Aerial Drone Video of Hong Kong
Here’s another urban themed video. Here’s a short, but breathtaking aerial perspective on Hong Kong. Doesn’t it make you want to visit.
Month: June 2015
Sapporo – One Year Later
It’s been exactly one year since I flew off to Sapporo, Japan to spend 1 month there. Not only were there great memories from my month in Japan, but I also started a few new friendships while there. In the age of the Internet, it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with everyone. I’m now in touch with people in Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Montreal. It was a lot of great memories and a lot of great fun.
I’m a little jealous of those who are actually returning this year to Sapporo and the Hokkaido Japanese Language School (JaLS). I know of at least a couple of people going back. I even see photos of other schoolmates who are travelling in Japan again. They’re not necessarily going to Sapporo, but they are visiting other parts of the country.
Here are some photos from last summer while I walk back down memory lane.
New Mark III SkyTrains coming soon
The transit geek in me is totally looking forward to the opening of the Evergreen Line in 2016. Along with the new line and increased ridership coming out of Coquitlam, new trains will be needed. We’re getting 28. Count’em. 28 new trains. And boy, are they looking sleek.
A little “Happy” for the Day
A post because we need a change from the everyday from time to time. I hope the song and video brings a little Happy to your day. Continue reading A little “Happy” for the Day
DYK? Vancouver has a Cycling Spot Improvement Program.
I just discovered recently that the City of Vancouver has a Cycling Spot Improvement Program. The program basically looks at small projects that affect a single block or intersection and try to improve the safety and comfort of those blocks and intersections. The main goal is to look at these projects through the cycling infrastructure lens. However, I think there can be improved pedestrian experiences … Continue reading DYK? Vancouver has a Cycling Spot Improvement Program.
A PEI Solution for Vancouver Housing Affordability?
Could Prince Edward Island be on the right track when it comes to ownership that “comes from away”? The Financial Post featured what non-Islander buyers face when they buy significant property in Prince Edward Island.
Canada’s tiniest province is an island unto itself when it comes to letting foreigners control the property market. Prince Edward Islanders refer to those people as “come from away” but it’s not just overseas investors that are restricted in how many acres they can buy or how much shoreline they can own, the rules apply to Canadians outside of P.E.I. too.
P.E.I. has long worried about the impact of absentee landowners. But unlike the rest of the country, which is so consumed with the issue of foreign ownership that even Canada’s top housing agency has gotten involved, P.E.I. identified those people and enacted laws to prevent them from taking over ages ago.
Continue reading “A PEI Solution for Vancouver Housing Affordability?”
News Doc on Mainland Chinese Property Buyers
I saw this originally on Price Tags. It’s a very interesting news doc to watch. The focus is primarily focused on the US and Australia. However, those of us in Vancouver are keenly aware that the same phenomenon is having an effect on our own local housing market.
Continue reading “News Doc on Mainland Chinese Property Buyers”
Housing and Affordability in Vancouver
Everyone knows that Vancouver has a housing and affordability problem. The recent #DontHave1Million hashtag gained viral status in early May and highlights the angst that the region feels about housing prices. Housing on the west side of Vancouver is well into the $2-3 million territory. I’ve seen $1.2 million homes for sale in my working class East Vancouver hood. And just this weekend, I discovered a 1300+ square foot apartment in my neighbourhood on sale for over $500,000. Even the condos aren’t very cheap in town.
Well, most of us don’t have $1 million. (And I don’t think we need $1 million to live in Vancouver. You just accept that you won’t have a detached house). So where is the best bang for your housing buck in the Metro Vancouver? Here’s a different look at housing costs in conjunction with transportation costs.
Tokyo “In Motion” – video
Happy Friday y’all. Here’s more Japan-love in video form. This time, Aaron Grimes creates a unique blurred motion video with a unique technique. Continue reading Tokyo “In Motion” – video
Bus Tour 10 – Ginseng and Wine
We started the last day of our Rocky Mountain Bus Tour at an early, early hour. Was it 6am? Something like that. We didn’t go back to the WK Garden for a 3rd meal. Thank goodness. That would have really done me in. Instead, we headed down the Trans-Canada Highway to Sicamous about an hour away. We pulled into the Husky gas station. Western breakfast? Sort of…
metro babel 