We got back into our car and drove over a few blocks to Hawthorne Street. I thought Belmont Street was a little small, quiet and empty, but Hawthorne was filled with stores for a few blocks and was starting to buzz with activity in the late morning. I really like the feel of Hawthorne. It feels like a bigger street than Belmont with more shops … Continue reading PDX – Hawthorne Boulevard
The last time we were in Portland, Oregon, we never did any street exploration outside of downtown. So I had no idea how Portland really felt on the ground apart from the city centre, the Interstate, and the malls. However, the feel of a city is always more than just its downtown and highways. The Travel Portland magazine (available for PDF download from their website) … Continue reading PDX – Belmont Street
This post is not the most urban shopping you can do in Portland, but it is a common shopping experience for most Americans and for many Canadians who decide to drive south of the 49. Oh the allure of no sales tax. Alberta has it. How those of in BC envy our neighbours on the other side of the Rockies. Well, Oregon enjoys the lack … Continue reading PDX – Suburban Shopping
I just came back from a short getaway to Portland, Oregon. It was my second time down there. I found a deal on travelportland.com. We got $72 off on our second night’s stay. I think it’s worth checking out for a short road trip. It’s roughly a 6-hour drive from Vancouver, BC if you get a short line-up at the border and if you don’t … Continue reading Just back from PDX
Before the SkyTrain ever plied the rails in Vancouver, life on transit was, well, slower. If anyone had to travel along Broadway, there was only the #9. The 99 B-Line didn’t start running until the late 90’s, so there was no quick way across town. I was a kid back in the 80’s. And my brother and I had to head out to UBC. It … Continue reading Memories on Transit 2 – the 80’s Broadway milk run on #9
Back in 2008, I wrote up a short series of posts about the Chinese language. Because I had recently posted about Chinese Village Kinship, I had a tangential question regarding classification of Cantonese as a language or as a dialect. I think my previous posts will help to answer that question. So I’ve linked to all my previous posts below. Chinese Language Written Chinese The … Continue reading Re-post: The Chinese Language Series
Village kinship is a strong connection between individuals from the same village. It is an especially strong concept in some Chinese circles. If you and I came from the same village and met each other in some far flung city, we would treat each other like brothers. One of the most common questions, especially for an older generation of Chinese, is what county is your … Continue reading Chinese Village Kinship
Our Vancouver Heritage Foundation‘s Historic Walking Tour of Hastings West ended in Victory Square. We had taken a little over the 2 hour time allotted for the tour. Some people had to get going, but Maurice invited those who had time to join him at the Dominion Building. The Dominion Building is the distinct orange and red building across the street from Victory Square. The … Continue reading Hastings West Historic Walk – Part 12 | Bonus – The Dominion Building
We made another detour from Hastings Street on our Vancouver Heritage Foundation‘s Historic Walking Tour of Hastings West. We walk south 1 block to Pender Street. On the corner of Homer and Pender Streets, Maurice pointed out an apartment building under renovation. He says the building and the one behind it along Homer Street belong to a lovely Dutch couple. He says the couple run … Continue reading Hastings West Historic Walk – Part 11 | Pender Street Detour
metro babel 