I'm Back

At long last.. I am updating my blog. I'm fairly settled in to what I suppose is my routine for the time being, so it's about time to say goodbye to summer.. although I expect the weather to remain somewhat warm for at least another month or so.

I really enjoyed Vancouver. I stayed with some friends and met a bunch of their friends, so there was always something to do... go to the beach or a park, check out one of their favorite restaurants, walk around downtown, go to a party, or just hang out.

Charlson Park is my friends' favorite dog park. My friend I enjoyed this view while we played "bocce badminton" since I am not good at badminton and we could not successfully hit the birdie back and forth... so we just made up a contest of who could hit their birdie with the racket the farthest.

English Bay is another great spot I enjoyed. There were these logs set up throughout the beach where people could sit or lean up against them while sitting in the sand.

My Vancouver friends have the cutest apartment. It is so cozy with these flowers in little bottle vases on all the tables, posters on the wall, and books everywhere.

We passed by these beautiful flowers while walking around downtown on my birthday and my friend's girlfriend bought me some carnations :)

We enjoyed these little cakes for my birthday.. the three of us each chose the one we liked best, and each of them was delicious!

This is one of the libraries in Vancouver. It was modeled after the Colosseum.They've got books in several languages, and even a big touch screen patrons can use to browse the collection or learn about the history of various cultures.

Vancouver is certainly a vibrant and unique place that I hope to visit again one day.

Birthday thoughts

Well, I'm 28 today.. which leads me to ponder upon how I am going to approach this next year of my life. It's kind of funny how feelings about birthdays can change over time. When you're a kid, you're excited to have a birthday, because you get a party with all your friends, and presents, and cake, and everyone sings and you're the center of attention, and it's pretty much the best day ever. Then gradually.. all you really want is quality time with your closest friends and family, and to think with each year that's passed, you're working towards a more successful, fulfilling life.

I know I can do better. I can adopt a healthier diet. I can exercise more. I can give back more to the community. I can keep in touch with my friends and family more. I'd like to think I'm doing ok so far, though. I'll have earned my master's degree in early December. I've got some good work experience behind me, to pave the way to a good career. I'm just facing that crossroads right now, where I'm waiting to see what happens next. I can only hope that with enough good fortune, in addition to having the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities, I'll measure up to achieving my goals. It might not happen right away, but I guess I'll just need to have patience and keep trying, and learn from every experience as much as I can.

View from Jericho Beach at sunset in Vancouver, BC... more about Vancouver soon :)