Friday, February 27, 2015

Good News From the Doctor

On Thursday I made the trip across town to Fatima hospital for a shoulder checkup. While I still have some pain it is now at a point where I rarely notice it. My range of motion is way up, and doctor predicts a full recovery, though it'll be a few more months at least. He also gave me the okay to start light lifting to rebuild muscle (under 10kg for now). This means that I can take up running and lifting again (running was made very painful for a long time because and shocks/bounces my shoulder felt were very painful.

I didn't discuss this in my 2014 wrap up, but 2014 was a BAD year for me as far as injuries go. A knee injury in Dec. 2013, a surgery in January and deep tissue damage to my shoulder in September have all added up to me being far less than 100% and not nearly as healthy as I want to be. I gained almost 4kgs from Jan 2014 - today (though two weeks of Vancouver pubs are included in that). It was getting to the point where I was even considering eating healthy and cutting out beer. But with a green light from the doctor I can avoid those draconian steps and instead I am heading off to the gym for a six month pass and a run.

I am also working with Darren to get ready for a 5km run up in Daejeon at the end of April. A short run admittedly, but I can be ready for it, and it'll motivate me to run and exercise regularly.

So I am happy. Great start to spring.


So Long Leonard

I was saddened today to read that Leonard Nimoy has passed away in California. Like just about everyone, I knew him as Mr. Spock on the old Star Trek movies and TV shows.

It is odd when a celebrity dies, for the most part I just say "sorry to hear about that" and move on. But when it is someone who touched your childhood, it goes deeper. I'll let someone with a psychology background figure that out.

When I was a kid I loved Star Trek and the spinoff series with Patrick Stewart. I have probably seen every episode 2-3 times. Wrath of Khan is also among my favourite sci-fi films of all time, and I think much of it has held up even today (it came out the same year I was born!). Star Trek was great because it was our future where we had finally gotten our shit together as a species. No more racism, war, poverty etc. While some (much) of the original series is fairly cheezy by modern standards (space hippies?) the message holds, and is still important, maybe more than ever.

Later Star Trek series and the next generation films never really lived up to the original two series for me, and as I got in to my teenage years Star Trek faded, though I could then (and even now I bet) go back and watch the original series and the next generation and get real enjoyment out of it. It was not only exciting, but damn smart. The Abrams movies have a sort of Walking Dead appeal (this is great if you never stop to think about it) but the greater message is gone, replaced by lense flares and explosions designed to entertain millenials. But it does go well with weed, beer and popcorn, so I guess that is something.

Nimoy played a crucial role in the show, but was also a great guy outside the role, and it showed. He touched the childhood of millions of people in a very positive way. The show made science, exploration and generally improving yourself an ideal, but not in an after school special way that made you immediately want to take up drinking and smoking so you would never turn in to the kids from that special. Rather, the show inspired you, while also entertaining you. While there is a lot of great television shows out today, none seem to similarly inspire, which is sad. I guess I was just lucky to have something like that in my childhood and Leonard Nimoy was a huge part of that. I think that is a feeling shared by millions of people around the world. He will be missed.

Monday, February 23, 2015

North Van Pubs

It is no secret that I do like a good beer. One thing I always miss when in Korea is a good pub. Not a bar, a sports bar, a club or a Korea hof, but a real pub.

I think it is one thing Canada has kept from its British days that I like.

Not that Korea doesn't have good beers (as of 2014) but they are regulated by Korean bars with their drinking hours and practices, which means they never open before 4 (and usually 5) and expect you to get smashed. There are a couple of expat breweries in Seoul and Busan, but they, unsurprisingly, have an unfortunate habit of being full of expats. This means the eight drink minimum is in effect there too.

What I mean is a pub like you have in Canada. It is a place where people from the neighbourhood gather. They open at 10, and it is perfectly acceptable to go in on a Sunday at noon, order eggs and toast or fish and chips, two pints, and go home. It is a relaxing atmosphere where the point is to enjoy your company over a drink or two, rather than going out to get smashed. There is a place in Sangin called Draft, which is approaching that, but no food real food and a 5pm start. Still it is a beginning. The neighbourhood pub is a great tradition and one I am glad carried over from the UK (and talk about a place with great pubs!)

Anyway, a few of my favourites are in North Van. I managed to hit most of them up while on my trip home. Most haven't changed, with one very notable exception.

My personal favourite is probably Sailor Hagars. Mostly because of the Narwhal Pale Ale (craft beer from before 'hipsters' entered out lexicon) and great food (as in great pub food, so greasy and horrible). I went there on my birthday with my brother and Dad. It is also great, right behind Lonsdale Quay with great views of Burrard inlet and Vancouver Harbour. I also used to go there with Geoff and Elliot when we were all in college together (Geoff still lives two blocks away).

Across Lonsdale is the Rusty Gull. With Jack Lonsdale's totally redone this is as close as North Van has to a dive bar (which is to say not a dive bar by any other standards anywhere else). Decent beer and food available and live music. I went with Geoff and Elliot (it was our other hangout) my first Monday there. Good memories. I had the fish and chips after E rightly pointed out that if I was gonna do it (go to the Gull) I should fuckin' do it right. His wisdom won me over and in I went.

Jack Lonsdale's. This place was a real dive bar in North Van, which was a shame because it was walking distance from where my Dad lives. In the time I was gone they shut down, raised prices by a dollar, demanded shoes AND a shirt for service, and thus got rid of 95% of their old clientele. I went to the new Jacks with my sister and was surprised. I ordered Mongolian BBQ noodles as I was fish and chipped out. The also had the Stanley Park Amber Ale on tap. Not usually a fan of those Belgian beers but this one is nice with a light meal. A great change.

The Taphouse is technically in West Van but being that it is in Park Royal I'll count it. It is certainly more upscale (not sure if it should be counted as a pub, but fuck it). Anyway, I went there on the Saturday I landed from Tokyo with my sister, Mom and Aunt. Great fish and chips and that Stanley Park Ale. I was a bit jet lagged but I still had a couple Yebisu and Suntory in me from the flight over so I settled in nicely. Not sure I would want it as a regular hangout, but for dinner on a friday night I really enjoy it.

The Pemberton. Again, as close as North Van gets to a dive bar, so not really one. Down off Marine Drive they don't have the same tap selection as other pubs but great food (My bangers and mash were as good as any I had in London, even the Wetherspoon's one!) and Granville island Pale Ale is hardly bad, even if the brewery itself has been eclipsed by better brewers in the city. I went with my Dad, stepmom and brother to nurse a slight hangover with more beer. Drinking was a big part of this trip.

The Black Bear. Lynn Valleys neighbourhood pub. I met with my old Future Shop coworker and good friend Allan on my second Tuesday there for more fish and chips and a few pints. The Black Bear fought hard to get in there in the late 90's when the Helen Lovejoy's of Lynn Valley fought it. Fortunately we didn't think of the children and it has been going strong since 1997. If I ever live in Lynn Valley again (admittedly unlikely) I could make that pub my regular spot. For now though it'll just be a place I hit up when I am in the area.

I missed the last big NV pub, the Queen's Cross, despite the fact that my cousin Sarah works there. Mostly it is because it is on 29th up that big hill. My best memories of the Cross were from when I was 17 and the beer and wine ship didn't ID. That was a long time ago though, and I doubt you could get away with that one today.

I also had beer at a place called Green Leaf in Lonsdale Quay. Not a pub as such (no food) but more a brewery with a few taps. Good beer though, if a tad pricy for the glasses they offer (the 330ml variety).


I can't think of any others now that Seymour's is gone (I think it is anyway). It is something I enjoy doing, though if I lived in Vancouver again I think it would be a weekly thing at most, rather than the daily thing it is now. Still, it is a part of Canadian culture I do miss, and as I get older the idea of a three or four beer night being a night out sounds great, especially if the beer is something that can be enjoyed with great food and better company.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Meeting Up with Paul

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had caught up with Paul, who I had not seen in over a year. He is out of Korea in a couple of weeks and wanted to catch up before he headed out.

We met up early and decided to go hiking up Apsan, doing a four hour route. We had wanted to get farther up the mountain but it was very muddy so we opted to take the long way down, exiting by the arboretum.

We then had a couple beers up at lake park before dinner and a couple more at Draft.

I haven't seen Paul that happy in years. I think a return to New Zealand might be exactly what he needs (and he said as much).

It also puts Wellington firmly on my list of places to visit. It was great catching up after so long and I hope we can do it again somewhere in Asia/NZ again before too long.

Friday, February 20, 2015

The Canucks

One thing I did while back in Vancouver was go to a Vancouver Canucks game. We played the San Jose Sharks, and lost badly.

When I was a kid I breathed the Canucks. Their 1994 playoff loss hurt for days. I had all the old Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure coins and cards etc. As I got older I lost a bit of interest in it. Not that I don't enjoy the Canucks, or even the NHL, but I found the rapid expansion of the 1990s really watered down the league. In addition, I found the constant rule changes, especially the addition of a shootout, really dumbed down the league. I also had (have) mixed feelings about how passionate Canadians get about hockey. While I love it, I sometimes think that in too much of Canada hockey is played to the exclusion of all other sports. Outside of Toronto no top tier sports teams exist (MLS and CFL are NOT top tier professional leagues). I wish Canadians would have supported the Grizzlies or Expos more than they did. Oh well.

That being said, I do watch hockey online whenever I can, and have paid to watch a few games in the past. Being at the game was a lot of fun, and is something I have not done in almost ten years. The team is fighting for a playoff spot now, but will probably be destroyed early on if they make it. It isn't exactly the 2011 team I saw last time I was in BC. Still, being at the game itself was a lot of fun. Any sport live really is a fun day out, but a sport and a team you care about make it great.

Anyway, I'll probably get NHL Game centre if the Canucks make the playoffs, and I'll probably watch the Habs too. They look like a solid team this year.

Also, the Leafs are having their worst season in a generation, so that is great too.









Thursday, February 19, 2015

Vancouver 2015

I have just spent the last two weeks back home in Vancouver, catching up with the family, visiting a few of my old hangouts, checking out a few new ones, and generally overeating and overdrinking.

I flew ANA from Seoul's old Gimpo airport to Tokyo's old Haneda airport. I find it hard to believe that Gimpo ever served Korea. I guess so few people left or entered Korea before the 2000s that it wasn't necessary, but it is about the same size as Daegu's airport. Anyway, I had six hours in Haneda where I bought some Japanese whisky for my Dad and generally tried to kill six hours.

ANA was alright as far as airlines go, though I am not sure if I would put it on par with Korean Air or Cathay Pacific. Still, a decent airline and I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to avoid them.

I arrived around 2pm in Vancouver and my Mom and sister picked me up. We went back to my Mom's place before heading to my Dad's where I was staying. We drank the entire bottle of whisky that first night, with help from my uncle and sister.

The first week was mostly catching up with friends, family and doing a bit of sightseeing. I caught up with Geoff and Elliot on Monday and with Geoff again on Wednesday. I saw my sisters new place, went to a Canucks game on Thursday and my sister's place on Friday.

The weekend was a series of family parties, both of which I enjoyed immensely. Saturday was my father's 60th birthday party, so the whole family was there. Sunday was all the Bell-Irving side, and it was one of the best family parties I have had with them in, well ever.

The second week was spent entirely with family, except for Tuesday when I caught up with Allan at the Black Bear in Lynn Valley. I spent most days hiking and drinking (seriously).

I am going to write more about individual days, such as the hockey game and Stanley Park, in more detail. For now I'll just say that it was a great two weeks home. When my uncle asked how I felt being back, what I thought of the city now etc I answered that Vancouver may not have the infrastructure, sports, culture, or excitement of a Seoul, London or Bangkok but it has one thing that none of those other places have: it is home.

Vancouver from Lonsdale Quay

Lonsdale Quay

Cates Park

Canada Place

Harbour Centre

Ambleside

Canucks Game

Fisherman's Wharf in Steveston

Steveston

Lynn Canyon

Lynn Canyon

Lynn Valley Centre

the Lions from Cleveland Dam

Capilano Lake

Capilano River

in front of the Aquarium

Totem Poles in Stanley Park

the city from Stanley park