby Tuesdays near Times Square (we even cheered when Canada won its first swimming medal). As soon as we left the restaurant, we looked up one of those giant tv screens and saw Michael Phelps was getting ready for his last race (and to win his 8th gold medal). We stopped - and so did everyone: pedestrians, cars, buses - Times Square literally stood still. Amid chants of USA-USA-USA (we joined in too), flag-waving, and boos whenever the other countries were leading, we watched Phelps won his record-breaking 8th gold medal of the games.

- Getting stuck on the E train

We all bitch about the TTC, but honestly is the New York subway system any better? well yes and no - it's better cause it pretty much gets you to anywhere and everywhere that you want to go. Having said that, it's not like it's that much more reliable. There seems to be service changes on each and every single line and getting stuck on the train for whatever reason is part of the NYC subway experience. Then again, if the E train isn't running, you can always ride the A or the C - not like here, where if the Yonge train stops running, transit hell breaks loose.

- Grand Central Terminal

Wow. It's probably the most beautiful train stations I have ever been to (including the ones in Europe!). Absolutely stunning - the grand hall, with the sky ceiling, is breathtaking. It was my first time to Grand Central. The station puts our Union Station to shame.

- View from the Empire State Building

Yeah, I've been up the Empire State many times now, but the view is still spectacular. This time, we went at night to see all the lights. Personally, I thought it was a bit dark, but the view is still very cool.

That's it from NYC this year. Not sure if I will visit again next summer (this summer was the third consecutive summer that I visited NYC), but with so much still left to see, who knows?

Off to New York

2008-08-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

August 15, 2008 - I'm off to New York for the long weekend! This is becoming an annual thing, as I have been going to NYC around the same time in August for the past three years now. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I wonder if the city is also caught in Olympics fever!

Watching the Beijing Olympics

2008-08-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

August 13, 2008 - Unless you don't have own a tv, I would say that most people have at least watched parts of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. I mean, how can one not? It's on tv for hours every night; it's making headlines everywhere; and watching hunky swimmers and gymnasts and kayakers (Adam van Koeverden!) in action certainly beats the idiots on Big Brother 10 and whatever else is going in tv-land.

The biggest story on these Olympics of course has been how China will showcase itself to the world. There have been a lot of negative press of course (Western media will always find something to bash China with), but with the focus now on the athletes, there have been a lot of great inspirational stories as well (NBC is great with the tearjerkers on the athletes' struggle). What I know so far from watching these Olympics is that no other Olympics in the foreseeable future will be as grand, as spectacular, and as human-intensive as these ones. The Olympics are China's coming-out party - an opportunity for it to earn a place in the world, at all costs. Be it shutting down traffic and factories, changing weather patterns with their rain-prevention methods, or building the most stunning Olympics venues, these truly are China's games, and they will not be denied of their glory.

So having said that, here are a few things so far about the games that I made me go: "only in China would they do that..."

1) CGI'd Fireworks at the Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony was probably one of the most spectacular live events ever in the history of television. That paper moving thing was stunning, though my favourite was the people dancing on those huge globes. What caught most people's attention was of course the stunning fireworks, which made me go WOW when I first saw it (and I didn't even sit through the entire ceremony!). Of course, now we know that some of what we have seen was actually fake - the part with the giant footprints entering the stadium was computer generated and inserted into the live tv footage. China was not going to let poor lighting and low visibility get in the way of wowing the world with its fireworks!

2) Lip-synching 9 year old girl

In addition to the fake fireworks, the opening ceremony also featured a lip-synching 9 year old girl. Olympics organizers loved the girl, but her voice was terrible. They found a 7 year old girl with a great voice, but she was deemed not "pretty enough because of her buck teeth" for the world. So when the 9 year old took the stage in front of billions around the world to sing "Ode to the Motherland", instead of her own voice that came out, it was actually a track recording of the7 year old. Wow. China was not going to let buckteeth ruin it's perfect Olympics!

3) The Bird Nest and the Water Cube

Olympics architecture have always been stunning but the Bird Nest and the Water Cube are now attractions in their own right. Only China would have the billions to spend on these venues that will no doubt become architectural wonders. So a dozen neighbourhoods got destroyed and thousands of people were forced to relocate - but to the Chinese, it's all for the common good of hosting the perfect Olympics.

4) The Fake Cheerleaders

In order to fill all the empty seats in all events, the Beijing organizers gave away free tickets to these professionally trained cheerleaders so that they could "liven up" all events. These cheerleaders, often women in their 50s, were taught how to cheer, clap, and use certain props (like air batons) at the right time. You see them in all sorts of events: women's soccer, rowing, beach volleyball - as they stand out in the crowd with their yellow and red uniform (yes, they wear a uniform). When CBC asked one of them if they know what they are watching and who's playing (it was a Canada-Sweden soccer match), the lady said she has no clue and was hired simply to cheer. Now that to me is a great part time job!

5) The (allegedly) underage gymnasts

Sure, all their documentations say they are 16, but to me, some of the members of the Chinese womens gymnastic team sure looks young. I mean, I know Asians look young generally (I'm a good example), but these girls just look a bit - umm - underdeveloped for 16. Whether they are 14 or 16, what's important I guess is that they are still kicking ass out there on those equipment.

More to come over the upcoming week with additional thoughts on watching the Beijing Olympics. Now if only Canada would win some medals, that would be great!

(Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Where Did The Summer Go?

2008-08-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

August 3, 2008 - AUGUST 3rd? How could it be August 3rd already? seriously, where did the summer go? Looking back, I can't remember what I have done so far this summer. Well okay, I took a course in AutoCAD, I went to Seattle (but that was in May), and that's pretty much it. I guess it doesn't help that work has been insanely busy (for those who think government workers just sit around and work from 10-3, please come see me and work with me for a day). Honestly though, I feel like I'm wasting the summer by not being outside and enjoying the sun.

So for August, I'm vowing to spend as much time outdoors as possible and not have any weekend where I just bum around at home and not doing anything. The sun is too precious to just admire from inside. I have a couple of short trips lined up this month: NYC (again!) and Pittsburgh, plus a couple of other things like the Taste of the Danforth and the Ex. Not to mention the Olympics start in a couple of days and I know I will probably watch a lot of that too! I guess you can say I'm making one last desperate attempt to hang on to summer.

High-Speed Rail in California

2008-06-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2008 - I recently discovered the official website for California's planned High-Speed Rail system through another transit blog. The site is very impressive, complete with visualizations of what it would be like sitting on one of these trains as you zip through the state from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It also has a few before and after animations as well - and it's great to see how they envision the landscape will change as a result.

The site also has everything from route maps, to costs, to the amount of CO2 saved, to how much you save compared to flying. It's a great marketing tool to sell the idea of public transit to possibly the most car-loving people on the planet.

The 2008 TTC Subway Map

2008-06-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

June 24, 2008 - I first saw these maps on the subway over the weekend. Initially I thought my eyes were playing tricks since the map looks blurry and unreadable to me (it was right after my CADD class afterall). It wasn't until I read this blog that I found out that the map that I had seen was actually the 2008 version of the subway map, complete with a new font that bleeds into the background, making the map really hard to read. What were they thinking? or should I not even be surprised anymore.

Also, with regard to having the station addresses on the map, who in the world would care that Rosedale Station is actually at 7 Crescent Road? If the map is supposed to help people find an address (which I don't recommend, since the subway map is crap), wouldn't it make sense to locate the Station with a Yonge Street address, since the subway runs along (gasp!) Yonge Street?

Commuting Thoughts: 30 Days Later

2008-06-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

June 21, 2008 - It has been about a month since I made that decision to move back to Markham for a few months until my condo is ready for me to be moved in. Moving home means a few things: living with my parents, free food, and a very long commute. I really did not want to start ranting on my commute, since I know from the date that I decided to move home, that the commute would be painful. Having said that, I have to admit that it has not been as bad as I envisioned it would be. Surely, there are bad days, but the majority of them have been surprisingly good. Of course, when it is bad though, it is really bad. Here's an example:

Saturday, June 21 @ 5:50 p.m.

Someone had jumped/fell/been pushed onto the tracks at St. Clair station. I was on a northbound train at Bloor station when they ordered everyone off the train. There was to be no subway service between Eglinton and Bloor. Sure, it's not the TTC's fault that a "track level injury" had occurred, but what came after really annoyed me. The PA system came on, asking everyone to take a shuttle bus to Bloor (this was in addition to the subway conductors yelling at everyone for not getting off the train fast enough). Past experiences have told me that shuttle buses do not work well in situations like this. As expected, hundreds of people gathered at the Yonge/Bloor intersection. There were no directions on where to wait, when the bus will come, or whether we need a transfer or not. Where were the TTC employees? could they not deploy someone from transit control to help organize the crowds or provide instructions? Ten minutes later, the shuttle bus was still nowhere to be seen, while the crowd at Y&B had grown much larger. It was chaotic and completely disorganized - you would think that TTC has a manual of some sort that actually guides emergency situations like this. I mean, what if it was a terrorist attack instead of an "injury at track level"?

Anyway, I ended up taking the Bloor train to St. George (got stuck at St. George because of "security reasons") and then up to Downsview, east to Sheppard on a bus, then up to Finch. By the time I got to Sheppard, trains were running northbound on Yonge again.

Time it took from Bloor to Finch: 1.5 hours

Really, is it that difficult for the TTC to improve its customer service? I know a huge emphasis is placed on track maintenance and making sure trains run on time, etc, but in today's day and age, you cannot treat your riders like cattles being shuttled to be slaughtered (that also applies to how airlines treat their passengers, but that's another story). At least pretend that you care, that's all I'm asking really.

Is the TTC Customer Service Challenged?

2008-06-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

June 6, 2008 - This is probably one of the best Spacing blogs I have read in awhile. As we've all had our share of misery on the TTC, I definitely concur with what the blog says. Click on the link to read other readers' comments, including an official response from the TTC.

Collecting Flack
John Lorinc

The TTC doesn’t need to do drug testing on its drivers. For my money, I’d much prefer the Commission spend some time and capital on customer service training for its ticket booth collectors so that someday they may begin to treat customers — especially those who are young, brown or anglophonically-challenged — with a modicum of civility. While there are polite and professional ticket takers, riders for years have had to endure far too much surly or indifferent service from the members of the booth brigade, who always seem to be yakking on the phone or taking their sweet time making change. Isn’t it bad enough that a TTC ticket or token is perhaps the last commodity, other than dope, that can only be purchased with cash? Then there’s the culture of selective suspicion. Every teenager knows this story, and twas ever thus. But there’s no question that many ticket booth personnel save their most callous behaviour for non-English-speaking immigrants or tourists with the temerity to (gasp!) ask for directions. Sometimes, in fact, their behaviour verges on racist.

Exhibit A: I was in a ticket line at the St. George Street end of the St. George subway station last week. A university student was trying to make the automatic turnstile work but was losing the battle. She politely asks the ticket collector for help. He advises her to jostle it some more. She tries, to no avail, and then asks the man, quite reasonably, “Can I just go through?” He kind of rolls his eyes and mutters, “Well, I dunno.” He’s white, middle-aged, looking fed up. Was his reaction influenced by the fact that she had brown skin and wore a headscarf? Indeed, he only let her through when I and several others in line protested on her behalf, but not before interrogating us if we’d witnessed her inserting the token.

Exhibit B: Two TTC employees, also white-middle-aged males, were stationed at one of the portable ticket boxes at Union Station recently, grousing. One complained to the other that he’d just been assigned to Wheel Trans duty. The man pulls a face: “You know, it’s always, ‘Now, go pick up Mrs. Doodledypaddleypoo,’” he says in a mocking Indian accent. This, in a fully audible voice, at the entrance to the TTC’s busiest station. That such conduct continues to be tolerated defies belief.

The mayor is a self-described progressive who “gets” Toronto’s multi-culturalism. So, we’re told, is TTC chair Adam Giambrone. The commission itself services the most ethnically-diverse city in the world, and the face of the new Toronto is rarely more apparent than on the subway. Perhaps they’re all just afraid of taking on the union. In London, Tube attendants give directions and advise on fares without attitude, and they’ll even accept payment with those new fangled contraptions called bank or credit cards. Our tourism industry moans and groans about the homeless but I’d bet that curt and unhelpful replies from TTC personnel do way more to besmirch our reputation.Isn’t it time for the TTC to get serious about this embattled, unhelpful culture? Maybe the commission needs a bit of prodding. A few years back, Spacing asked our readers to submit their favourite streetcar driver stories. Today, we ask that you post your own ticket booth horror tales below.

Getting Rid of the Gardiner: It's About Time

2008-05-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

May 30, 2008 - At a time when city building gets more attention than ever before, it should be of no surprise that the City now plans to remove the eye-sore that is the Gardiner Expressway from the DVP to Jarvis Street. This area east of downtown has long been considered one of the few areas of the city that's ripe for redevelopment and with the West Don Lands and East Bayfront neighbourhoods being built over the next decade, removing the Gardiner makes a lot of sense. The millions that are spent each year on maintaining the highway could go towards something that would be of better use, like fixing potholes or maybe, even transit operation costs. Removing the whole expressway will probably not happen for awhile, but is one of the essential steps in connecting our downtown to the waterfront again. Boston did it, so did San Francisco, and even Seattle will be doing the same in 2012. Isn't it time for TO to step up and become that "world class city" that we always strive to be?

Today, We're All Chinese

2008-05-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

May 20, 2008 - The devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China has been making headlines for over a week now. It's especially touching to see the reaction from Chinese around the world, who have banned together to raise millions for the hundred of thousands of earthquake victims in Sichuan. While I'm sure we are guilty of making Mainland Chinese stereotypes (they crouch all the time; their dirty washrooms; the way they talk loudly on the phone), it is great to see Chinese around the world being so patriotic to their home country.

As in all natural disasters, the young, the old, and the disadvantaged are the greatest victims. In this case, school children made up a large proportion of those killed. The lax building code, poor design, and corruption all probably played a role - but the scene of parents mourning their kids near the ruins of school buildings is heartbreaking.

Donate to the Earthquake Relief efforts at: http://www.redcross.ca/china512

A Few More Thoughts About Seattle

2008-05-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2008 - A few more thoughts about Seattle:

- The Experience Music Project: not my favourite Frank Gehry building, but I wouldn't say it's the worst building ever. I think the design of the building serves its function well (a rock-and-roll music museum). I do like the multi-colour blobs too.

- The Space Needle: we visited the Space Needle at least five times but we didn't decide to go up to the observation deck till our third day in town. The view from the top is spectacular (you can see the snow-capped Mount Rainier), so I'm glad we decided to go up! I also want to say that the gift shop bathroom isexceptionally clean (we used it multiple times).

- Seattle Center: the site of the 1964 World Fair feels sad and in major need of some revitalization. Aside from the Space Needle and the EMP, the whole site feels out of date and deserted. It could be the time of day/year that we were visiting but we were not impressed. Even the monorail feels old and in major need of an overhaul (the train may have been futuristic in the 60s, but now just feels ancient). At least there's now a public process in place to improve Seattle Center.

- International Fountain: kinda cool, but again, so much more could be done to improve this public space to make it more people friendly. I wish they would hire me to help them plan for this site. Anyway, while sitting around the fountain, someone's (will not mention any names, but you can guess who it is) nose mucus (aka booger) landed on my hand "accidentally". It was like the largest piece of booger I have ever seen in my life (it's like the size of a raisin). Anyway, now I will forever link the fountain to this incident. Thanks :)

- Pike Place Market: I really like public markets because I think they have more personality/character than your Loblaws or Dominions. The seafood stalls with the giant crabs were really cool. We also saw the first Starbucks, before it conquered the world.

- Seattle Central Library: a weird looking building that works and doesn't work in several aspects. I like the ramp design where you can go up several levels without going up stairs or elevators (and the fact that all the bookshelves continuous). I'm not sure if the building fits that well as a public space - libraries should serve more a community function but instead this library feels insular, isolated and strangely out of place.

- Boeing Factory Tour: it was super cool to see how planes are assembled though I wish we could get closer. I still can't get over the fact that when you sit on a plane, only about 30 cm separates you from the 40,000 feet below.

- United and US Airways: I was super duper impressed that both airlines did the job that they were supposed to do by 1) getting us to our destinations on time; and 2) not losing our luggage (I sorta expected them to and packed accordingly). Our flights on US Airways were just terrible. Our flight to Charlotte was scary with lots of sudden drops. I was ready to land half way through our flight. I was glad B was there or else I might have really panicked. Also, for a five hour flight, you would think they would at least serve water a few times, but nope, we got drinks once. No movie, no water, no blanket, no nothing. What did the flight attendants do the whole time we were on the plane?

That's it from our little Seattle adventure. Overall it was fun and not overly exhausting like New York was last year. We did everything we wanted to do, plus more (mainly cause there wasn't that much to do to begin with). I think we've done enough US cities for awhile, so for our next trip, let's aim for somewhere out of this continent!

Riding Transit in Seattle

2008-05-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

May 17, 2008 - Bernard and I were originally going to rent a car for our trip to Seattle. We read that Seattle isn't the most transit friendly city in the world and the fact that we need to go up to Everett for the Boeing Factory Tour, we should really rent a car. After some research though, we found that it would be super expensive for us to rent one (not to mention the high gas prices), so we decided to take on the public transit system in Seattle and take the bus everywhere on our first three days in town.

First of all, I have to say that the transit system is not as bad as most people say and for a system that relies entirely on buses (the Monorail and the SLUT don't count), it's really not that bad (kinda reminds me of Ottawa, except Seattle has a transit tunnel that Ottawa is dying to have). With the arrival of the Sound Light Rail System next year, the system will surely improve. Anyway, a few highlights from my experience of riding Seattle transit:

1) The Downtown Transit Tunnel

The tunnel is currently used for buses in the heart of downtown. Instead of having surface bus routes running through congested downtown streets, the tunnel allows buses to run underground, thereby improving service reliability and avoid the bus congestion that you see in Ottawa. The tunnel was retrofitted last year to allow LRT service to run through the tunnel as well.

It would be interesting to see how the sharing of LRT and buses will work inside the tunnel. I should note that the buses don't travel that fast inside the tunnel, but that waiting for the bus inside the tunnel isn't that much different that waiting for an Ottawa bus on Slater Street for example. Buses still bunch up and it's hard to see which bus is coming up next. However, at least the buses don't get stuck in traffic.

2) The Downtown Free Zone

Transit is free in downtown Seattle during the day! We didn't take advantage of it though cause we pretty much just walked through downtown (it's not that big).

3) Pay-When-You-Leave

During certain hours of the day, you pay your fare when you get off the bus. I'm not entirely sure why they do that, especially since it really does add unnecessary travelling time: people could only exit using the front door, you can't board until everyone has paid. At least there are clear signs on the bus that tells you exactly whether you pay when you board or when you leave.

4) Direct Suburb-to-Downtown Service

Like Ottawa, the city provides direct suburb-to-downtown service on many routes (no wonder they need a tunnel downtown!). What I also liked as a commuter is that even though buses run every 20 minutes or so after rush hour, because of the fact that multiple routes go to your destination, you can catch a number of different buses, thereby reducing your wait time to 10 minutes at most (not bad for an American city). Routes 70-74 all serve the U-district for example.

5) The Orca Card

Seattle just introduced a smart card system for its transit system, but it's still on a trial basis and does not seem too popular with locals. Not all the buses have the system and I only saw 1 person use it the 3 days that I took transit.

Other things I like about Seattle transit: the neat trolley buses, the extremely friendly drivers (maybe we were just lucky?), the time-based transfers (would the TTC ever switch to those?), and the fact that people of all race and class seem to ride transit, which is not the case for most US cities.

We also saw the SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley) streetcars and I really do love their slogan (ride the SLUT, it gets around!). But because the system doesn't go anywhere that we wanted to go, we didn't get a chance to experience the SLUT first hand. We did ride the Monorail between downtown and Seattle Center three times though, but I wouldn't really call it part of the transit system.

Next blog, I'll talk about some of the other highlights from our trip, including an incident involving someone's nose mucus at the International Fountain at Seattle Center.

Blogging Seattle

2008-05-14T20:06:00.001-07:00

May 14, 2008 - Bernard and I spent four days last week in Seattle! It was a fairly last minute trip, as we didn't decide to go until just two weeks ago. Anyway, we had a blast and I thought I would blog about some of the things I observed while in Seattle. This blog will focus on my general impressions of the city.

Seattle is the largest city in the State of Washington, but with a population of just over half million people (and a Metro population of 3 million), it is much smaller than most US west coast cities and even smaller than Toronto. The city itself is also not as spread out as one would think - it only took about 20 minutes by bus to go from Downtown to the city's north end. Seattle is also very multicultural, with a large Asian population. The city also has that "Toronto" feel to it - an up and coming city that is getting bigger by day, but still holding on to its small town values. Walking around Seattle actually didn't seem too different from walking around Toronto (though I think it's also because we kept seeing Asians everywhere).

Seattle is also not a dense city. There are not that many tall buildings outside downtown and it certainly does not have the 30+ storey condos that we have in Toronto. Construction seems to be everywhere though, but mainly in the form of office towers. Outside downtown, single detached home dominate, but I didn't really see the kinda of urban sprawl that we have here in the 905 region.

What I really liked about Seattle is its topography - the hills, the mountains (you can see snow-capped Mount Rainier from everywhere on a sunny day), Lake Union, and Elliot Bay are all spectacular. It's not Vancouver, but YVR doesn't have the islands of Puget Sound either. Having said that, with over 225 days of the year being a cloudy day, I really don't think I can live there (it was gloomy and cold the first two days we were there).

Seattle is also one of most educated cities in the US (which no doubt contributes greatly to the city's computer and aviation industries) and also one of the fittest (though we didn't really check anyone out since everyone was still wearing their winter jacket). It is also one of the gayest cities in America (just behind San Francisco apparently)!

In my next blog, I'll talk about riding transit in Seattle!

A Slap in the Face

2008-04-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

April 26, 2008 - As I write this, the TTC is on strike, after its members rejected the latest deal that was negotiated between the Union and the City. That deal would have seen a 3% annual wage increase for three years, plus a "me-too" clause that would see the TTC drivers make the most out of all transit operators in the GTA.

The strike took the city by surprise as many had thought all strike threats were over after a deal was struck last weekend. Instead, the Union decided to go on strike at midnight, leaving the City with almost no warning and stranding thousands of people everywhere.

I'm not sure how negotiations will go - but the way the TTC walked off the job was a slap in the face to Torontonains. Their "48 hour" strike warning proved to be a lie - and worse, they couldn't even wait until most bus/subway service shut down at 2:30 am.

Though I'm sure the Province will step in and force the TTC back to work before Monday morning's rush hour, the fact that Union continues to hijack the city will not help with the Transit Union's image. If they are worried about insults and threats from passengers, just wait till they hear what people are saying on the street today.

Next week, should transit service returns, I will blog about the disaster that is our new cheesy and cheap looking Museum Station (which I finally had a chance to see for myself last week).

Earth Hour 2008

2008-03-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

March 29, 2008 - Between 8 and 9 pm tonight, we are asked to turn off all lights and non-essential appliances to mark Earth Hour, an international event that promotes electricity conservation and thus lower carbon emissions. Earth Hour first began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and this year, cities around the world are participating in this environmental clause (even google darkened its website to mark the cause).

Enviro-boy here encourages you to do your part by turning off all the lights in your house for just one hour tonight. While this one hour will probably not reduce electricity consumption by THAT much, it will at least be symbolic and raise more awareness on energy conservation.

I'm excited to see all the pictures from this event - it should be interesting to see what downtown will look like completely dark, the first time that it has been since our infamous blackout in 2003.

The New Eiffel Tower?

2008-03-28T01:34:00.000-07:00

March 28, 2008 - In celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, a French architect submitted his designs of a temporary addition to the Tower's top level observation deck that would dramatically change the shape of the tower.

Initially the media reported that Serero Architects have won the redesign competition and that the addition would be built relatively soon. However, it has been revealed that there was no such competition and there are no plans to redesign the Eiffel Tower. Phew - cause the that new addition (British newspapers called it a "hat") is terribly ugly and would have sparked outrage around the world if it was ever approved!

Civil Servants: We sit around and breathe "each other's exhaust"

2008-03-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

March 27, 2008 - Can I say as a civil servant and as part of the Ontario Public Service, I am offended by what our Ontario opposition leader said:

Ontario is already in a recession and needs to look at slashing spending by cutting civil servants who just sit around reading reports and “breathing each other’s exhaust,” Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory said today.

“These kinds of jobs are people who are breathing each other’s exhaust and sitting around, analyzing each other’s papers,” Tory said. “There hasn’t been enough attention paid to looking at whether those people are really making a productive contribution to the effective delivery of public services in Ontario.”

I'm sorry - but the last time I checked, civil servants not only serve the public but we also make politicians, such as Mr. Tory, look good, so they could be re-elected and brag about their achievements. If any politician would like to see whether we sit around and breathe each other's exhaust, he/she should come on over and see how we work around Budget time.

It is definitely not smart to piss off civil servants - just like you should not piss off TTC drivers =D

ROM Crystal - Architectural Wonder of the World?

2008-03-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2008 - Talk about some free publicity for the ROM. Conde Nast Traveler 's April issue has picked the ROM's Michael Lee-Chin Crystal as one of the "new seven wonders of the architecture world." The other six new wonders are (click links for pictures):

- Cumulus, an exhibit hall at Danfoss Universe, a science and technology museum in Nordborg, Denmark. The building has an irregular roof, all curves and angles, like a bite taken out of a cloud. More pictures here.

- Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building, which is under construction in the Middle East and is already more than 1,700 feet tall. The final height is a secret but its developer, Emaar Properties, has previously said it will stop somewhere above 2,275 feet and will exceed 160 floors.

- London's new Wembley Stadium, which seats 90,000 with no obstructed sight lines. A massive 436-foot-tall, 1,000-foot-long single arch braces the retractable roof. The stadium will be a centerpiece of the 2012 Olympics.

- New Museum of Contemporary Art, designed to resemble an off-kilter stack of silvery rectangles, located on the Bowery on Manhattan's once-seedy, now-trendy Lower East Side.

- Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., a curved roof made from a patterned grid of glass and steel above shallow pools in the courtyard of the Old Patent Office Building, also known as the Reynolds Center and home to the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

- Red Ribbon, Tanghe River Park, in Qinhuangdao, China, about 180 miles east of Beijing, a steel bench that resembles a red ribbon and runs a third of a mile through a riverbank garden and ecological oasis.

I'm not sure how these projects were selected (are these new "wonders" that were completed in the past year?). I'm also surprised that none of the Beijing Olympics buildings made the list (i.e. The Bird Nest? The Swimming Cube?). I personally love the Red Ribbon, which not only unifies the vast stretch of parklands along the lush (and heavily polluted) Tanghe River, it also serves as active recreational space for park visitors. Who needs boring park benches and uniform playgrounds when you could have a red ribbon through your park? I also like how the entire bench lights up at night too.

As for whether I think the ROM deserves to make the list - hey any publicity for the ROM is good. Maybe this will encourage more people to visit, so the ROM can finally lower its admission prices!

Is the TTC Dirty, Leaky, and Decaying?

2008-03-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

March 9, 2008 - The answer to that question is a big YES. I don't mean to bash the TTC all the time, but even casual riders would know that our transit system is not exactly the "Better Way". This week, the Toronto Star is tackling the deterioration of the TTC in several areas: service, dirt, garbage, escalators/elevators, and repairs.

The Star recently asked readers to provide comments and examples of problems to do with cleanliness, maintenance, and overall appearance of TTC subway stations. You can read them here. I am say that I can personally relate to the majority of these comments, and to add to their list, I want to provide a few more examples:

- Queen's Park Station, east entrances: The entire east side of the mezzanine level of the station floods during rainstorms and snowstorms. You literally have to walk through large puddles of water just to get to the ticket booth. It's slippery and dangerous and I am sure that people have slipped on the floor.

- Eglinton Station, escalator: the fact that it takes 8 months to fix an escalator is pathetic. The escalator that leads from the station to the intersection of Yonge & Eglinton have been out of service since August - and it won't be fixed until April.

- Finch Station, area near the bathrooms: why does the area smell like urine as soon as you get up from the platform level? is air purifier that expensive?

- Osgoode Station, stairs, mezzanine: those slippery stairs after a snowstorm is dangerous and again, the mezzanine level floods and the ceiling leaks almost all the time.

Sure, the problem is not entirely the TTC's fault - passengers must also play their role (but that's another blog). We also know the TTC is cash-strapped, but things like smelly bathrooms and the 8-months time frame to fix an escalator should not be entirely linked to the lack of funding. Is there not some sort of service standards or performance measure currently in place? Are we all asking too much for wanting clean, odour-free and accessible buses, subways, and transit stations? I think not.

Dear Winter

2008-03-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

March 8, 2008 - As I write this, we're in white-out conditions here in Markham. It has been snowing for more than 24 hours already, and it doesn't look like it will be stopping anytime soon.

Here's a funny post that I found on the net. I think it pretty much says it all.

----------------

Dear winter:

I am disappointed and horrified at the backstabbing that you've committed. I had been your biggest supporter; pretentiously telling people that I loved winter, thought it was fabulous.

And then you dumped a million feet of snow on me. Most of it today. You've made me late for work, spin out in my car, rip the skin off my hands and fall down.

Fuck off. I'm a summer girl now. In your face.

No love,
Me.

Is TTC Safe Anymore?

2008-03-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

March 7, 2008 - With stories of recent TTC muggings on our subway system all over the news, it really makes you wonder if it's safe to ride the subway anymore. The latest crime wave see teenage gang members corner passengers during the afternoon rush hour and rob them of their metropass, cash, ipod, cell phone, and even their blackberrys. The fact that this happens during the busiest time of the day is outrageous and you have to think whether the TTC is doing enough.

In my opinion though, I think crime in public space is unavoidable. There will always be mugging on our streets, in our parks, and on our transit systems. Passengers of course, need to be more vigilant (please tell those rich Asian girls to stop yapping on their million dollar cell phones in public). But can the TTC do more? The CCTV cameras won't come until 2011 (can someone please tell me why it will take so long?), so what other alternatives do the TTC have?

What about those TTC constables? perhaps there needs to be more of them to patrol our stations, our stairways, and maybe even ride our subway cars. Another problem is often, on a train, when a problem occurs, the train pulls into the station and lets passengers off - this then allows the attackers to flee - and by the time the constables reach there, everyone is gone.

It's quite shocking that it has taken this long for the TTC to install cameras at our stations and on our trains and buses. You would think that after Sept 11 and the transit bombings in London and Mardid, the cameras would be up right away. Yeah, the lack of government funding is a problem, but didn't the federal government provide transit security funding? and wouldn't this be more of a priority for the millions of GTAers who ride transit every day? Just a thought...

Disturbing Subway Stories

2008-03-03T20:31:00.001-08:00

March 3, 2008 - As an almost daily subway rider, it's very disturbing to read some of these latest incidents on the subway. Sure, they might be isolated - but it does make you think: it could've happened to me. The first story is pretty outrageous. The second one got me thinking: if the TTC knows it's a problem, why won't they do anything about it. Park-at-your-own-risk is a not a very good motto to go for when you're trying to encourage people to get out of the car and "ride the rocket".

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Subway ride darkens as teenagers turn ugly
Joe Fiorito, Toronto Star

My friend Mary was coming from an early morning appointment; now, at 10 a.m., she was on her way to work, heading south on the Yonge line.

She was sitting on a long seat facing the aisle; there was a woman on her left and on her right, in a two-person seat, was a solitary man.

Mary said, "And then seven teenagers – a mix of boys and girls – got on at Bloor."

Here comes trouble.

"Two of the girls – let's say they were 15 years old – crawled over the man and sat down. One girl sat on the other girl's lap. They were laughing, tripping over the man, and I thought, `That's obnoxious; oh, well, they're young, they're just having a good time.'"

Mary went on reading her book.

Hang onto your hat.

"The girl who was sitting on top of her friend began yelling insults at everyone in the car, yelling in my ear, yelling that we didn't know anything about life. She was swearing. I don't recall the words but I thought, `She's got a bad mouth on her.'

"Maybe she was just having a bad day, a fight with her parents, or her boyfriend left her. She was angry and arrogant, too. She told us what a beautiful person she was."

Things got ugly then.

"She started yelling at the man. She called him a pedophile and a racist. He was reading the paper, I think. He hadn't been paying attention."

He paid attention fast.

"The yelling girl said, `I know you're coming to my house tonight to rape me.' The man raised his head and put his head back down again and she kept at him. Finally he said, `I'm not any of those things. I don't know why you're saying that.'"

The whole car, wondering the same thing.

Mary said, "I thought there probably wasn't anything any one of us could say to her, or she'd turn on us with an attack. I could feel the colour rising in my cheeks. The man was very mild but he'd obviously been stung.

"The woman beside me came to his defence. She said, `Why are you yelling at him? You don't know him.' The girl said to her, `You're a bitch.' I don't remember all the insults. At one point I said, `Maybe if we lowered our voices we'd all calm down.'"

The girl would not calm down.

"The tallest of the boys turned to the woman and told her to be quiet, there was nothing she could do, that she wasn't doing anything with her life.

"Finally, one of the boys – I wish I could tell you which one – and I've thought so much about this – threw a first punch, and the punches passed over my head. I reached up and pressed the yellow emergency bar. I didn't see the man get hit."

The train stopped at the College station. The kids fled through the crowd. Mary said, "The man's glasses were broken. There was blood all over his face."

Mary had some water and someone else had paper towels. They cleaned the man's face as best they could. And the police and the paramedics came and they made sure he was okay, and the man went on his way. Mary said, "A couple of us talked afterwards. We didn't know if the kids had weapons."

She went to work; she walked. She is still angry, still upset; she still wonders if there was anything else she might have done. I think not. It happened much too fast and yes, those kids had a weapon.

Teenaged rage.

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TTC's parking-lot logic baffles car theft victim
Joe Fiorito, Toronto Star

Nusrat Fatima drove to the city on a Saturday morning earlier this month. She lives in Markham. She works downtown. She came in with her daughter, who had an appointment in the city.

Nusrat pulled into the lot at the Finch station and parked the car, and she and her daughter rode the subway downtown. At the end of the day, they went north again, got off at Finch, walked to the lot and ... wait a minute, where's the car?

I met her in the passenger pick-up area of the Finch station the other day – she had come in on the bus – and she showed me where her car had been.

She said, "I remember looking around. I was thinking, 'Oh my God, there are not many cars.' I tried to see where it might be. I was panicking. I was angry. My daughter said, 'Oh, mom, you're always forgetting.' I said to her, 'But you were with me.' "

Her car is a Toyota Corolla, silver, licence AXAR 616. Dangling from the rear-view mirror, a small deodorizer in the shape of an earthen pot.

She said, "I looked around for a towing number in case it had been towed, but there was no number. Then I called my nephew. He said he would come right away. My sister also came. In the end there were five of us searching all the lots. Then I called the police. They took all my information and they gave me a number to quote and told me to call my insurance. The insurance said okay, somebody will call you back."

The trip into town used to take her 25 minutes by car. The bus into town takes 45 minutes; the bus home takes an hour. She gets up at 5:45 a.m. She gets home around 7 p.m. That's a long day.

She said, "I had to get a hard copy of the incident report for the insurance. It cost me almost $40 for a piece of paper. I said to the police that I was the victim. They said I'd get the money back. So I paid it."

She said, "The insurance called me a while ago and asked if the car was found. I started laughing."

She has not rented another car; the thought of leaving a vehicle in that lot has got her spooked. What will she do now? She shrugged.

"I can't afford to buy a new car."

She will wait to see what kind of deal the insurance company will offer.

Here's what bothers her:

"I called the TTC and asked if they had a camera there. They said no. I said, 'How come?' Because at Finch station there are many cars; every day cars are stolen. They said 'You park at your own risk.'"

Nusrat smiled a bitter and emphatic smile. "If there are cameras, people will refrain from stealing." She is right; theft of cars from public lots is one of the few things security cameras actually deter.

"I told the TTC that I park at the far end of the lot. I said, 'If I get killed, you have no cameras.' They said, 'That's your tough luck.' They actually said that to me."

A spokesperson for the TTC said there is a five-year plan to put cameras in subway stations and on subway and streetcars, and also on buses. Parking lots?

Use at your own risk.

All Spiced Up

2008-02-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2008 - The ACC witnessed history on Tuesday night, not in terms of a sports championship, but in the final concert of the Spice Girls reunion tour. Last night, Eric and I sat, stood, screamed, yelled, and sang our little hearts out for about 3.5 hours (including 1.5 hour of waiting for the show to start). It was loud, colourful, and most importantly, lots of fun. It was definitely one of those once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Eric and I sat at the 100 level, which provided pretty decent views of the stage. We really didn't have too much trouble getting tickets though we weren't sure how some people managed to get floor seats, as us too, logged onto the ticketmaster website before tickets even went on sale. Anyway, surprisingly, we were generally surrounded by people above the age 15, and the crowd behaved for the most part. There were even a few straight guys too - accompanied by their girlfriends of course.

After waiting for 1.5 hours, the show began at 9 pm with "Spice Up Your Life". The crowd leaped to their feet and we stood non-stop for the next two hours. I thought the reaction to "Stop" was the best - as everyone sang and did the whole dance routine thing with the hand. The Spice Mamas were totally emotional and kept emphasizing that they will probably likely never do this again. There were many group hugs, tears, and lots of thanking to the fans.

The group belled out over 20 songs, including solo performances by all except Posh, who did a fashion catwalk thing - but still managed to get the loudest screams. I thought Geri's "Raining Men" was pretty hot (and no, not because of the shirtless men prancing around) too. Another interesting note is that Geri did not join the other girls for the songs that were recorded after her initial departure. I guess they didn't have time to rehearse and rearrange the vocals.

In the end, it was actually Posh's son Cruz that stole the show. Some of the Spice Children (Posh, Baby and Scary's) came on stage during "Mama". Cruz Beckham, wearing a t-shirt that says "Posh", showed off his breakdancing skills. The fans went nuts of course.

A final group hug ended this incredible reunion tour, one that many didn't think would happen. The tour also made the Spice Girls hip again. For many in the arena, including myself, the tour took us back to a time when things were a bit simpler. It's really hard to believe 10 years have gone by already. I can also say that I have never felt any gay-er than when standing there singing "Wannabe" with the 13 year old girl sitting in front of me.

Definitely a cool experience - now maybe other late 90s bands would reunite. Perhaps N'Sync would be next?

Colleges vs. Universities: The Obay Ad Campaign

2008-02-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

February 25, 2008 - For those that travel on the TTC on a regular basis, you might have seen these strange ads for a pill called "Obay" - designed to make teenagers listen to their parents. Obviously the ad is tongue-in-cheek, but it totally made me question what the ad is about and who is behind the ad.

Well the speculation is over - apparently "Obay" is the Ontario Colleges Association's (OCA) new campaign to tackle the majority of parents' attitudes towards colleges. The OCA claims that the majority of parents would rather their children attend universities, and not colleges, as colleges are deemed as more "second-class" post-secondary institutions. Obay is designed to encourage students to not overlook the opportunities that colleges provide based on parental stereotypes.

My opinion is that it's definitely a clever campaign (any ad campaign that generates buzz is awesome) but how effective it is in changing this decades-long stereotype of universities are better than colleges remains to be seen. Personally, I think my parents would have flipped if I had told them that I would rather go to Seneca College than U of T. For people in my parents' generation, universities are more of a prestige thing - mainly because not everyone got to go. For people my age, universities, especially undergraduate studies, is simply an extension of high school. You go to university and get your degree because it's now a basic requirement to get a job.

What is probably not discussed widely is that the chances of you getting a job after a college diploma in a specialized trade is probably HIGHER than getting a job with a BSc or BA from U of T. Sad, but true. What do you do with a life sciences degree after graduation (if you're not going towards professional school or grad school?) or a degree in history, or a degree in English? Yet, the benefit of having a college education is that it teaches you the technical skills you need to know to get a job and make a living.

I don't regret getting my universities degrees, but now that I'm looking to upgrade my skills, I don't even hesitate but look into college programs. Both colleges and universities have their own merits, but you gotta admit, sometimes, you just don't know why you're spending so much time/money/energy/stress on things like optimization in calculus or organic chem mechanisms when clearly they don't contribute to your job search, your salary, nor the skills you need to land a job and be good at it one tiny bit.

Are You Tired of Winter Yet?

2008-02-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

February 24, 2008 - I want to rant about winter.

Is it just me or has the month of February just been dragging on, mainly because of the crappy weather that we've been getting?

It's hard enough that the day is still short and it's below -10 for much of the time, but do we have to get one storm after another? I mean, is this our way of paying the price for the warm winters of the previous years? Already, we've had more snow than the past 2 years combined.

Sure, it's great for skiing - but it's hard to get to the resorts if the highways are not accessible (not to mention it's no fun driving in blizzard like conditions). Of course, it looks like I might miss out on skiing this season once again - this time, due to my prolonged cold-turned-asthma-turned bronchitis.

I'm so tired of walking on uncleared sidewalks, trying to cross brown slushy streets (especially around intersections), and wiping the white salt mark on my shoes. Sure, I don't have to shovel snow on a regular basis, but trust me, I do my fair share when I'm in Markham on the weekends.

Now, I know I live in Canada and winters here are supposed to be long and brutal. But have we not suffered enough already? How much longer will it be till I see some sign of spring?

So yeah, I don't know if I can keep my sanity much longer if this winter drags on. If anyone wants to hop on a plane and go to someplace warm, let me know and I am so so there (provided you pay for my ticket and accommodation of course!).

[as I'm writing this, the Weather Network is predicting 15 cm of snow for Tuesday with yet another storm later on in the week.]

Blue Screen of Death

2008-02-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2008 - So my computer has been out of service for the past couple of weeks, mainly because I have been experiencing the infamous "Blue Screen of Death". My computer would crash randomly, with a blue screen that says a problem has been detected and Windows will now be shut down, followed by a "physical memory dump". So after unsuccesfully trying to fix the problem myself, I finally took it to the shop to get it fixed. Two weeks, three trips to the shop, and two hundred plus dollars later, my computer seems to be finally working properly. But the strange thing is - we still don't really know what caused the error. Weird eh?

Damn you NDIS.SYS error! but it's good to be back!

Monopoly: The World Version

2008-02-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

February 3, 2008 - The folks behind Monopoly, one of the most-played board games in the world, are now creating a "World Cities" version, where cities will take the spots currently held by Broadwalk and Atlantic Avenue!

Voters can choose the 20 cities from a list of 68 that they think should make the board. Voters can also nominate their own cities, and the two with the highest number of votes will also be part of the game. That means that Walla-Walla could possibly be placed right next to London and Paris.

Because fans vote for their top 20, the leaderboard so far is a bit weird (Riga over Berlin and Amsterdam?). With Canadian cities, you might be surprised to hear that Montreal currently ranks #1 in the leaderboard, ahead of the "no-brainers" like London, Paris, and New York. Vancouver is currently ranked #13. Toronto is just out of the top 20 at #21.

Here are my votes for the top 20:

London, Paris, New York, Berlin, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Sydney, Athens, Rome, Cairo, Istanbul, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Beijing, Rio de Janiero, Dubai, Madrid, Los Angeles, and Toronto (sorry Vancouver, but of course I have to vote for my hometown!).

Vote for your top 20 here and be sure to vote for Toronto so that 3 Canadian cities can make the board!

Ryerson's New Look

2008-01-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

January 26, 2008 - The Premier has announced a $45 million contribution to help Ryerson University purchase several buildings along Yonge Street for a new library extension and student centre. Among the buildings to be purchased is the old Sam The Record Man building. Part of the University's master plan, this new development will give Ryerson frontage onto Yonge Street, enabling the university to finally have a "proper entrance".

The concept plans that were presented show the big Sam sign will be preserved in the new building. Retail will remain at the ground level, with the library and study space above. I like the big Ryerson University sign (it's much better than the U of T one across Harbord at Spadina). I also think Gould Street could definitely be more pedestrian friendly. I don't know if it should be shut down to traffic completely, but a similar scheme like the St. George master plan is achieveable.

Constructions are set to begin in a year's time! would be interesting to see if they could get the City to agree to its plans for Gould Street, but the new building on Yonge Street would mark yet another exciting project for the area.

Jarvis Slip Design Competition

2008-01-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2008 - So yeah, I didn't get a job at Metrolinx, but that doesn't mean I'm bitter =) I have such high hopes for them and I know for sure my friends there will do a great job in moving forward with our transit vision.

Another agency that gets a lot of public attention these days is Waterfront Toronto, which is responsible for our waterfront redevelopment. Over the years, the agency has planned a number of high profile projects, including the new West Don Lands neighbourhood and the central waterfront redevelopment. Just last week, they announced the finalists for the Jarvis Slip, a new public space that will anchor the new East Bayfront neighbourhood. The most interesting aspect of this space is that it's right beside the Redpath Sugar Factory. How will the new plaza/park embrace this industrial giant?

1) Janet Rosenberg + Associates - WeatherFront

"Inspired by the multifaceted characteristics of Canadian climate, Weatherfront is a highly visible and animated gateway to the East Bayfront Community. Our design is about embracing weather in all its forms and interacting with it on many different levels. Weatherfront offers a viewpoint for spectacular natural processes along the waterfront throughout the year. People can watch the lake and the sky, nature’s vast stage, and see how weather evolves and changes throughout the seasons. "

2) Claude Cormier Architects - Sugar Beach

"Sugar Beach is the sequel to a new wave of urban beaches, this time designed with a sweet twist. Tinted by Redpath sugar spray carried on westerly breezes, dozens of candy-colored umbrellas are scattered across a sandy wedge of beach along Jarvis Slip. Integrating the future Waterfront Promenade and a plaza for programmed and unprogrammed events, the design playfully adopts some of the most enduring elements from Toronto’s emerging landscape identity – beaches, bedrock, trees and water, as well as the urban horizon and a trace mood of the city’s industrial past."

3) West 8 + DTAH - Robotic Arms

"The multi-functional performance plaza is a stage where one can play and express oneself. It is furnished with a patterned mosaic floor and memorable objects of attention – two sculptural timber lighting masts that engage in an interactive hydraulic ballet of movement to animate the space.

In contrast, the triangulated softscapes provide an area for more intimate seclusion with a place for nature in the square that reflects the seasons. Here, we introduce a collection of native trees with distinct shapes and character that create a much-needed micro climate on an exposed waterfront site as well as a compelling foreground which frames views to the lake."

My pick is the West 8 + DTAH proposal, mainly because the two robotic arms look very cool. The sculpture gives the plaza a focal point, and not to mention, an attraction where people from across town will come and check out. The designers claim that the sculptures are more representative of sugar canes (because of the history of the area), then legs of a giant bug - but nonetheless, it will for sure attract attention (I would love to see the legs be "impotent").

The other two designs aren't bad per se. Sugar Beach is way too HTO and it has that been there, done that feeling. I also think it's a mismatch to the surrounding area. I'm not sure how beachy it would feel with the giant cargo ship parked beside it. Weatherfront is a cool concept, but that huge semi-transparent wall doesn't feel right to me. The egg-shaped chairs are also kinda weird looking, and who would be sitting there in winter anyway?

For a public space to be successful, it must be well used. With a built-in attraction like the robotic arms, I think the West 8 + DTAH plan can attract the people it needs to make the Jarvis Slip a vibrant place. It would be interesting to see which plan Waterfront Toronto will ultimately go with.

Our waterfront has definitely come a long way. I'm actually quite excited about it (as you can tell, I'm big into planning for public spaces). Too bad I couldn't make it to the project presentations, but you can check out other reviews here.

Why It Sucks Being a Transit Planner

2008-01-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2008 - It could be cause I'm been having a bad month, but lately, I've been thinking how and why my chosen profession, urban planning, often gets no respect from the majority of the public. When you think about the great professions that are out there, most people would automatically think about doctors, lawyers, dentists, and heck, even accountants. But do people think about planners? nope. Sure, we have a professional organization and planning programs at most universities are considered "professional" ones, but really, do most people know what planners do? do most people know what urban planning is?

This gets especially difficult when we talk about transit. Now that my job does not deal with transit anymore (don't get me started on why), I guess I can freely discuss why it sucks being a transit planner. Sure, it's cool and it's exciting and it's hip. Transit is on the verge of a comeback after decades of neglect after all. But really, does a transit planner get the respect he/she deserves? Nope.

To me, the public doesn't acknowledge nor recognize transit planners because EVERYONE IS A TRANSIT PLANNER. That's everyone who rides transit that is. Why? because everyone who rides transit has his/her own views/opinions on how and why transit should be planned and operated in a certain way. That's fine - everyone is entitled their own opinion, except that the majority of the public does not know the real facts and issues about transit. We (myself included) complain about the TTC being slow, unreliable, and overcrowded, but how many of us know that the TTC is strapped for cash because it receives no operation funding from the province? or we often compare our subway system to that of Madrid or Hong Kong or even the ones in China, but yet, many of us don't know that projects in these places have little to no Environmental Assessment criteria? or yeah, we can have MoveOntario 2020, but without operation funding, the TTC may not even be able to run it's Transit City LRTs or that subway to Richmond Hill.

What makes me mad is when I read on forums, blogs, and editorials, people complain about transit, yet they know so little about it. As a planner, it makes me feel like my profession doesn't matter, because you have all these idiots that think they can do a better job. Some of these people (some of my friends included), don't even know that there are different levels of government (for the record, I am not responsible for the the potholes on your street, nor the tree that's dying in your front yard). Try asking your friends who our Prime Minister, Premier and Mayor is - I bet you half of them would not know.

So yeah, being a planner sucks. We get no respect, no acknowledgment. Remind me why I went to planning school again?

January Blues

2008-01-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

January 19, 2008 - Is it just me or this has been a brutal January? Aside from the snow and cold weather, it feels like 2008 just did not start on the right note for me. Let's see here: work has hit rock bottom; I've been sick for about 3 weeks now; I haven't seen the sun in days; and it feels like this month will never end.

It's just really hard to stay positive all the time. When the environment that you're in is toxic, it's really difficult to remain all happy and bright. I guess I just have to keep telling myself that I deserve better, and channel all that hatred and anger into something more positive.

Oh yeah, 2008 resolutions! I'm going to keep them to three this year:

- Go to bed earlier
- Eat healthier
- Go out and do more things around the city

New Year's Eve 2007

2007-12-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2007 - Is it just me, or did 2007 go by rather quickly? Here I am, writing my annual "year-in-review" post and it still doesn't strike me that in a few years, we'll be welcoming 2008. In yet anothertwist, I am staying home yet again tonight, not because I have no plans, but because I have a massive cold. Boo.

Anyway, let's look back at 2007 and see if I have accomplished everything that I set out to do around this time last year (taken from last year's post):

~~1. Move on from all that has happened in '06, learn from what happened, work on my own issues and enjoy '07 as a fresh start (that's a mouthful right there).~~
- Done, that actually didn't take too long...

~~2. Be a better friend and make better effort to (re)connect with friends.~~
- Well, I'd like to think I accomplished that, but that's for my friends to decide I guess.

~~3. Take a class (cooking class anyone?).~~
- I took an architecture class with B for a few weeks in the summer, does that count?

4. Start running again/go back to the gym.
- err

~~5. Learn to use my camera better/take more pictures.~~
- I do use my camera a lot more now than before, and I won third at the Markham Fair Photography Contest! yay!

~~6. Write an article for the Planners Journal.~~
- I didn't write an article for the OPPI Journal, but my paper on greenbelts as a planning tool was published in the Journal of Environmental Policy Planning

7. Go skiing in January/February.
- still waiting to do that

~~8. Buy Wii for my birthday.~~
- bought one even before my birthday!

~~9. Get a new cell phone - hopefully soon :S~~
- got a new one this summer

~~10. Be a bit more generous to myself (and to others too) - aka stop being so cheap felix!!!~~
- I think I bought more stuff for myself this past year than in the past three years combined

~~11. Go to work earlier (and not work so late?).~~
- there were days when I was at work before 8:30, so that should count

~~12. Travel whenever I can.~~
- went to NYC, Vegas, LA and San Diego this year, not too bad all things considered...

That's not too bad - 10 out 12. As for 2008, once I've figured out what I want to accomplish this upcoming year, I will blog about that. 2008 though, looks to be a year filled with many exciting and scary changes (my condo!).

Here's to 2008!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2007-12-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

December 24, 2007 - What a difference a year makes eh? Last year, I was quite miserable around this time of the year. This year, things couldn't be better =)

I guess I have been good this year. Thanks Santa.

Toronto to Tokyo? Transfer at Shanghai

2007-12-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

December 19, 2007 - Check out this "metro map of the world", based on London's Tube/Subway system. Very neat eh? The map contains the names of all the cities in the world that have urban rail systems, including subways, LRTs and heavy rail.

The map is designed by Mark Ovenden, author of the book Transit Maps of the World, which features (you guessed it!) transit maps of a number of large cities in the world (my copy should be arriving any day now). The map here is part of the an e-card that served as promotional material for the book and is not for sale - though I wonder how difficult it would be to print this out as a map.

Not that it has to do with anything, but the guy is also gay. In this interview, he explained why many gay men are fascinated by subways:

"I would have though the sight of great pounding machines thrusting into deep passages would be just the kind of thing that would appeal (to gay men)."

errr, okay sure :)

Snowbound

2007-12-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

December 16, 2007 - It's being billed as the biggest snowstorm in 60 years! And it's still snowing here today - I can't see anything outside my window but white! Too bad the storm didn't happen on a weekday, or work would've been canceled for sure.

Having said that, I'm not looking forward to shoveling the driveway. Why am I up here in Markham instead of my warm cozy apartment at Yonge & Eglinton?

The ski resorts must be thrilled with the storm though! This could turn out to be one of the best ski seasons ever.

I guess winter is officially here. Only 5 more months to go until spring...

Subway Hell and Triathlon: Horror Commuting Stories?

2007-12-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

December 13, 2007 - In case you missed it, here's the rest of the Toronto Star series on commuting in different parts of the world:

- London's Subway Commuting Hell
- Beijing - the Triathlon of Commutes
- Running a Gauntlet in Jerusalem
- Hellish Journey around Holy City

Some random thoughts:

- From my own personal experience, congestion on the London Tube is worse than on our Yonge subway line, though this is the result of the pricey congestion charge that the Mayor of London has imposed on the the city (for those of you who don't know, you have to pay a fee every time you drive your car into the central district of London). Obviously it is working, but only because the congestion charge was combined with large scale investments in public transit.

- The triathlon of commutes in Beijing is interesting in the sense that commuters use a variety of modes to commute. They don't just drive all the way from home to work - they drive, use transit, and then bike. Isn't that what we're trying to encourage here as well?

- I don't know how relevant the two Jerusalem stories are, mainly because the political situation in the Middle East strongly affects the way people travel. I thought this series is about people who are "choice-commuters", not because they have to due to political restrictions.

With the exception of the last article, everyone that was profiled in this series made the conscious decision to live far away from work. As I mentioned previously, that is their lifestyle choice and I don't really feel sorry for them. If they don't want to bitch about waking up at 5 am to avoid traffic, or missing their children's hockey games and music nights, then simply don't live so far from work. Is it just plain obvious?

I think if the Star really wants to do a series on "commuting horror stories", they should focus on people who have no choice but to commute. How about a story on that single mother with two children who live in Malvern but have to commute to Etobicoke for work? or newly arrived immigrants who live with their extended family in Brampton and must rely on transit to get to work in Vaughan or Newmarket? or that poor university student who must live at home in Markham because OSAP wouldn't cover rent nor residence fee in downtown Toronto? I think these make much more compelling stories than middle/upper-class commuters that drive their SUVs across town and complain about too much traffic.

Think You Have It Bad? Try a 240-km Commute

2007-12-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

December 8, 2007 - Most of the people I know that live in the suburbs complain about their commute to school and to work. Whether you take transit or drive, we all acknowledge that congestion in Toronto has gotten much worse over the past couple of years. But is the commute in Toronto THAT bad? The Star hopes to answer that question by examining the commute in other parts of the world - staring with Washington D.C.

Here some of the points made in the article that I found interesting:

70 per cent of McDonald's restaurants now open at 5 a.m. and the company has suggested the rest of its franchisees follow suit. Fast-food lunch meals grew less than one per cent in this country between 2001 and 2006, but the country's $40 billion (U.S.) fast-food breakfast market is expected to jump as much as 5 per cent this year alone.

Why do otherwise sane people put up with this every day? "When I drive back and look over the mountains, I literally breathe a sigh of relief,'' says Forrester. "That is why I do this. Everyday.''
When he and colleague studied why Americans are sleeping less they found, to their surprise, that the extra waking hours were not spent on leisure, in front of the television or with family, but sitting in the car.

To give you some perspective, a 240 km roundtrip commute is like driving to and from Queen's Park in downtown Toronto to Waterloo. To most of us, that would be a crazy commute, though I do know people who does that everyday as well. To give you further perspective, my commute from my Markham house to work is about 60 km round-trip. But that's on transit though (that's YRT bus, Viva, Subway, walk/streetcar), and I complain about it already.

My opinion is that for many people, moving to the suburbs and exburbs is a lifestyle choice. Like most decisions, it comes with pros and cons. If you decide to move far away from your workplace, you should know it would take you a long time to commute each day (and also, it would cost you more in terms of gas/transit). So why bitch about it? If you don't want to commute so far, then suck it up and move back to the city (or get a new job closer to home like that lady interviewed in the article). Of course, there's also that argument that some people cannot afford to live in the city - but that's an entirely different story. It appears this series on commuting that the Star is doing focuses on people who commute by choice.

This article on Washington DC also doesn't mention the role of commuter trains, which I believe is a much bigger phenomenon in the States than here in Southern Ontario. The article portrays driving as the only way to commute in the States, which I know is not entirely true, even in car-friendly places like Los Angeles. Would be interesting if they have a follow-up article on people who commute on transit to work.

And that fast food breakfast industry sounds like a money-making venture eh? does anyone want to open a Timmy's with me?

Lesson learned: Always Check Your Ticket

2007-12-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

December 3, 2007 - I am finally back home from California and I can honestly say that I am glad to be back. As much as I had great time in CA, towards the end of the trip, I felt it was time to go home. Of course, in regular "it could only happen to Felix" fashion, I ran into a bit of trouble coming home - and here's the story.

At 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, the day that I was supposed to fly back to Toronto, I decided, out of the blue, to go online and change my seat for the returned flight. I logged onto the Air Canada website and quickly found out my reservation no longer exists. I figured AC must have made an error, so I called them and asked why I couldn't see my reservation online. The agent did a bit of research and told me that they have no records of my reservation either! I started to freak out of course, explaining to them that I have my itinerary with me and I have all the information written down. I was asked to double check the dates on the ticket and that was when I said: crap (well, I said more than that, but you get the point).

Apparently, stupid me booked my return flight for the SAME DATE as my departure flight. As in, my ticket says I'm flying from Toronto to Las Vegas on Nov 24th, and then returning from Los Angeles to Toronto, also on the 24th. I have no idea how I made such a huge error and how the system also didn't catch it. Anyway, I tried to rebook the flight, but because I'm now technically buying a new ticket, the Saturday night flight to Toronto would cost me an additional $800. There was no way I was going to pay $800 to fly home - not when my round-trip ticket was only $470. So I opted to stay in California for an additional night and fly home Sunday (I only had to pay $42 for the Sunday flight) while I waved bye to my friends.

My last night in California was spent inside a huge hotel room by the airport. Because I didn't have the car, I couldn't exactly wander around town. I kept watching the Weather Network to learn more about the huge snowstorm back in Toronto. On Sunday, my flight was further delayed because of the storm. We didn't manage to take off until early afternoon - more than 2 hours behind schedule. The airport and the plane was pretty packed - I got one of those crappy middle seats on an old plane (with no personal tv!!). This was of course after I got pulled aside at security checkpoint at the airport for "a more thorough search" of my carry-on and shoes. Not that I was complaining, I was just happy to come home.

So now I'm back home. What's with this cold weather? I miss the sun, the palm trees, and the 20+ degrees weather in California already.

California Dreaming

2007-11-24T04:02:00.000-08:00

November 24, 2007 - I really should be sleeping but I'm either too tired (beyond my sleep threshold) or too excited! So I'm off to the sunny warm California and Las Vegas in about 4 hours. Hopefully by the time I get back, the weather here will have warmed up a bit! I can dream eh?

Look after my B for me while I'm away guys! =D

Parents Back / Countdown to California

2007-11-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

November 19, 2007 - My life goes back to being normal this week as my parents have finally returned from their month-long trip to Asia. While I did enjoy spending all that time in my Markham house, the 6 am wake up calls, the 1.5 - 2 hours daily commute, plus those long days at work were slowly killing me. The past four weeks did help in changing my sleeping pattern, and hopefully I can maintain this early bedtime/wake up schedule. It actually does feel good to be at work before everyone gets there (now if only I leave when I should, that would be great).

This normalcy won't last too long as I'm off to Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles this Saturday. A part of me is very excited about the trip (Vegas! Grand Canyon! Shopping!) but I do feel bad that B couldn't go with me and I hate leaving him here by himself. But no fear, he will be really busy with his school work and it's only for a week!

So now I just need to survive the next four days...

Union Station Renassiance

2007-11-14T16:01:00.001-08:00

November 14, 2007 - Today, Mayor Miller unveiled the City's plans to revitalize Union Station, the most important transportation hub in Canada. Serving up to 200,000 passengers on a typical work day, Union Station handles more passengers than Pearson International Airport, and is "the crown jewel" of the City's transportation network.

Union Station has certainly seen better days. Opened in 1927, the station was once home to train companies that provided service to all parts of the continent. The Great Hall has names of Canadian cities that were once served by trains pulling out of Union Station. With the decline of continental rail travel, the Great Hall is now largely underutilized. Parts of the station even got converted to other uses like retail and offices.

The GO Concourse underneath the Great Hall is a different story. Tens of thousands of commuters rush through this concourse each and everyday. The concourse was originally used as a mail depot, and when GO began service at Union Station 40 years ago, no one predicted passenger flow would reach today's level. The GO Concourse is dark, over crowded and architecturally ugly. With GO ridership expected to increase over the next 20 years, something needs to be done.

The originally revitalization plan was put forth by the Union-Pearson Group, which wanted to build a new rail link to Pearson Airport from Union Station. When the deal fell through, the City took it upon itself to come up with a new revitalization plan. Highlights of the plans announced today include:

- Excavating the lower concourse to make it all one level from the GO Transit east concourse to the west concourse (though walls will still be in place to mark the VIA concourse). This will provide a direction connection with no grade change from the existing PATH and TTC subway station (currently there are a few steps you need to climb from the subway to Union Station).

- A new retail concourse beneath the lower concourse; retail development will help pay for the revitalization.

- Increase use of the Great Hall by directing GO passengers through the Hall into the GO concourse.

It would be interesting to see which private developer the City will team up with to develop the retail component. So far, the City has not named a specific developer, and public funding through senior levels of government remains a possibility. If developed properly, Union Station has the potential to become a star attraction in our city, similar to Grand Central Station in New York, Washington Union Station, and the great train stations in Europe.

Since I work on this file at work, I shall refrain from commenting on the City's plans, but you can check them out and provide your own comments here.

Mormons Exposed

2007-11-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

November 13, 2007 - I was on youtube the other day and a few clicks and there led me to the Mormons Exposed website. The website is promoting a 2008 "Men on a Mission" calendar featuring 12 former Mormon missionaries posing shirtless in very suggestive positions. The producer of the calendar argues that in addition to the eye-candy factor, he hopes the calendar can help reshape perceptions, heighten awareness and encourage and inspire a broadened acceptance of human religious diversity. In addition to the steamy pictures, the calendar also talks about each missionary's journey to other parts of the world.

For those who don't know, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or the Mormon church), when a guy turns 19, he submits his name to the church to prepare for a two-year mission in a different part of the world. This rite of passage is paid for entirely by the family and often, the missionary will take time off school or work to fulfill his missionary requirement. Called Elders, you may have seen them on the subway or on the street, in their dark suits, white shirts and tie, with their trademark black name tag. In addition to preaching the Gospel wherever they go, missionaries are required to also participate in local volunteer work, which could include everything from teaching English to working in a homeless shelter. Missionaries are only allowed to call home twice a year - on Mother's Day and on Christmas Day - so for most the two years, they have very little contact with the world that they know.

The returned missionaries (RM) featured in this calendar traveled to all parts of the world for their missions. While I think the intention to change the image of Mormons (often ridiculed as polygamists or uptight traditionalists) is of value, I don't think having RMs pose shirtless as male models is sending the right message to the public. The Mormon church believes in modesty and this calendar has got to go against that believe. Is the calendar saying that Mormons are also hot sex objects? Is that the image the Church really wants ? Could they not just pose with their shirts on, like GQ or any other fashion magazine?

I'm not sure if this is right path to go - what's next? Nuns in swimsuits calendar? I guess the bottom line is - sex sells and having these hot young RMs pose semi-naked will get people talking, which will generate more sales.

Having said that (and being the hypocrite that I am), the site is worth checking out, if not for the incredibly hot guys (Matthew and Kenny are my favourites and yes, you get to vote for yours too!), but for the interesting testimonies. In a way, you can say the calendar was successful - at least it got me reading and blogging about Mormons.

B22

2007-11-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2007 - Most of my friends know I'm not a big birthday person, but when it comes to someone special, I can always make an exception. So today, we celebrated B's 22nd birthday! Yes, he's only turning 22 - and yes, I can't remember what it was like when I turned 22 anymore - it was THAT long ago (/slap). So by celebrating his birthday, it was like I turned 22 all over again (well at least I could pretend).

We actually have been celebrating his birthday for the past week now, given how his actual birth-date was on Monday. But because we all had school/work that day, we couldn't do very much other than cutting a tiny cake that I bought at Dominion. The rest of the week flew by and on Saturday, we did a dinner thing with all his friends (close to 20 of them!) at the freezing cold Moxie's at North York Centre.

As for what I got him for his birthday - I don't think I will disclose it here (no - it's not dirty or anything like that!) - I'm sure he will blog about it at one point or another. I will say that watching him opening his presents was like watching a child opening gifts on Christmas morning! It was really really cute - him and the whole situation =D

So happy 22 again!!

The Art of Finding a GO Parking Spot

2007-10-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2007 - Starting this week, I will be commuting from Markham because my parents are on vacation in Asia for a month! To make sure the house doesn't burn down while they are away, I volunteered to move back for a few days each week. This also means I will have to commute to work - which should generate a few really interesting stories.

I haven't worked out a specific route that I will take to go to work yet, but with access to the car, I have quite a number of options. So this week, I decided to join thousands of commuters and ride the GO.

I have taken the GO a number of times (though the first time was with B and Jenny way back in January), but I have never actually driven and parked at a station before. So this morning, I drove to Richmond Hill Station and discovered finding a parking spot at a GO station is actually like an art form.

First of all, at a busy station like Richmond Hill, there are more cars than available parking spots. Not everyone will get a spot - but that doesn't mean people won't park their cars anyway. I have never seen more cars parked illegally than at the RH parking lot. There are cars blocking other cars, cars along the access roads, cars parked right by the entrance - maneuvering around these illegally parked cars is more of a sport in itself.

Secondly, getting out of the parking lot should be made into an Olympic sport, because I have never seen anyone dash out of the GO train that quickly. People would actually wait by the doors after Langstaff station and as soon as the train opens its doors at RH, they would RUN to their cars and try to be the first one out of the parking lot. That's fine - except there are also hundreds of other people walking around the parking lot at the same time. These aggressive drivers have obviously never heard of the term "pedestrians" - and dodging these crazy drivers requires new skills that they certainly don't teach you at school.

I might have exaggerated a bit (except for the illegal parking part), but surely, more can be done to make these GO parking lots more people friendly. Perhaps add in a path or two, or maybe even add a sidewalk. I know there isn't enough space as it is and adding these "people-friendly" amenities will only reduce the number of parking spaces available, but still, isn't the safety of GO passengers also a concern?

And can someone please explain to me why the #4 Major Mac bus isn't in sync with GO train arrivals? If we want to really encourage GO train riders to take transit to the station and not drive, shouldn't they do a better job in synchronizing their schedules, so that passengers can just walk from their train to the bus. I know they do that for the "Go Shuttle" routes, but how about including the local buses as part of that as well?

YRT Fare Increase: Worst in the GTA?

2007-10-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2007 - York Region Council has passed a motion this past Thursday to increase York Region Transit fares AGAIN. Single adult cash fare will go up from $2.75 to $3, making it the most expensive single ride cash fare in the entire GTA. The only city that I can think of with a cash fare of $3 is the City of Ottawa, but even there, they have large subsidies for those who buy passes and tickets.

According to YRT officials, fare increases is a way to keep up with the rising costs of delivering transit service in the region. Officials are calling it part of an annual exercise, stating that fare increases could be annual event. Despite dramatic increases in ridership, transit riders still currently only cover about 40% of the operating costs of YRT/VIVA - a far cry from the TTC's 80% and Go Transit's 90%.

This begs the question - does YRT/VIVA operate efficiently? In particular, with VIVA, is it operating at a level where it can actually be sustainable? In theory, the goal of VIVA is to provide transit service to parts of York Region before new dense developments take place. This means efficient transit service will be provided the minute people move in- thus, people won't have to switch from their cars to transit - something that is pretty hard to do in our car-friendly culture. In practice though, this might not be as efficient. Running empty buses through the empty fields of the future downtown Markham, for example, generates zero ridership. The VIVA Green route, in particular, is so severely underused that YRT recently cut the service back to rush-hour only.

Kudos for York Region to tackle the congestion issue through public transit though. While much improvements have been made, transit riders won't care when they are slapped by a fare increase every year. Even transit supporters like me have a hard time swallowing fare increases (this of course, is right after the TTC increased its fares). I have to say though, YRT's customer service is much much better than the TTC's, but in terms of reliability, it still has a long way to go. You're fine if you stick to the major routes (like VIVA or #99 Yonge/Bernard or #91 Bayview for #1 Hwy 7), but if you like any of the local routes, you're doomed. For those that complain about their TTC bus not coming or the subway being too crowded, try waiting for the #4 Major Mackenzie bus for 40 minutes, in the middle of winter. This is after you have spent 40 minutes on the subway and another 30 minutes going up Yonge Street from Finch Station. Until you have that experience, you really shouldn't be complaining about unreliable bus service at all.

A New Look for the 200th Post

2007-10-17T15:00:00.001-07:00

October 17, 2007 - This is my 200th post and to mark the occasion, I thought I would change the look of my blog just a little bit. Check out the key changes below:

All About My Condo

2007-10-04T16:42:00.001-07:00

October 4, 2007 - With about year to go before I officially move into my condo, I thought maybe it's time that I blog about it. I have been meaning to talk about this huge step in my life for awhile now, but there is just so much to say that I wasn't sure where or how to start.

So let's start from the beginning! The story goes back to 2005 - I had just turned 25 and had just started working full-time for the Province. I was still getting used to living on my own, having moved out just a few months before. Knowing I cannot rent forever, my dad persuaded me to start looking into buying a condo. Initially, I was looking at the Yonge/Sheppard and Yonge/Finch areas. But when nothing jumped out at me, my friends Amy and Ray suggested that I check out the new Minto Towers at Yonge/Eglinton, just across the street from where I was living at the time. I took their advice and with no expectations, went to check it out with my parents.

The Minto presentation building and professional staff made a great impression. The models looked sleek and modern and the units didn't cost as much as I thought they would. I spent a week thinking it through and on Saturday, Feb 11, 2006, I signed the purchasing agreement and became a condo-owner at the age of 25!

Almost $55K of down-payments later, there are still days when I am unsure if I had made the right choice. It wasn't easy paying those down-payments. Despite the fact that they were split into installments (and also that my parents helped me out a lot), it completely bankrupted my bank account. There were days when I couldn't afford to buy a tea or go out for lunch, simply because I just didn't have the money. I also had to keep my part time jobs, which isn't fun when you already work full time on the weekdays. Those months were tough, but because I had to work so hard for it, I know I will treasure this new home even more.

A bit about the Minto Midtown Towers, also known as Quantum 1 and Quantum 2: the towers are possibly one of the most famous condo projects in Toronto, highlighted by the fact that it received tremendous citizen opposition and media coverage in the late 90s. Back when the towers were first proposed, ratepayer groups in North Toronto, supported by Toronto Councillor Michael Walker (who is still the councillor for the ward where the towers are located), got together to fight the proposal. These residents argued that the towers are too tall, too big, and in general, do not fit in with the community. Anti-Minto posters went up around the neighbourhood and Council voted it down. The project went to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and after modifications in its design (which included a height reduction for Quantum 1), was finally passed through. Today, even as residents move into the South Tower, there are still people out there (including the community's two councillors), who are against the project.

The two towers are at one of the busiest intersections in the city, on top of the nation's busiest transit route, and also located within one of the Province's designated urban growth centres - if they aren't allowed to build here, then there really aren't that many other places where such development could be built. To all those NIMBYs out there who are against condo projects/intensification in North Toronto - I say, get used to it, as the area is ripe for more condo developments.

As for my unit - I bought a 1 bedroom + den unit on the 26th floor in Quantum 2, the North Tower, facing North. The expected occupancy date is Summer 2008. Construction of my building is progressing quickly and Minto predicts that by year end, the exterior of the building will be completed. The courtyard between the two towers is expected to finish by the beginning of next year, with the retail component (the Keg, a Starbucks) moving in in the Spring.

There's a lot more I could say about my condo and I'm pretty sure I will blog more about it as it gets closer to my move-in date. I have to say that the two towers look awesome. The architectural firm that originally designed the two buildings, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP, is an internationally renowned firm responsible for such famous buildings as Lever House in New York City, the Sears Tower and John Hancock Centre in Chicago, and the Bank of America building in San Francisco. The firm was also awarded the architectural design contract for the Freedom Tower in New York, after Daniel Libeskind won the WTC site master-planning competition.

I'm pretty psyched about my condo - and the fact that it really represents a new chapter in my life. So say what you will about condo living, but I can't wait to move into mine!

Markham Fair 2007

2007-09-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

September 30, 2007 - For over one hundred and fifty years, Markham Fair has been a tradition for York Region residents to get together to discuss the latest farming technology, to show off the fruits of their labour, and to purchase a bull or a chicken or two. 2007 marks the 163rd year that Markham Fair has been held and today, it is the largest agricultural fair in Canada.

My first visit to Markham Fair was in 7th grade, when I went with my social studies class. I don't remember much about my first visit anymore, except I got to meet Miss Markham Fair and I got a pink flag from her. This past Saturday marked my return to the Fair in close to 15 years. Not only did I go back as a visitor, I also went back as an exhibitor, having entered the Fair's photography contest.

I thought I would give the photography contest a shot since B won a couple of ribbons last year. I didn't think I will win anything, given that my photography skills aren't that great - so really, I entered just for fun. My sister went to check out the Fair on Friday and was happy to report that I didn't win anything. So Saturday morning, when I walked into the General Exhibition Building, all I really wanted to do was find my pictures on the wall!

But it just so happened that the first picture of mine that I found had a 3rd place sticker on it! Shocking eh? B of course, won a few more ribbons to add to his collection. Anyway, it was all good fun, and a great way to really force myself to learn how to use my camera properly. Now I have a whole year to prepare for next year's contest!

What's cool about the Fair is that even though Markham is no longer considered rural, it still celebrates its historical roots as a farming community by holding an agricultural fair every year. The exhibits, the contests, and the midways ride may appear cheesy, boring, and ancient, but the Fair creates this sense of community that you don't see elsewhere in town (try getting a sense of community at the Pacific Mall parking lot!). Be it families who take their kids to the Fair or old ladies that volunteer their time as judges, the Fair brings you back to a time when things were simpler and life was less hectic. The future of the Fair however, is up in the air. With its location just a stone-throw away from new subdivisions and big box stores, it's only a matter of time before the Fair is gobbled up by the "new" Markham of large houses, wide streets, and more Chinese malls. Kinda sad if you think about it.

TIFF '07 - Live from the Toronto International Film Festival

2007-09-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

September 13, 2007 - My friend Kanchan and I checked out the Toronto International Film Festival tonight at the gala premier of the movie "Reservation Road", starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly. TIFF has sorta become one of my annual things to do - the first time I went was actually in my first year of grad school, with my friend Erin, at the old Uptown Theatre. This year, because of my own budget issues, I decided to just go to one movie and invited Kanchan to join me!

So we arrived at Roy Thompson Hall about 20 minutes before the movie was to start. Our line was actually right beside the red carpet/arrival area and after a few minutes, we saw these big SUVs pulled up and out came the stars! The crowd cheered, cameras started flashing, and all 3 stars took some time to sign autographs and take pictures. It was very "Hollywood" that's for sure - I half expected to see Paris or Joan Rivers show up.

Anyway, we didn't get a chance to get close to the stars until we were inside the theatre. Kanchan and I decided to hang out at the lobby and we managed to get close enough to both Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo to get them to sign our tickets! We had to fight with a whole bunch of people for that (well Kanchan did, I only snapped the pictures) but it was still a very cool experience! Can't say I have ever done it (despite having gone to the TIFF for the past couple of years now).

As for the movie itself, it was a little bit below our expectation - we weren't sure if it was trying to be a tearjerker or a revenge triller. Reservation Road tells the story of a hit and run accident that claims the life of a 10 year old boy and the consequences and coincidences as a result of it. The acting was good - but not gripping good. Neither Kanchan nor myself cried, so that says it all! Then again, we were also sitting very high up - so that could've been another reason why we didn't feel the emotional impact of the movie.

Anyway, Kanchan and I both had fun - until I got sick from sushi after dinner (all I can say is, thank goodness for that surprisingly clean bathroom at the Yonge/Bloor Timmy's!). Looks like I won't be eating sushi for awhile =S

$109 for a Metropass

2007-09-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

September 12, 2007 - After weeks of surveying riders on how to deal with its $30 million budget cut, the TTC announced today that a fare hike will occur this November. Tickets and tokens will go up by another 15 cents ($22.5 for 10 tokens) while the very popular Metropass will indeed cross the $100 psychological barrier to $109. Staff had originally recommended the price to go up to $111 - but TTC Chair (and my favourite councillor) Adam Giambrone resisted. Cash fare however, will remain at $2.75/ride.

The increase means that the 37 money-losing bus routes (including the 103 Mt. Pleasant North bus that runs by my apartment and the 224 Victoria Park North bus that goes to my parents house) will not be cut - for now. The TTC also voted to implement its service improvement plans (originally scheduled for September) next February. This would put more than 100 new buses on crowded routes.

Personally, if I have to choose between service cuts and increased fares, I would pick increased fares as well. Sure, it's a lose-lose situation - but reducing bus service would not only be a step backward in trying to promote a transit culture in our city, but it would also erase any progress the TTC has made in recent years to increase ridership. I'm sure there will be people who refuse to pay an additional 15 cents per token and jump back into their cars, but it's still a whole better than shutting down the Shepperd subway or cutting bus routes that serve low-income neighbourhoods. The latter will end up hurting people even more and create even more congestion.

Having said that, people would be more willing to put up with fare hikes if service improves. Glad to hear that the service improvement plans will be implemented next year - but that still means 6 more months of being stuck in overcrowded buses. Service improvements should also expand to include better customer service - for an agency that has an annual ridership of over 450 million, I still cannot understand how they can be so inward looking. Heck, I think people would be willing to pay an additional 10 cents just to provide customer service and sensitivity training to some of its employees!

Restless Days

2007-09-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2007 - So a good friend of mine at work told me today he's leaving the branch to take on a new job with the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (aka the place that every up and coming transit planner wants to work at)! Anyway, I'm thrilled for him - a little surprised given how we've talked about working there before. A part of me couldn't help but envy him as well though. It also got me thinking: am I satisfied with my job? am I happy with the way things are? are there things that I could do to better improve myself?

All this thinking made me realized how despite my two degrees, I still don't really have enough skills out there to make myself truly marketable. Sure, I can write policy documents, do research, and make slidedeck presentations - but I can barely read blueprints, can't do any of the AutoCAD/3D imagining stuff, and my GIS skills are slowly slipping away. In other words, I think I'm slowly falling into that policy niche and I'm not sure if it's what I want to do for the next 30 years of my life.

So, I'm thinking - maybe I need to do something about it. What can I do to make myself more marketable? Could this mean more school? and if so, would I go back and do yet another Master degree? or should I try my luck and aim for a PhD (and spend 6 years part time doing it?!), or should I just go for CE courses in GIS or CAD and try my luck there?

Hmm. I think I'm just getting restless, or maybe, after working full time for more than 2 years, I still miss school - a lot.

CNE / Streetcars of Tomorrow / Queenie's Farewell

2007-08-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

August 31, 2007 - So a bunch of us went to check out the Ex tonight! It has been awhile since I've been to the Ex and really, not that much has changed since my last visit. The Food Building (99 cents pasta + 2 bucks for 2 meatballs), the scary rides, and the smelly farm animals are still there! While I have to say that the Ex isn't THAT exciting (though the Human Cannonball was really cool), it's still fun to go - especially with a big group.

This year's CNE features a special exhibit called "Streetcars of Tomorrow". On display were two models (designed by Siemens and Bombardier, two of the four bidders for TTC's new streetcar contract) of what future Toronto streetcars could look like. While the final design will look considerably different, both consortia went all out to impress Torontonians. Siemens showed off their Combino Plus model - a slim, sleek LRV that reminds me of the trams in Germany. Kudos to Siemens for painting their model in classic red/white TTC colours - it allowed people to immediately identify with it. However, because the vehicle is so slim, the interior does look too narrow compared to our current streetcar fleet - and I can't imagine what it would be like to be stuffed inside one of these vehicles during rush hour.

The Bombardier model is the same one that was on display at Dundas Square awhile back. I have already blogged about that - but compare to the Siemens model, the Bombardier one does look a bit bulky. Sure, it's roomy inside - but does it have to look like a box on the street?

I also want to stay that I think the TTC, Siemens, and Bombardier are doing a great job in terms of educating the public about our future streetcars. The moment I stepped on the Siemens model, I was greeted by a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic person that answered all my questions (I had to play dumb for a bit just to see how much he knows). I also liked how pamphlets were readily available and a large map of the Transit City Plan was also on display. Gotta hand it to all three for the excellent PR job - what a great way to generate interest on our new transit vehicles!

Our Ex visit also served as Queenie's farewell, who will be leaving us for Asia! Good luck Queenie!

Congratulations, Mr. 4.0!!

2007-08-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

August 30, 2007 - A big shout-out to Mr. 4.0, who simply did amazing on his anatomy summer course! Your hard work and dedication paid off big time. I am very very proud of you!! yay!!!

*cross fingers for FAH*

Highlights from the Big Apple

2007-08-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2007 - So I'm back from the Big Apple!! Actually, I've been back for a few days now! The trip was very tiring but lots and lots of fun. New York City is truly amazing!! Of course, it helps when you're travelling with great people as well. =D

Here are some of my favourite memories from the trip (not in any particular order):

1) Watching Grace shop for illegal bags at the South Street Seaport

After visiting the WTC site and Battery Park, we walked north to the South Street Seaport for lunch. Along the way, we passed by all these street vendors that were selling fake purses, fake watches, fake sunglasses, etc. Because we were all pretty hungry, I suggested that we come back after lunch. By the time we returned after our meal though, the vendors had wrapped up their stuff and closed shop. We weren't quite sure why they did that, but we figured it was probably because there were cops nearby. Not wanting Grace to be disappointed, we sat on one of the benches by the vendors and waited for them to open shop again. One of them eventually did, though discreetly (literally behind the bushes), and Grace quickly picked up two nice Gucci bags for about $20 each. The whole deal was pretty shady- with the vendor kept looking up to see if the cops are coming and Grace kept bargaining with the vendor for a decent price! By the end of the trip, Grace would end up buying 5 bags, though one of them was actually free, since it was hidden inside one of the illegal bags!!!

Hours later, we watched Grace barter again with the shopkeepers in Chinatown! My favourite: "Three dollars! no? fine then! I can get it cheaper somewhere else!" (and this was for a hair clip thing that was originally listed for six bucks!).

2) Walking to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport at 4 a.m.

Because we had a few hours to kill in Buffalo before our flight departs, we decided to go Denny's, which was right by the airport, for a quick meal. Our taxi dropped us off outside Denny's, but we had no way of getting to the airport afterwards - besides walking! So at around 4 a.m., the seven of us WALKED along this dark, deserted street to the Buffalo-Niagara airport. Though it wasn't sketchy, it was still dark and from what I've read, walking around at night in Buffalo is a big no-no! But we survived (though we got looks from people driving by), and B and Grace took some really nice pictures of the neon-blue airport sign. Our meal at Denny's was quite yummy too!

3) Buying Max with Bernard at F.A.O. Schwarz

B and I saw a lot of neat stuff inside F.A.O. Schwarz, but what really caught our eyes were the stuffed labrador retrievers! As some of you may know, B and I have always wanted a lab retriever. So instead of getting a real one (since our moms strictly forbid us from getting a dog), we decided to buy a plush one for now! We ended up buying two - a big one, which we named (Baby) Max, for B, and a small one, which we named Baby Baby Max, for my sister Flora! Max looks incredibly real and is super duper cute. He makes us want to get a real one even more. =(

4) Theresa and Kevin getting lost 5 minutes after leaving us for the UN

Theresa and Kevin decided to go see the United Nations building while we were shopping. After giving them instructions on how to get to the UN building from the corner of 5th Ave and 34th Street, we found them wandering around the intersection 5 minutes later, lost!! Apparently, even though I had told them to walk towards the Empire State Building to find the closest subway station, they mistakenly thought another building was the Empire State and walked in the wrong direction! Sorry guy, for not giving better direction! =S

5) Walking through the Black Hole Tunnel at Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum

We must have walked through the incredible Black Hole Tunnel at least 5 times. The tunnel is really just a bridge inside this tube that keeps turning. Anyway, the whole point is that even though the bridge itself isn't moving, when you walk across it, it's hard to keep your balance because the tube is moving. I know I'm not describing it properly here, but it was just a lot of fun!! Even by the 5th time we walked across it, we were still falling!

6) Funny nanny picture at Central Park

A nanny came up to us at Central Park and asked us to take a picture for her. We thought she wanted a picture with her cute 2 year old boy. Instead, she told the boy to stay still, ran up to the edge of the lake, and asked us to take a shot right there! She was really nice though, and the kid was super cute.

Right after that, we saw a cute Asian guy with his parents. After we asked him to take a picture of us, we took a picture of them. B couldn't resist and took a picture of the cute guy too! =D

7) Riding the New York subway everywhere!

It's one of the most famous transit systems in the world and I'm so glad I got to use it often! Sure, it's not as clean as the TTC - many of the stations are truly falling apart - but, you can take the subway everywhere! I also like the express/local division, though it did suck for us since our hotel was located on top of a local stop. We also got semi-lost after our E train turned into the V train on the way to the WTC. Having said that, upon returning home, I did start to appreciate the TTC subway just a tiny bit more.

8) Visiting the New York Transit Museum with Bernard

It poured on our last day in New York but B and I still made the trek to Brooklyn to check out the NYC Transit Museum. The museum itself is located inside a former subway station and holds many historical artifacts from the city's transit system. B and I had fun exploring the museum and my favourite was their collection of historical subway cars, some of which date back to the 1900s! It was also really cool to see the evolution of the subway cars - from open carriages to today's modern sleek aluminum cars. The museum is a must for all transit geeks out there! =D

9) Going up the Empire State Building

I haven't been up the Empire State Building since my second trip to New York, which was back when I was in high school! The view from the top of the tallest building in New York was amazing, especially with all the lights. Though you could say it was a touristy thing to do, I kinda want to do it again next time I'm in town!

10) Spending four days/three nights in one of the greatest cities in the world with someone special

It has been a super busy summer for both of us, and the trip was sorta the light at the end of the tunnel. Though the weather was crappy and we didn't get to do everything we planned, it was still our first trip together and I had an amazing time. What we didn't get to see will become our top priorities next time we visit the city! Being in one of the greatest cities in the world, with the most special person in my life, was probably what I loved most about the entire trip. =D

So that's my NYC wrap-up! I'm definitely going through vacation withdrawal right now! Thank you B, Grace, Calvin, Theresa and Kevin for such a great trip! And of course, a big round of applause for our fearless leader Eric for planning the whole thing!

So anyone up for Orlando in December?

Off to the Big Apple

2007-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

August 17, 2007 - I'm off to New York for a few days!! yay!!! It seems like it was only yesterday when we were talking about the possibility of going away - and it's finally here! I hope the trip will go off without a hitch =D

Why riding the subway sucks (sometimes) - Part 3

2007-08-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

August 15, 2007 - It has been awhile since I've blogged! I think it's because I really don't have that much to say these days. Work has been super busy and by the time I get home, I'm usually too tired to sit in front of the computer and type. Anyway, thought I would be blog about this though: yet another interesting subway-riding story!

Well actually, let me change that - it really wasn't that interesting, but I think my reaction surprised me. I was on my way home from work - it was around 7 p.m. - and at Union Station, a mother and her four kids came onto the train. The kids, under normal circumstances, can be classified as cute. But when you're exhausted from work and you just want to go home and ride in the train in peace, 4 overly active kids (all under the age of 10) cannot be considered the fun. The kids started SCREAMING at one another on the train while the mother just sat there and smiled. They then started climbing all over their seats (this poor man who was sitting beside one of the kids had to put up with their constant climbing up and down). What annoyed me the most, besides how the loudness and how their mother thinks this kind of behaviour is okay in a public place, was when they REPEATED the name of each subway stop about a hundred names very very loudly. Then they started questioning their mother why the stops were named as so. My favourite was the explanation for Summerhill - it's a hill and it's always summer there! Summerhill!!

Like I said, the normal regular Felix would have thought it was adorable - the grumpy Felix at the end of the day wanted to slap those kids. I was even THIS close to telling the mother off. I don't care that they are all less than 10 years old, but this kind of behaviour - the screaming, the climbing, the shouting - is not acceptable in a public place. Parents need to take more responsibility in making sure that their kids act appropriately. In the situation here, a simple "kids, use your indoor voice" would have been sufficient. But nooooo, she sat there while the kids screamed all the way through Union to Eglinton.

Another reason why riding the subway sucks - sometimes.

Much Ado About Nothing

2007-07-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2007 - I'm having difficulties in finding something to blog about these days. Initially, I was going to write about Toronto's fiscal problem, the threat to shut down the Sheppard Subway, the blaming of the Province for all the City's woes - but these topics are way too depressing and not to mention, have been talked to death in the media, at work, and by everyone who lives in or around Toronto. So instead of ranting how the Province needs to upload social services, or why there is no way that the Mayor will ever get away with shutting down the Sheppard Subway, or how pathetic I think some of the Toronto councillors are, I have chosen not to write about it, for now (it would just make me angrier).

So what would I write about then? That's the part that I'm stuck on. I could write about New York City - kinda like how I started blogging about Germany before my trip last fall; or, I could write about my condo; or I could write about my monkey Monkus =) - I just need a topic to get started, but I can't think of one right now.

Maybe something will come to me soon.

Jen's Farewell @ Niagara Falls

2007-07-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2007 - Over the past few years, I have had quite a number of friends who decided to move to Asia to try their luck in finding a better job (or sometimes, in finding themselves). Many of them moved (to Hong Kong or Japan or Korea or China) reluctantly at first, but the majority of them ended up liking the fast-paced environment and ended up staying for years. This summer alone, I have three friends who will be moving to Asia for work. Today, we had our farewell for Jenny - at Niagara Falls!

I had a few firsts today - instead of driving to Niagara, we took the Safeway casino bus to the falls. Now I know it is probably not the coolest thing in the world, but I found the whole thing fascinating. Leave it to the Chinese to find a cheap yet fast way to get to the Casino. I also finally got to try Denny's - an American all-day breakfast restaurant that serves greasy yet super delicious food. Like I said, the food was yummy, but it's definitely not something I would eat everyday.

Anyway, this blog isn't really about me! So yeah, the Falls is still lots of fun. As none of us gambled, we stayed near the Clifton Hill area, which is very cheesy yet really cool at the same time. The latest attraction is the ferris wheel, which provides great views of the Falls (kinda reminds me of the Eye of London). We didn't go into any of the attractions (due to time constraints and also because the girls were scared of haunted houses), so we walked around until it was time to head back to the bus.

The destination itself isn't that special, but given that it was probably the first time that all of us went to Niagara Falls altogether, we all had lots of fun. We also took lots of pretty pictures with Jenny - which hopefully she will look at whenever/if she misses us in China. I have no doubts that the year will go by super quickly and she'll be back in Canada before we know it.

So that's it - next week we will probably have our teary goodbye with her at the airport =S

Countdown to Harry Potter

2007-07-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

July 20, 2007 - The wait is almost over! In about 4 hours, bookstores here in Ontario will open their doors for tens of thousands of Harry Potter fans who have been eagerly waiting for the final book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In Toronto, Harry Potter mania is at its peak: the downtown Indigo flagship stores is actually shutting down Bay Street from Bloor to Charles tonight and converting it into Diagon Alley!! Oh man, how cool is that!

If that's not all, Indigo will also have a Knight Bus (yes, THE double decker bus for witches and wizards) and a "trackless" Hogwarts Express Train that will take visitors around. You can also meet Hedwig the Owl, attend Potions class (not taught by Snape I guess - though I wonder if there'll be a lookalike), and visit Gringotts! If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have taken the GO train to Markham tonight! Hopefully someone will post pictures from this online!

The book better be here by the time I wake up tomorrow. Maybe I'll bring the book to Niagara Falls with me. Hmm. My prediction is that Harry does not die - my money is on Neville.

And yeah, the Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix movie was awesome - definitely one of the better HP films. Gotta love Professor Umbridge - or at least the actress who portrays her in the movie!

Toronto Fringe Festival

2007-07-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

July 11, 2007 - I have to admit, prior to this week, I had no idea what the Toronto Fringe Festival is about. In fact, I have never even heard of it. So when my friend Ruth suggested that we go check it out, I was pretty skeptical. Little did I know that the Fringe movement was actually started in Canada and has since spread to other parts of the world!

The Toronto Fringe Festival allows all artists, emerging and established, with the opportunity to produce their play no matter the content, form or style, and to make the event as affordable and accessible as possible for the members of the community. The Toronto Fringe Festival was started in 1989 and has now become the largest theatre festival in the city. In fact, Canada now has more Fringe Festivals than any other country in the world. Each Canadian Fringe festival also strongly adheres to the philosophy that a "Fringe Festival" be unjuried, return 100% of box office proceeds back to the participating artists and remain affordable and accessible to all.

So tonight, my friend Ruth, her sister Ric, and I went to see "The Cousins of Corsica" at University of Toronto's Emmanuel College courtyard (took us a long time to figure out where Emmanuel College is, which is sad, since all three of us went to U of T), by a group called Food for Thought, which includes drama students from the local universities. The play is a parody of some of Shakespeare's most well-known plays, including Hamlet and Twelfth night. It's a story about a girl dressed up as a boy, about a brother who killed his older brother so he could become king, and about shipwrecks, love and mistaken identities. Their tag line: "It's like Shakespeare, only better."

The play was well acted and I thought it was a really funny story. I did nod off at the beginning for a bit (it was a long day at work), but overall I had fun. It was cool to check out and support our local theatre groups! Ruth also suggested that we go check out Shakespeare at the Park @ High Park, so I might do that later on this summer too. Isn't it great how there's so much to do in the city during the summer? Now if only it's warm and sunny all year...

Tour of Waterfront Parks

2007-07-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

July 8, 2007 - As part of Toronto's ongoing waterfront revitalization, two new parks that are part of this urban revival opened earlier this year to much fanfare and appraisal. So on a bright warm sunny Saturday afternoon, B and I trekked downtown to check out the new HTO Park and Ireland Park.

Years in the making, HTO Park opened to the public in June as one of the showcase parks along the waterfront. Designed to be Toronto's "urban beach", the park features a long sand pit that stretches along the water's edge, with yellow umbrellas and lounge chairs in the sand. It certainly feels like a beach - though you just couldn't get into the water.

The concrete boardwalk along the sand pit would probably look better if it's a wooden boardwalk and better shaded with trees (though to be fair, there is one along the water edge). At least we now have a fairly good trail going along the central part of the waterfront. I also like the grassy area - which provides a nice contrast to the hard concrete.

The sand pit (or the beach) was fairly well used when we were there - though we did see a few broken lounge chairs already. My guess is either someone was too heavy for the chairs or it was caused by vandalism (more likely the latter). For the record, Bernard and I DID NOT break any chairs due to our weight. =)

After visiting HTO, B and I walked west and went through the Spadina Wetland and the Toronto Music Garden (he has never been there apparently) on our way to find the Ireland Park.

Ireland Park is a tiny park located just behind the Canada Malting Silos, off Bathurst Street. Finding it proved to be quite difficult - there were no signs posted anywhere. To get there, you also have to walk right through the Porter Airlines terminal and parking lot. Anyway, opened just a couple of weeks ago, the park was designed for the 160th anniversary of Irish immigrants arriving in Toronto. The rough concrete slab on the west side of the park features names of 675 known immigrants (of the 1,100) who died on the journey to Toronto.

The park also has 5 bronze figures, called the "Arrival", that illustrate the mixed emotions and experience of the immigrants. Apparently a similar park in Ireland has 7 bronze figures called the "Departure" - the 2 missing figures signify the loss of many immigrants who didn't survive the trans-Atlantic voyage. There's also a glass silo in the park, with computer screens that you could touch to learn more about the park (I found that out after I got home!).

The park was very quiet when we visited, though it offers a spectacular view of the Toronto skyline and the rest of the Toronto waterfront. Though the Island Airport is so close to the park (B liked their terminal building), it surprisingly didn't bug me that much (though better signage to the park would be helpful). The park feels different though - definitely more somber and serious, than say, HTO.

I really like how Toronto is experimenting with these different type of parklands (your regular neighbourhood park just doesn't cut it anymore) - and there's more coming soon too (like the massive Lake Ontario Park). Sure, we're not going to be like Chicago overnight, but at least we're making an effort.

Speaking of parks, I already have a list of parks that I want to see in NYC, including, finally, Central Park - after all these years!

07/07/07

2007-07-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2007 - With the digits 07/07/07, today is supposed to be one of the luckiest days in this millennium. Why? the number seven is supposed to bring luck. According to this article, seven has biblical meanings - it's a number viewed traditionally as one of perfection. For example, the Bible says it took seven days to create the world, and there are seven levels of heaven. There are also seven days in a week.

Many events are taking advantage of 07/07/07 for promotional purposes. The "Live Earth" concerts in New York, London, Johannesburg, Rio de Janiero, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydeny and Hamburg hope that the day will be lucky for the planet, as the concerts advocate for action on climate change.

And in Lisbon, the New Seven Wonders of the World were announced today after over a year of voting. The results are somewhat surprising and definitely controversial. How relevant this list will be years from now is questionable. The New Seven Wonders are: The Great Wall of China (China), Petra (Jordan), Christ Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichén Itzá (Mexico), Colosseum (Italy), Taj Mahal (India). The absence of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the only remaining original seven wonder, is shocking and insulting. I was also disappointed by the Acropolis in Greece not making the list. My original choices are here (I got 3 out of 7).

And 07/07/07 is also a special day for many couples - it's their wedding date! So a shout-out to my friend Eva, who's getting married today (though I was not invited to her wedding =S)!

Empire State Goes Green

2007-07-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2007 - In anticipation of this weekend's Live Earth concerts for Climate Change, the Empire State Building in New York City decided to turn its LED lights green. Doesn't this look better and classier than CN Tower's rainbow colour lights?

Can't wait to see it in person though!! Less than 50 days to go before the New York trip!! yay!

Transfer to the Future @ Dundas Square

2007-06-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

June 28, 2007 - I went to check out TTC's Transfer to the Future: My New Streetcar public consultation exhibit at Dundas Square this afternoon. First of all, kudos to the TTC for picking such a great location for the event - the exhibit caught a lot of people's attention! Of course, having a huge streetcar on a podium in the middle of the square helps!

The highlight of the exhibit was the demo LRV on display. To show the public what Toronto's future streetcar/ LRV fleet could look like, the TTC actually brought in a demo car from Minneapolis. The Bombardier built car is fairly wide and tall, and definitely much boxier than our current streetcars (see picture). The demo car however has some neat features, including a vertical bike rack, pull down seats, and even luggage racks! The driver is completely shielded from the passengers (kinda like the pilot on a plane), suggesting that a proof-of-payment system would be used on these vehicles.

The TTC engineer on site, however, was quick to point out that our new streetcars might not look like the Minneapolis ones at all - our streetcars will be adapted to our local preferences (hence the public consultation). He did say however, that the downtown LRVs will not be double-headed, since we already have loops built in place (and thus no need to have cars be double-headed like the subway). Other issues, such as the need to build ramps (or would that be part of the vehicle) from current platforms, the need to set up POP systems, are still up in the air.

I'm not sure how the TTC plans to review the public input - but by holding a consultation exhibit in the heart of the city on a hot summer day is an excellent, well-coordinated way to create excitement and buy-in from the public. I thought having a demo car on display drew a lot more people to check out the exhibit (those panels alone did not do it) - at one point, the demo car was so packed that my friend Janet said it's probably what rush hour will feel like in these vehicles. I also liked how they had young enthusiastic TTC staff (that's almost an oxymoron) on hand to give out clipboards, explain the consultation process, and to answer questions.

So yeah, good job TTC. I can't wait to ride these new LRVs =).

The Presto Revolution

2007-06-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

June 26, 2007 - A new era of riding public transit began today by the introduction of the Presto smart card - Canada's first electronic, fare-calculating transit smart card that will enable riders to simply pay fares through a tap of a wallet-size credit card.

I don't think I need to explain how the card works, since many cities around the world, including Hong Kong and London (two case studies that the developers of Presto drew heavily from), have been using similar technology for years. The pilot phase of Presto involves GO commuters who travel between Meadowvale or Cooksville station and Union Station. Commuters can also use their Presto cards on Mississauga transit buses to and from the two GO stations, and also at TTC's Union Station. Eventually by 2010, commuters can then use Presto across the GTA, with the exception of the TTC (where only 5 stations will have such facilities).

Certainly the Presto card is a start in integrating our often fragmented transit system (having to keep two types of tickets and passes whenever a municipal boundary is crossed is not very convenient for transit riders). However, the TTC is still very hesitant in using such technology and without the TTC's full participation, Presto will not be widely used.

Also, even with Presto, commuters will still have to pay multiple fares (i.e. whenever you transfer from one transit agency to another). What is really needed, in addition to a smart card, is fare integration - we need to develop a new pricing scheme for transit service across the GTA. For example, it's ridiculous that someone from Etobicoke to Scarborough pays only 1 fare on the TTC for a journey across the city, but for someone going from John Street to Sheppard Station, two fares are required (for a shorter journey). Why not bring back a zone system and integrate all the transit services under the GTTA brand?

Wow - this post is becoming too much like a work discussion! Anyway, it's a great first step - and they did develop a pretty cool website to help launch the card. Too bad I don't live anywhere near Meadowvale or Cooksville, or else I would totally sign up to be a Presto user!

My first (and possibly last) published work

2007-06-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

June 19, 2007 - Yay! My article was published today in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Policy- my first (and sadly, probably my last) piece of work to be published in an academic journal! Sure, the paper feels like it was written a billion years ago (December 2004 to be exact), but wow, it's such a great feeling to see your name printed on an actual paper.

Chances are no one I know will ever read the article and grad students who are forced to read it will curse me for adding to their reading load. But oh well, I'm still proud of my work =)

Special thanks to Prof. Conway for pushing me to write this and for getting it published!

Boo for my parents not caring though. or my friends. sigh.

Transit Dream Realized?

2007-06-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

June 15, 2007 - The Ontario government today announced an unprecedented $17.5 billion rapid transit action plan for the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton. Named "Move Ontario 2020", the transit plan features 52 projects that will expand transit to all corners of the GTA. You can click here for a list of the projects (including Toronto's Transit City vision and the extension of the Yonge Subway to Highway 7!).

What's significant about this announcement is not only the scope of this plan, but also the fact that the province will fund two-thirds of all project costs (with hopefully the feds covering the remaining one-third), thus relieving the municipalities of their traditional one-third share.

While critics were quick to say that this is simply an election promise (and the Liberal government doesn't really have a good track record when it comes to that), what's important here is that at least transit, for the first time in a long time, has been brought to the foreground as an important election issue. Sure, the plan is bold and it's not for certain that all the projects will be built, but at least there's now A PLAN to do something - which is something that we haven't seen since the early 90s. Could this transit dream be finally realized?

Transfer to the Future: mynewstreetcar.ca

2007-06-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2007 - Just when I was feeling very depressed about the TTC, it managed to surprise me again with the unveiling today of its latest public consultation on the plan to purchase a new fleet of light rail vehicles to replace our current streetcars. With a hip, youthful, flashy multi-media website "mynewstreetcar.ca", this is definitely not your ordinary public consultation meeting or open house. On the website (cleverly named Transfer to the Future) you can actually click through various pictures of both the current streetcar fleet and LRVs in other parts of the world and tell the TTC what you like or don't like about each one. Pretty cool way to speak your mind from the comfort of your own home (or office)!

What I especially liked is the awesome video that they've put together to advertise the site (see video at the bottom of the site). The video actually makes riding the TTC seem cool (not an easy task I tell you). The video should be on tv - and if it's reworked a bit (i.e. include more shots of buses, the subway and maybe even the RT), it could actually be part of a whole new advertising campaign to make the TTC more youthful and appealing (TTC marketing ppl: can you hear me?).

This is the 2nd time the TTC has impressed me with a new website in recent months (the first was their Transit City LRT Plan) - could this really the beginning of a new era in TTC marketing and public relations?

Why riding the subway sucks (sometimes) - Part 2

2007-06-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2007 - Is it just me or has the subway been super slow and super unreliable lately? The other day, it took me almost half an hour to go from Eglinton to College - which normally takes about 12 minutes. What annoyed me the most was the train stopped just outside Eglinton Station - you could actually see it standing on the platform. Why couldn't the train just stop at the station to at least let people on?

Then today, Bernard and I were on our way to Union to catch our 5:20 GO train. We left Jenny's convocation at 4:50ish (yay!), got to Queen's Park Station at 5 and what was supposed to be a 6 minute subway ride to Union turned into more than 20 minutes!! The reason: some sort of signal problem (again!). What pissed us off the most was we stopped just outside Union Station for like 5 minutes - when the train could've easily pulled into the station to drop people off! Ultimately we missed our train home and had to wait for another 40 minutes for the next one.

As much as I support transit, sometimes riding the TTC just really gets to me - there needs to be a better accountability mechanism in place - who's the blame for subway delays? and what can be done? and why can't they just pull the train into a station and wait for the signal to change there?

How I nearly died at Wonderland

2007-06-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2007 - So as I mentioned in my previous post, after 10 years of avoiding Wonderland, I finally went this weekend! Now I haven't purposely avoided Wonderland per se - it was more like I was never really interested. This is partly because I'm EXTREMELY TERRIFIED of height, thrill rides and roller coasters. I just don't like that feeling of being flung by machines - it's just so scary =(

So when B asked if I'm interested, I was a bit hesitant at first - given I know I probably would not want to go on most rides. But I figured hey, if little kids can do it - I can totally do it. But nope, I was wrong. The first ride I went on, the Spinovator, is supposed to be like riding the tea cups at Disneyland (only faster and on a slanted floor). Anyway, I FREAKED OUT on the ride - I screamed, yelled, cried, begged for it to stop. I felt like I was going to fall out of the basket and die right there. It was actually really pathetic and thinking back, I'm kinda embarrassed about it. The next ride was the Rage - the pirate ship. I was THIS CLOSE to getting off the ride before the ride started. The hyperventilation did not help either - I felt like I was going to pass out when the safety bar was lowered. Having said that though, the ride turned out to be really mild and all the freaking out was for nothing.

So after those two freakish experiences, we split up for a bit - Jenny took me to Hanna Barbara land where we went on the only kiddie ride that we were allowed on (boo - that's height discrimination I tell you) while B and Grace went on one of those crazy roller coasters. We met up afterwards for a really expensive and disgusting lunch, and then off to more rides that I could handle (the water ones, The Italian Job, Swings, Thunder Run and Bumper Cars). I also went on that Sponge Bob motion ride by myself - it was actually kinda cool, even though I'm not a big fan of Sponge Bob myself (it's kinda creepy actually).

I also played the Fool-the-Guesser game, where you pay 5 bucks and have the person guess your age, within 2 years. I've played that a couple of times, and of course I won each time. This time, the girl guessed I was 23, and was pretty shocked when I told her I just turned 27. I won this ugly orange Wonderland dog, which B refuses to put in his room. =(

So overall, I still had lots of fun. The funnel cake was good - though expensive and the strawberries tasted kinda funny. We also played this game called 20 questions, which seems to go on forever. And yeah, that's pretty much my Wonderland story. I feel bad that I wasn't cool enough (or as B nicely put it "man" enough) to go on the real rides =( maybe next year, we can start with the level 4 ones again. And in the meantime, I guess I'll let my 27 yr old body recover (sigh...so sad).

On a side note, can I just say how I was shocked by all these housing developments along Rutherford and Major Mackenzie Dr in Vaughan? There are so many new subdivisions in the area that the houses seem to stretch on forever!

Turning 27

2007-06-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

June 7 - 10, 2007 - I honestly wasn't planning on blogging about my birthday this year, given how I'm really not a birthday person. Having said that though, I have to say this year is probably one of the best ever - having a great group of friends and an amazing boyfriend to celebrate (?) my big 2-7 with me certainly helped. So yeah, here's my annual, hypocritical birthday blog.

June 7: Cheesecake and Subway Buttons

I got to spend my actual birthday with B (much thanks to Alaska!). I came home from work to find a nicely decorated cheesecake with a generous amount of icing on it. Apparently B was planning on baking a cake, but he ran out of time and had to simply buy a cake and decorate it. It was still nice - I don't think anyone has ever baked and/or decorated a cake for me!! The cake was a bit sweet, but it was still very tasty :) and yeah, it would eventually take us a whole week to finish the cake.

B also made me dinner - it was SPAM with 3 different kinds of pepper - hahaha. I haven't had SPAM in a while, so it was all good. We watched The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - apparently he has been wanting to watch that for awhile.

B then surprised me with a half-complete set of the TTC subway buttons from Spacing magazine. It was kinda funny - we were talking about the buttons just earlier that night. Anyway, turns out he got them at the architecture bookstore and didn't know you could order the whole set from Spacing until a couple of days ago. Still super cool though - we have about 30 more buttons to go to finish the whole set, so if we buy a new one each year (like he suggested), I'll be 60 years old when the whole set is complete!

June 8: Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

We went to the zoo today! I haven't been there in a few years - and B hasn't been there since elementary school. Anyway, it was a really really hot day - and the zoo was packed with a million school kids. We saw pretty much all the animals we wanted to see, including the giraffes!! At the giraffe exhibit, we saw a whole bunch of kids who said they were born in 1999 - that really made us feel old (I was already in my first year of university in 1999 - sigh). We also saw snakes - which freaked Bernard out a bit (though he kept wanting to see them?). Anyway the zoo was loads of fun - though a bit expensive - but we both got a nice tan out of it though!

We then joined Queenie and Jenny for karaoke, dinner and Shrek 3. Queenie had just came back from Europe, so we chatted about her trip quite a bit (so jealous). Can't wait to see her pictures either!

June 9: Nearly died in Wonderland

Grace, Jenny, B and I went to Wonderland today!! holy crap!! I'll save that for another blog.

June 10: Of friends and family

My high school friends surprised me with a nice lunch at Milestone's. I wasn't expecting so many of them to show up - so that was super nice. My friends Amy and Ray had just came back from their honeymoon to Italy and Greece, so we talked about that quite a bit. It's really nice to just have a couple of days revolve around you I guess! A part of me also can't believe that I've celebrated more than 15 previous birthdays with these people already. As for gifts, I got a new set of dishes/cutlery from Freeman - I think that's his way of saying "stop borrowing my dishes/kitchen utensils, you cheap-ass! here's some new ones!"

I also had a nice dinner with my parents - they gave me a nice new tie (now I just have to learn how to tie it) and my sister gave me a nice shirt from American Eagle. Nothing special, just a quiet night at home with the folks.

And there you have it, my 27th. What made this year special was I got to spend it with everyone that I like and enjoy hanging out with. A big thank you to everyone for remembering my b-day and for taking the time (and money) out to celebrate it with me. :D

The Crystal Age has Arrived

2007-06-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2007 - After almost five years of planning, construction, and much controversy, the highly anticipated Michael Lee-Chin Crystal officially opened today at the Royal Ontario Museum. As the centre-piece of the Renaissance ROM project, the Crystal, along the opening of new galleries, will completely rejuvenate one of the Toronto's most beloved cultural institutions and help create a new civic landmark for the city.

The man behind the Crystal is the international renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, who also designed the famous Jewish Museum in Berlin (one of the most beautiful museums I've ever visited) and the original design for the Freedom Tower in New York. Libeskind was said to have drawn the first sketch of the ROM crystal on a napkin, and while the final design is slightly different (due to engineering and costs reasons), the Crystal still stands out as a sight to behold.

To celebrate the opening of the Crystal, the ROM opened its doors to the public starting at midnight today for a free 24 hour architectural preview. With our love for cities, buildings, design, and museums, of course Bernard and I were not going to miss this "event of the year" (you can read Bernard's thoughts on the ROM here). So yesterday (Saturday) morning, we woke up super early and made our way to the ROM to get those tickets. Our goal was to be among the first group of people to be inside the Crystal. When we got there at 9:45 am, there were already 10 or so people lining up outside for tickets (and they weren't giving them out till noon!). By 11:45 am though, the line had stretched all the way around the block to Trinity College!

The line-up wasn't so bad and I got to meet pretty much everyone from B's architecture class. We also launched into a debate about planners vs. architects vs. engineers - with the conclusion that planners, despite being the most important, never get any respect!!! Anyway, by 12:15 p.m., we were on our way back to uptown with those hot tickets in our hands.

At 11:30 p.m. that night, we were among the thousands of people lining up outside the new Bloor Street entrance of the Crystal, waiting to get in. The Crystal looks stunning illuminated - though I read somewhere that it would not be lighted up every night. By 12:30 am, we were inside the stunning new foyer of the ROM.

The ROM Crystal feels less intimate than the Jewish Museum - though this could be because the galleries are still bare at this time (and also the museum was packed). Having said that, the building is simply an architectural masterpiece. Here are some of my favourite parts of the new ROM:

1) The Stair of Wonder - the new staircase that extends from the basement to the fourth floor is not as spectacular as the old staircase with the totem pole, but it does feature some really neat exhibits along the way (everything from antlers to toy soldiers to bugs) and hence the staircase acts like a gallery on its own.

2) The windows - the small slices of window on the walls are perfect intimate places (we saw people crawling into them all night); the larger windows allow visitors to see the action on the street - and allow passerby on Bloor Street to see inside the museum, including the ROM's famous dinosaur displays.

3) The fourth floor - where the textile exhibit will be is a large yet intimate gallery with a ceiling filled with bright lights - definitely my favourite floor in the Crystal

4) The one and the new - the old facade of the original building was beautifully preserved and in some cases enhanced; visitors could see where the old meets the new in a carefully designed manner (apparently the new structure never actually touches the old building and merely meets it)

5) The open spaces, balconies and catwalks - they provide yet another way for visitors to enjoy the building and their museum experience, through carefully designed lookout points to galleries and floors above and below. I should also note that the walls themselves are a piece of art - none of them actually make a right angle with the ceiling.

6) Spirit Room - Though no where as powerful as the Axis of Death/Axis of Continuity/Holocaust Tower/Garden of Exile in the Jewish Museum, the Spirit room was purposely left empty, in a quiet corner of the atrium, to allow visitors to reflect and contemplate on the exhibits.

Despite one unfortunate incident where I got yelled at by a security guard for climbing the wall like Spiderman, the architectural preview as definitely an unique experience. Eric, B and I ended up staying there till close to 4 am - and the crowd inside was only getting bigger. Whether you love it or hate it, it seems like the ROM Crystal is the talk of the town - and getting people talking and being excited about a building, much less a museum, is success in itself. Time will tell on whether The ROM Crystal will help alleviate the museum's status as a must-see in the city. But if the opening is any indication, I have no doubts the Crystal will find a place in the architecture textbooks as one of the most daring and stunning pieces of work in North America.

As for the pictures - Bernard and Eric dressed up and both wore black that night. With the contrast from the white walls, both looked super duper hot! of course, they failed to tell me about the dress code and I ended up wearing white and pretty much blended in with the wall everywhere I walked. Boo.

The day the Prime Minister wrote to me

2007-06-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

June 1, 2007 - Well, technically, the PM didn't write directly to me, but the envelope had my name on it, so I'm going to say that he did =)

So why did I get a letter from the PM? well apparently, Prime Minister Harper is sending letters to Chinese families across the country to officially and "personally apologize for the Head Tax" - something that happened almost 100 years ago. The Head Tax, as we all know, was a fixed fee charged for each Chinese person entering Canada back in the late 19th - early 20th century. The tax took effect beginning in 1885 and lasted until 1923, when the Chinese Immigration Act banned Chinese immigrants altogether. The tax was $500 Cdn per head, which at the time was enough to buy two houses. It should also be noted that the Chinese was the only ethnic group required to pay such a tax.

Anyway, when the Harper government took power, one of the things that they did was to formally apologize for the Head Tax. Last year, the Harper government also announced that all Chinese immigrants who once paid the Head Tax will be compensated (there were only 20 survivors).

Back to the letter - it was great that the PM apologized - and I think sending letters (in both English and Chinese) to the Chinese community is great PR. Of course, I also know that this just is a way to buy votes - and I have to say, despite this nice gesture, he's still not getting my vote.

Why was the letter addressed to me though? I have no idea. I was actually excited when I saw the envelope (I thought maybe he was going to offer me a job or something!). Oh well - at least I can still say I got a letter from the PM!

Doors Open Toronto 2007

2007-05-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

May 28, 2007 - This month actually marks the City of Toronto's third annual month-long Festival of Architecture and Design. While events have been going on all month to celebrate and to promote Toronto's rich architecture, the grand finale of the festival was the annual Doors Open Toronto. Having gone in 2005 (and missing it last year for reasons that I cannot remember), I was pretty excited to check it out this year. So on a warm yet windy Saturday, I dragged Bernard, Jenny and Eric on a long trek around downtown Toronto.

While the list of buildings that I want to see is endless, the two that I really wanted to check out this year were Union Station and the infamous Lower Bay subway station. We ended up visiting both, along with the Empire Sandy sailboat (the largest in the world, and made famous by the Amazing Race), and the Zeidler architect partnership.

So first at Union Station, we went on a 60 minute tour of the Station - which I thought was fascinating, especially since we were allowed to go to areas that are normally closed to the public. Our tour was led by the David Jeanes, the president of Transport 2000. The highlight was walking along the catwalks that lined the perimeter of the Great Hall. The catwalks provided some really cool shots of the station - even though it really didn't look too safe (the floor looked like it could collapse any second). It was also interesting to hear stories about the Station during its heyday, when it was not just a commuter hub, but a place where Torontonians gathered to catch trains to all parts of the continent. Today, parts of the station look really worn out (especially the GO transit section) - would the City's plans to revitalize Union Station help turn it back into the City's crown transportation jewel?

The other highlight of the day was the Lower Bay Subway Station. A few months ago, I blogged about how the Bloor-Danforth trains were being rerouted through Lower Bay towards Museum Station during tunnel maintenance works. Unfortunately I missed the opportunity to see Lower Bay then. But yesterday, after more than 40 years, the platform at Lower Bay was finally opened once again to the public. The line up to go down to Lower Bay was insanely long (it stretched around the block) - but the wait was worth it (and it turned out to be only a 20 minute wait). Used mainly now as a movie set (often to replicate the New York subway system), we were greeted by several NYC MTA signs as we entered the station. A map of the New York subway system was also on display. The platform also has these early 20th century benches that still line the NYC stations today. I think what impressed me most was how organized the TTC folks were (for once). There were TTC officials throughout the platform and the station in general to answer questions. We even got a souvenir booklet that describes the history of the station and a tag to commemorate the event.

Unfortunately we ran out of time then and didn't get a chance to check out the new wing of the Science Centre or the Ontario Architect Association head office. I guess there's always next year.

Speaking of new architecture, next weekend, Bernard and I will be checking out the opening of the ROM Crystals - at midnight!! that should be really cool in itself - I mean, how often do you get to see a museum in the middle of the night?

Oh, big thanks to Jenny and Eric for putting up with us and our silliness for the whole day!

Wedding Weekend

2007-05-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

May 22, 2007 - So after more than a year of planning, months of anticipation, and weeks of headaches, two of my very good friends from - wow - middle school - got married this weekend. It was deemed THE event of the year for my group of friends, mainly because they are the first in the group to get married, and also pretty much everyone from high school was invited - and many of us have not seen each other since graduation, which was - wow again - almost 8 years ago.

So when I was asked to not only be in the bridal party, but also be the m/c for the event, I had no idea how much work would be involved. Getting up on stage and talking to close to 300 people was pretty intimidating. Add to the fact that I had to do parts of it in Chinese - I knew I was in trouble. However, both the wedding ceremony and the reception went off without a hitch. Sure, there were some awkward moments, particularly the parts when I had to improvise (the worst was when I had to come up with a story of how I met the bride and the groom), but overall it went smoothly and I think both the bride/groom thought we did a good job.

I guess what I enjoyed most was seeing all these people that I haven't seen since high school. Towards the end of the evening, it felt more like a high school reunion than anything! Half of us got drunk (I was only semi-drunk) and some of us actually threw up on the way home, but hey, it was all good fun. Not to mention I can't remember the last time we were all dressed up (I think it was prom? which is kinda funny, since part of the wedding took place at the same hotel that held our prom!). And damn, I have to say, we looked pretty good =)

My friends dated for 8 years before finally tying the knot. 8 years - pretty amazing eh? I should really ask them for tips and advice. How do you continue to keep a relationship fresh and exciting after 8 years? or does it get to the point where you're just feeling comfortable and you don't want to change? Most importantly, how do you ensure that you're both happy - and continue to be happy? kinda ironic since I had to ask myself those same questions just 2 days later.

So yeah, they are now off to Italy and Greece for their honeymoon! and I think that's it for weddings this year for me (at least the ones that I'm actually involved with). Now it's on to the other anticipated events of the summer!

Banned from Facebook

2007-05-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2007 - The Ontario government Facebook ban has been making headlines the past couple of days. Personally, I have no idea why this is considered front page news. I mean, with all the problems in the world, how is it possible that banning Facebook for all government employees is deemed as important news? Companies ban websites all the time - and no matter what you say about Facebook, it is still a social network first and foremost. I don't know anyone who uses Facebook as an educational tool or uses it for work purposes (writing on your colleagues' walls does not count!).

To make such a big deal about the Facebook ban makes us, the Ontario civil servants, look as if we just sit around all day and do nothing but use Facebook. The public already has a negative perception of us - why make it worse by public announcing such a silly non-news story?

Having said that, I know quite a few people who are upset about the ban. Well I guess there's always My Space for them...

[note: I am proud to say I have never logged on to Facebook at work! though I have been tempted many times. Too late for that now...]

Blogging - 2 years later

2007-04-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

April 30, 2007 - I didn't really realize it until today, but I've been blogging on this site for more than 2 years now. Time does fly eh? My thoughts on blogging: well it's still lots of fun, though sometimes I fall behind and then I have to write like 5 blogs in one night just to get caught up (though I do also know that I don't have to blog about every single little thing in my life).

Reading my old blog entries is actually a lot of fun - besides noticing all the spelling/typing/grammatical errors, it's also sorta like re-living your past again, both the good and the bad times. The past year has been kinda like that - many ups but also many many downs.

So yeah, another year of blogging has come and gone. Who knows how long I will keep using this site - but for now, it's still pretty cool =) Some of the (positive) highlights from my blog over the past year:

Sporting Life 10K
A new home!
26 today
New York, New York
It's off to Queen's Park I go
A Moment Like this
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Live from Vienna, Austria
Home at Last
On the Go!
The Pier F Experience
Making it Big Time: Journal of Environmental Planning and Policy

Cheers to another year of ups and downs and more boring, silly blogs!

Weee for Wii!

2007-04-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2007 - I've never really been a big fan of video games. I mean, they are fun and all, but I was never addicted to them like most of guy friends were when I was growing up. So when the Wii came out last year, I didn't really understand what the hype was about.

And then I got the chance to play over the Christmas break - and BAM, I was hooked.

The Wii is not just your typical video game - it's an interactive/workout machine/anger management receptor all rolled into one. The fact that it requires you to move physically makes it different than any other video game unit out there. Think you need to lose a few pounds? try Wii sports! Think you can cook? there's Cooking Mama; Want to unleash some of your hidden anger? there's always Rayman, where you can kill bunnies with a toilet plunger =)

So I bought the Wii back in early March and so far I have to say, despite the large price tag, it has been a great investment. Though I don't get to play as much as I want to, it's still tons of fun every time (my arms still hurt after playing tennis each time though). What's great is the wii is also very easy to play and it's often hilarious to see people new to Wii attempting their first try (*cough Bernard cough*). I also want to announce that my Mii (the video game version of myself) is really really hot and any female or gay Miis out there should look him up.

This Wii phenomenon doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. The Wii console is still sold out pretty much everywhere (stories of people lining up outside stores at 5am on shipment days are true) and wii-motes and nunchuks are still hard to find. I personally need 2 more nunchuks, so if anyone knows where I can buy them, let me know!

Making it big-time: Journal of Environmental Planning and Policy

2007-04-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

April 27, 2007 - Today I found out that one of the papers that I wrote in grad school has been accepted by the Journal of Environmental Planning and Policy for publishing! Yup, yours truly here will actually have a paper that will be published by an academic journal!

Now the news is somewhat surprising to me - because 1) I didn't submit the paper and 2) I had no idea it was accepted until I got a weird email from the publisher asking how many copies of the journal I would like to have. The story goes back to my 2nd year of grad school, when one of my professors asked if I would like to work with her and send in a paper that I had worked on for her class for publishing. Months later though, the journal rejected our submission on the grounds that it didn't meet their criteria. My laziness then kicked in and I sorta just left the paper with my prof.

Apparently my professor re-worked the paper and resubmitted it (and tried hard to find me but didn't know how to contact me anymore). The paper was accepted with me being the primary author, and will be published in Volume 9, Issue 3 of the Journal of Environmental Planning and Policy!

So yay for having my work published!! and yay for making future grad students read my paper! haha come on, who doesn't want to learn more about the effectiveness of greenbelts as a planning tool? huh?

Winner of the Street Furniture Design Competition

2007-04-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2007 - In a not so surprising announcement, the City has declared Astral Media to be the winner of Toronto's Street Furniture Design Competition. Look for these structures to be blanketed throughout the City as early as this summer! Spacing wire has been doing such a great job in covering this whole competition - click here for their analysis.

More on the power of Facebook

2007-04-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

April 17, 2007 - As the world comes to terms with yesterday's horror at Virginia Tech, many (including myself) have turned to the internet for news, comfort, and support. But it was the power of Facebook in providing a forum for students to share grief, fear, and (mis)information that not only caught my attention, but also that of the media (see article here).

With no means of connecting to their fellow classmates, many relied on Facebook as a means of communication to let each other know if they are safe. Many used their "status" to let friends know they've been unharmed. A group called "I'm ok at VT" was created and has now more than 2000 members. Another one called "A tribute to those who passed at the Virginia Tech Shooting" has close to 200,000. Many posted on walls to share their grief and anger. And as of tonight, you could still find the profiles of some of the victims that have already been identified.

Our generation is not new to tragedies: Oklahoma City Bombing, Columbine, Sept 11, Katrina, space shuttle explosions, and now the VT massacre (see an interesting article about this here). What has changed however is how we react to these difficult times. Facebook, out of nowhere, seems to be the new outlet that's tying us together - regardless of geography and time (someone needs to write a paper about this!). The power of facebook has surprised me once again.

When a change is needed

2007-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

April 11, 2007 - So I have been feeling extremely tired lately. And it's not because work has been super busy, because it hasn't been. It's primarily because I haven't been getting enough sleep - and it's really starting to take a toll on me. Not only do I have difficulties waking up in the morning (even with 2 alarm clocks!), I'm also having trouble concentrating at work (not to mention the numerous times I almost dozed off at my desk). I also seem to fall asleep everywhere - on the way home tonight, I slept all the way from Bloor to Eglinton, while standing and holding onto a pole. Now that takes skills.

I guess I only have myself to blame - I really need to get to bed earlier. Obviously 6 hours of sleep is still not enough for me. The days when I could pull an all-nighter and still function the next day are long gone. As I've been told, I'm a 26 yr old living a 21 yr old lifestyle. I guess that needs to change. It's time to accept that I'm getting old. sigh.

More on the Toronto Street Furniture Competition

2007-04-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

April 11, 2007 - I went to check out the Toronto Street Furniture Design Competition at City Hall today. The City had decided to showcase the models for the three bidders for a few days - but was not however, asking for comments from the public. Anyway, my feelings on the three bidders: well, a bit dull. Similar to my feelings towards the Nathan Phillips Square competition, there is so much potential in designing unique, user-friendly street furniture for our city. Instead, what we got are facilities that focus on ad revenues.

Not all of the models are bad I guess - some of the public washroom designs are quite interesting. I also like the idea of bike lockers and information kiosks. Canopies over subway entrances is also a great idea - and can help make the stairs leading down to the station less slippery and dirty (especially in winter).

If I have to choose, my pick would be the Astral Media 100 series. They are the most consistent out of the 3 bidders. They are pleasant enough I guess, but again nothing spectacular.

I have mixed feelings towards this design competition. I fully understand that given the fiscal situation the City is in, asking the private sector for help in maintaining and operating its public amenities can be considered "smart". Having said that, the 3 bidders also chose to present the city with less than spectacular proposals. Toronto's streets - famously known for its uniqueness and charm - will be blanketed with dull, unoriginal street furniture. And that is quite disappointing.

Here are a few pictures from my visit:

Why riding the subway sucks (sometimes)

2007-04-02T18:40:00.001-07:00

April 2, 2007 - I had a somewhat disturbing ride home tonight on the subway. I got on the subway at Union Station and right away this guy (who was already on the train) decided to move across from me. At first I didn't really notice him (I was too busy concentrating on my bacon and cheeseburger!) but when I looked up, I saw him drooling all over his jacket. Yes drooling. He kept his mouth wide open as spit dripped from his lips and all the way down the front of his jacket (which was soaked with his spit). Right away this girl who had been sitting 2 seats away got up and moved. I thought it was pretty gross too, but I didn't think too much about it and continued eating.

At Queen Station, he pulled out a can of paint thinner and started sniffing. The smell quickly filled the subway car and some people started to panic. A few got off the train. I was also highly aware that if he's a psycho, he could pull out a match and blow us all up. Again, being ever confident, I didn't move. The guy went back to drooling and by now, not only was his jacket soaked, so was the subway seat next to him. Pretty gross eh?

Just after St. Clair Station, the dude started to get restless. He started to get up, and then sat back down again. He grabbed his bag and then put it back down. By then, there was no one around him, except me of course (still sitting across from him). Then just as the doors closed at Davisville Station, the dude got up and lunged himself towards me (ok, maybe a bit dramatic - more like he got up, and couldn't really walk and just decided to fall right on top of me). And that was when the Olympic-athlete in me leaped out of my seat and moved towards the doors. I don't think I have ever moved so fast - though my bag still managed to touch his (eww). The guy, obviously high from the paint thinner, slumped into my seat and continued to drool. I must have caused a scene, as quite a few people were staring. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

So yes riding the subway can be quite an experience - you definitely meet all kinds of people. Sometimes it could be fun (like this one time I played "I Spy With My Little Eye..." with a 3 year old boy all the way from Finch to Bloor), somtimes it could even be interesting (the subway is still great for people watching), but sometimes it simply sucks and you wish you're sitting in your car.

Toronto Street Furniture Competition

2007-03-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

March 29, 2007 - Another month, another new competition for the City of Toronto. This time it's for a 20-year contract to replace Toronto's street furniture, including benches, bus shelters, garbage cans, and message boards. In return, the consortium will get advertising rights on these structures (though the whole advertising aspect of it has caused some heated debates on whether ads should be allowed to take over our public space...). One of the new structures to be incorporated as part of this design are public washrooms - something that is new to Toronto's urban landscape.

Public toilets are not new to cities - most European cities have these facilities on their streets. They are usually the automated, self-cleaning kind. They usually cost a buck or two - and have doors that automatically open after 10 or so minutes (to prevent people from having sex in these facilities I guess?).

I'm not sure why Toronto is looking to install these facilities. They are quite bulky and usually take up a lot of space. I can't really see them placing the toilets along main corridors (particularly where access to washrooms are quite abundant), but I guess it would make more sense to put them in parks or along trails. These facilities are also easy targets for vandals - who will no doubt have a field day with them.

There are 3 consortia that are bidding for the city's Street Furniture contract - the contract that will essentially cost the City nothing. In return, the City will have to allow the winning company to advertise on these essential public amenities. has been quite controversial (as the media have cried for the City to reject all three bidders) - just how far do we go in selling out our public space?

More pictures and information about the competition, click here. Winners are to be announced sometime in April.

TTC U-Pass

2007-03-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

March 28, 2007 - Eight universities and colleges in the Toronto Area are current negotiating with the TTC in developing a discount transit pass for post-secondary students. The "U-Pass" will be provided to all undergraduate students for about $60 each month, during the September-April school year. The pass will have the student's picture on it (and hence it will be non-transferable) and it will be billed as part of the student's tuition, with no opt-outs. If negotiations go well, the U-Pass could be implemented by September 2008.

While I'm all for providing fare discounts to post-secondary students, I'm not sure if the current terms for the U-Pass are that ideal. A couple of reasons:

1) The U-Pass is only available to undergraduate students

Why they excluded graduate students is beyond me. Graduate students face the same financial constraints as undergraduate students (tuition alone is much higher than undergraduate study already!). In addition, university staff the currently enjoy discount metropasses under the TTC's Volume Incentive Program (VIP) are not eligible for the U-Pass.

2) No Opt-outs

Not every student rides the TTC. I personally know many that drive, walk, or bike to school. Forcing each and every undergraduate student to pay for the U-Pass, with no opt-outs is unfair to those who have no need for the service.

Some universities (i.e. York U) are talking to the TTC about having those students that live outside the 416 area be excluded from the U-Pass. More study needs to be done to determine just how many students commute to Toronto from the 905 region (I know I did throughout my 6 years at UofT!). I understand the rationale behind the exclusion, but at the same time, you're also creating a two-fare system and you're penalizing students who despite living far away, still want to commute to school.

Granted, having the U-Pass readily available to students may encourage ridership. But will the U-Pass be able to convert more students to move away from their cars and ride the rocket to school? I doubt it. Those who drive to school do so for many reasons (poor service I bet is one of them). If the TTC wants to attract more student riders, it needs to also improve its service (and customer relations). The U-Pass won't do you any good when you're waiting for a bus for over half-an-hour in the middle of winter.

3) Costs

$60 per month is cheaper than the $87.75 that students now pay for their discount passes. However, for those that do not need the pass, an additional $480 on their tuition is a lot of money (almost the cost of taking a half course at U of T!).

This is also more than 5 times what UTM students will be paying for their Mississauga transit passes and way more than the almost $50 per term that Waterloo students will pay for their's.

U of T students will be asked to vote on the issue once the TTC and U of T SAC reach some sort of agreement on the terms of the U-Pass (which is not expected to be anytime soon). History says that U of T students are generally against any kind of levy (a few years ago, we voted overwhelming to deny an increase of less than $100 on our tuition to fund a new stadium and athletic centre). But given today's heightened awareness of transit needs, a U-Pass is not a bad idea, just that better needs to be worked out to benefit all students.

Night at the TSO

2007-03-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

March 27, 2007 - Tonight I had the opportunity to check out the TSO at Roy Thomson Hall. It was my first time at the orchestra since I was in high school. Through this program called tsoundcheck, anyone between the ages of 15-29 can get discount show tickets. Now I have to admit that I'm not very knowledgeable with classical music (despite years of studying music in school and playing the violin), so I decided to pick something that's a bit lighter - and I happened to find a show called: Music from the Hollywood Epics.

The night was fun - all the tunes that the TSO played were fairly recognizable. They even had the storm troopers and Darth Vader greeting the audience before the show (they also marched in when the orchestra was playing the Star Wars theme). For $12, it was definitely very good entertainment.

What bugged me most though was the couple sitting next to me. They kept giggling and laughing throughout the show. And the guy kept playing with his fingers pretending to be the conductor. It was pretty annoying (and they were my age too). Seriously, if you can't sit still for a couple of hours, you really shouldn't be at the orchestra!

Ripped from the headlines 4

2007-03-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

March 26, 2007 - A few news stories that caught my attention the past couple of days:

Hundreds of Rodents, Pigeons Found in Downtown Apartment
As a follow up to my pigeon problem post, this dude who lives in St. Jamestown was found to have been keeping and breeding HUNDREDS of pigeons, mice and who knows what. The news showed his apartment filled with pigeon cages (over 300!!!) with the birds flying, pooping, and hurting themselves everywhere. Very very disturbing - can you imagine living next door to this guy?

TTC Advocates King Streetcar Right-of-Way
Talk about deja vu - just a few days ago, my friend Mike and I were saying how cool it would be if the TTC converts Queen Street into a transit mall (given that our Queen Street LRT proposal didn't make it in the Transit City plan!). And now a King Streetcar Right-of-Way through the entertainment district!! It's a great idea - the entertainment district needs to be more pedestrian friendly and anytime a single-occupant vehicle prevents a streetcar full of riders from moving forward is unacceptable. Not to mention King Street has Adelaide and Richmond to move vehicles (and access to lots of parking lots). Of course, some business owners are already freaking out on this proposal (click here, here, and here) - I doubt it will cause "traffic chaos"! maybe it will get people out of the cars, even if it's only for a few days.

Waterloo to receive funding for LRT
Looks like Waterloo will be the next city to get a light rail system. The Province has committed to funding 1/3 of the Region's plan for a light rail system to run from Waterloo (through the UW!) to Kitchener, with a future extension into downtown Cambridge. All they have to do now is figure out where the route will go, where the stations will be located, and oh ya, complete the environmental assessment.

The power of Facebook

2007-03-25T23:44:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2007 - It's amazing how far technology has evolved these days. It really wasn't that long ago (ok, so maybe 10 years is a long time ago) when I first got introduced to the world of internet. Today, I seriously can't imagine what life would be like without the internet.

The net is also great in keeping in touch too - whether it's through email, or ICQ (remember how big that was?) or Friendster, or MSN - it's a free, easy way to keep in touch with everyone and anyone. The latest (at least to me it's the latest) is this site called Facebook (FB). It works exactly like Friendster, except almost everyone and anyone is on it. I've found everyone from old elementary friends to people at work. I'm sure you could look up Brad Pitt and he'll be on it as well. It's that popular apparently!!

This site is so powerful that not only can you reconnect with old friends, you can also broadcast every intimate detail of your life to everyone =) now i only discovered how powerful FB truly is tonight when I was playing around with the profile options and accidentally made a change. FB picked it up right away and within a couple of hours, I got asked if everything is alright and if I'm ok =S

So lessons learned:

1) Do not play with the profile options unless you know what you're doing
2) I have friends who really do care about my life - for better or for worse (so thanks guys)
3) FB is truly an amazing, powerful tool

So FYI: yes, I'm fine! B's fine too! and we're both doing fine (actually, better than fine I would say!) I have corrected the profile change, so everything is ok now =)

Toronto the Transit City?

2007-03-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2007 - Toronto unveiled its Transit City Light Rail Plan today. The plan calls for 60-80 km of light rail lines that criss-cross the City, particularly to areas that are currently under-served by the City. Total cost of the plan: $6.1 billion.

The plan consists of 7 new dedicated light rail right-of-ways, including lines along Finch, Don Mills, Jane, Morningside/Malvern, Waterfront West, Sheppard East, and Eglinton. The location of these lines are not surprising, as Etobicoke and North Scarborough have long been underserved by public transit.

Perhaps the most ambitious project in the plan is the Eglinton Crosstown line, which would link Kennedy Station to Pearson Airport (the first rapid transit line to the airport?). The section from Laird to Keele would also be placed underground, serving as a mini-subway along the busy midtown section (that means my future condo will be above 2 subway/LRT lines!). Total cost of this 30+ km line is $2.2 billion, approximately the same as the 8.6 km Spadina subway extension to Vaughan.

The catch of this plan is that neither the City or any level of senior government have the funding to implement it. While I believe this plan is a bold vision and it's also sensible and do-able, some critics argue that this plan is a step backwards, as what the city really needs is new subway lines. Sure, subways would be fantastic, but currently the City simply doesn't have the density to support new subway lines. I don't buy the argument that just because we don't have an extensive subway system we're a "second-tier" city - in fact many large cities in Europe, in particular Germany, use LRTs as a substitute to subways.

Sure, the Transit City plan is not perfect (i.e. there is limited integration with the GO train; the Sheppard East LRT should really be the Sheppard subway extension) but it's definitely a solid start. Hopefully this plan will inspire the city and the province/federal government to seriously start looking at expanding and updating TTC system back to its world-class status again.

Note: I was also very impressed by the new Transit City website that the TTC put up just minutes after the 10 am announcement. The site is clear and easy to navigate. My own critique would be they should have used a picture of a LRT vehicle (and not a streetcar) on its homepage. Way to go TTC! It's not every day that I'm impressed by you guys!

Nathan Phillips Square: The future is green

2007-03-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

March 8, 2007 - I actually watched the announcement live on tv: the future of Nathan Phillips Square looks green as the Plant Architect proposal was announced winner of the $40 M Design Competition.

As I wrote in my review, the Plant proposal isn't my favourite, but it's better than 2 of the other 3 proposals. I'm looking forward to see how the new podium, glass pavilion entry, and permanent theatre will play out with the existing features of the square.

Here's a link to the proposal, along with the Star's article on the announcement. Construction is set to begin next year.

Ripped from the Headlines 3

2007-03-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

March 7, 2007 - Transit news dominated the headlines today, following yesterday's mega transit and climate change funding announcement by the federal and provincial government:

$697M seals subway deal
All aboard on the Toronto-York subway to the middle of nowhere (well at least for now..).

Is Subway really the better way?
TTC Chair Adam Giambrone says subways are sexy, but money could have been better spent.

Guess who makes the TTC late? We do!
Interesting article on yet another pathetic ad campaign by the TTC - this time, they blame the passengers for subway delays. Someone please nominate the TTC for a customer service award now!

Not a boo from riders in ghost stations
Yet another interesting article about the lack of enthusiasm from subway riders as weekend subway service continues to bring riders into the abandoned Lower Bay station. [edit: March 10/11 may be the last weekend to see Lower Bay as tunnel maintenance finishes ahead of schedule!]

New Street Signs Approved
Toronto City Council approved a new plan to replace all city street signs with a new design. Some councillors argue neighbourhoods will lose their distinct unique street signs.

San Francisco Mayor wants to make public transit free
Apparently it costs more to collect and enforce fares on SF's MUNI transit system than what the fares bring in. With a cost-recovery ratio of only 22% (compare to over 80% on the TTC and close to 90% on GO Transit), no wonder SF can afford to even consider this option...

Pigeon Problem

2007-03-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2007 - So I have never liked pigeons and this dislike has grown into hatred in recent years. In my view, pigeons are really just rats with wings - they are a nuisance that do more harm than good in an urban environment. The Hitchcock movie Birds didn't help either - the sight of a flock of pigeons (and seagulls, and crows) gives me chills.

Take my balcony for example: for some reason, pigeons have been hanging outside on my balcony for the past week. They pooped everywhere: the railing, my windowsill, on top of my AC. Frankly it's disgusting.

Then the other night, I heard this banging sound outside. I looked out my window and saw 5 disgusting pigeons staring back at me with their big round eyes. Apparently two of them were "humping" one another on top of my AC unit, hence the banging sound (I guess I interrupted their "fun", but why were the other 3 pigeons just sitting there?). Watching pigeons mate definitely is not hot.

And finally yesterday, when visiting St. Jamestown with B (he was there for a project, not a tour), there were dead pigeons littered all over the grounds. Now I'm not sure how they died, but shouldn't someone have picked up the carcasses? isn't it a health hazard? would the carcasses be lying around out in the open if the birds had died in a different neighbourhood (think like Rosedale or Forest Hill)?

Nathan Phillips Square Design Competition

2007-02-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

February 26, 2007 - Today I had the chance to check out the Nathan Phillips Square Revitalization Design Competition exhibit at City Hall. As I didn't attend the actual presentations, my review here is purely based on the few panels and models that were on display. For such a high profile $40 million international competition though, I have to say that I wasn't entirely impressed by what I saw. All four proposals seem quite a bit dull and restrained - as in I feel like something bigger, grander could have been done with the square. Here are some of my thoughts on the four designs (in order of preference):

1) Rogers Marvel Architects

The biggest feature of this proposal is a raised woodland/meadow planted with native trees that would stretch from Queen Street to the north of square. Underneath this raised hill is a curved glass-enclosed public space for winter - complete with a restaurant, skate rental counter, shops, and even a fire pit. I also like the reflecting pool on the podium around the top of council chamber. The whole concept is actually really pretty and it brings nature back into the square's barren landscape.

2) Plant Architect

Fairly simple design I have to say, compared to the other proposals. This design features a green perimeter of trees along the square. It also features a theatre stage for public performances (think New Year's Eve) and the opening up of the podium for public access. I have mixed emotions about the green perimeter - it sorta shelters the square even more rather than opening it up to the street. And the walkways really need to go...

3) Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

Definitely environmentally conscious. I like how this proposal has a strong focus on urban ecology, including rainwater collection, wind power generation, and solar power generation. The removable planters idea is cool, but other than that, the proposal really isn't that spectacular. The biggest problem I have with it is how it further isolates the square from Queen Street.

4) Zeidler Partnership Architects

The raised garden on the west side of the square looks kinda weird. I like the idea of lighting projections throughout the square though. I also like the concept of changing the look and feel of the square with the season.

Having said that, all four proposals are miles ahead of what we have now and regardless of who wins, we'll still end up with a better Nathan Phillip Square. Still, you can't help but feel that this is a missed opportunity and we could have done a lot better.

For more information about the Nathan Phillip Square information, click here. All pictures are from the City of Toronto website.

Back to Work Rant - Part 1

2007-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2007 - They say time goes by quickly when you're having fun, but time truly goes by quickly when you're on vacation. I seriously cannot believe my 6-days vacation (including the weekend) is over, just like that. And it's back to work tomorrow. Sigh. Double sigh. At least it's only going to be a 2 day work-week.

But it has been quite an "interesting" week I have to say. Sure, I didn't get to do most of the things that I had planned on doing, but I did get to do what I wanted to do most, which was: 1) to spend more time with B; and 2) to sleep in! So despite everything, it was still nice to get away from the office for a bit =S

Too bad my next vacation won't be for awhile (end of June I think?) - and I know March will be a painful month to get through (triple sigh). Well at least the weather is getting nicer...

Music and Lyrics

2007-02-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

February 16, 2007 - B and I went to see the new movie "Music and Lyrics" today. The movie was kinda cute - though it certainly isn't Hugh Grant or Drew Barrymore's best work. What I liked though was the sappy song that the two composed in the movie - it's actually really catchy (I found myself humming the song the whole day). I also liked the analogy they used to compare music and lyrics it to a person: beautiful music, like physical attributes, may draw you in - but lyrics, like personality/intelligence/etc, are what makes a song complete.

And that "Pop" video that Hugh Grant made is bound to become a classic, it's definitely right up there with the Robin Sparkles video from How I Met Your Mother!

Check out the video for "Way Back Into Love":

And Hugh Grant's "Pop" video: