New Year's Eve 2007

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

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

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

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...