A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

I don't feel like saying much this afternoon. This picture I just took somehow strangely represents my feelings at the moment. The day is sort of gray as only days around here can be. I feel neither joyous or sad. However, I am warm, dry, clean, and well-fed. My current class takes the final examination tomorrow. So, I'm rather satisfied with the progress made by so many. Yet, saying the final goodbye always involves mixed emotions. In the back of my mind I am aware that I won't have a new class starting until April 8th. That, if anything, should sort of help form upward turns at the corners of my mouth, right?

Labels: feelings, New Westminster, transit

Some things take a while and getting around to send off a letter of complaint to Eurolines was one such example.  We finally dashed one yesterday to the Brussels headquarters of the company.

You may expect to see lots of quick and easy blog postings during the next ten days.  I will be working without a day off until the 23rd.  This means you may see more cutting and pasting on my eJournal and images for a while.

---

Euroline Services
Customer Complaints
Dobbelenberg, Metrologielaan 6
1130, Brussels, BELGUIM

Dear sir/madam:

We travelled on a Euroline 15-day pass in September and October of this year. Please find the enclosed copies.

We’re writing to complain about several situations during our journeys. The information should probably be made known to potential customers.

1) In Bratislava, it was completely impossible to make a reservation on Saturday, September 22^nd at around 10:00 in the morning. Two counter ladies did not speak any English and got angry and rude. We needed to return to the station on another day and fortunately found one person who helped us. There was a charge of 150 SK each for making the reservation.

2) When leaving Bratislava we also were charge 30 SK each to handle the baggage.

3) Upon arriving at the Vienna office we wanted to make reservations for the ongoing trip. We were each changed 4 Euros, although we easily pointed out that the ticket stated there would be no charges for such a service. She said she had no option and suggested we write to you for a rebate.

4) When leaving from Vienna, the Polish bus driver also wanted 5 Euros for very small bags.

Of course we were under the impression that your valid passes were all we needed to travel on your network. Please rebate the extra expenses we were forced to make. We will be posting this on travel web sites and, therefore expect quick resolution.

---

Labels: complaints, Eurotrip 2007, transit

We really had to get up early today in order to make it up several subway stops to the Eurolines bus station by 6:40. We spend the entire day crossing from Vienna back into Germany, even stopping in Munich again! We kept truckin' until we got to Zurich at around 6:15 pm. The bus must've done a slow and steady 100 KPH.

Highway views differ from those of trains. The roads were pretty much like US Interstates. Seeing rural areas was a necessary contrast to our time spent in urban areas.

After getting into Zurich it was a difficult figuring out how to get change for local transit. We had arranged for a bed & breakfast stay prior to leaving Canada. We made it to the home of our hosts around 7:30 pm.

Labels: Eurotrip 2007, transit

As it's Sunday morning, I want to pop in something here that'll be quick and easy. Yesterday, it was a cinch to point out a newly added blog label. I guess I'll do the same today.

I've had quite a few entries about Vancouver's SkyTrain system. As pointed out previously, the reason we ended up living in New Westminster is most assuredly because of the system. Although the owner of a vehicle, I exclusively use the SkyTrain when heading to downtown Vancouver. I look forward to the completion of the line from Vancouver's airport to the city center too. Its completion won't cut travel time when we fly, as there's already a direct bus route from New Westminster. However, it just seems that having transit from the airport to the downtown core should be available in any real city.

In order view my previous entries with the transit label, click the following SkyTrain picture, or click the actual label name beneath it.



I generally comment on transit during local (places) and foreign (world) trips. Yet my label called transit deals mostly with the local SkyTrain system and New Westminster bridges over the Fraser River.

Labels: labels, opinions, transit

It was good to take the day to get a little re-acquainted with downtown Vancouver. Although, we live about a half-hour SkyTrain ride to the city core, I was not able to pinpoint the exact last time I ventured there. Living beside the Columbia Station can be noisy but the convenience of being able to pop out in the middle of Vancouver far outweighs any negatives.

What a fantastic day to walk around the temperature being in the high 20's Centigrade!

The construction on the expansion of the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre was impressive as the last time the action involved just driving pilings.

We hadn't been to the Waterfront on a weekend to see any of the ships plying the 2007 Alaska cruise season. There was a Holland America on the south side of Canada Place and an Norwegian Cruise Line on the other. Also, out in the port terminal, there was a Celebrity ship.

We walked about a large part of the city. Yaletown is surely growing. In fact things have changed so much since we immigrated here.

I bet that many people who lazed around the beaches today are going home red today.

Labels: cruise, SkyTrain, transit, Vancouver

Last week, I noticed Flickr had improved its slideshow component. The photos are now larger. While a photo is being shown, it's possible to click the center for additional information. These are positive improvements.

I thought I'd see if I could find a subject of which I might have multiple photos. If you click on the image above, you will load a set which currently holds 31 images. As I live in downtown New Westminster, the SkyTrain Bridge is a common visual element of my life. It is a transit-only span that crosses the Fraser River. It is next to the 70 year old Patullo bridge. These pictures were taken over a period of five years. Many were simply shot from my balcony.

Labels: balcony, Flickr, Fraser River, New Westminster, SkyTrain, transit

I think I've changed over time. Whereas, I'm sure I would've once rather hiked through a forest, now I prefer a quick walk through town.


This is where Translink's SkyTrain enters the tunnel in
downtown New Westminster. This view is about one block west of
Columbia Station.

Labels: New Westminster, transit

This is the time of year when all the bulbs and buds are starting to wake up. Within a week or two cherry blossoms will be screaming in a chorus of pink. The sap-sucking trees will soon begin to cover their nakedness.

Yet it's not nature's show that demands my attention when coming into downtown New Westminster this spring. I am most aware of the plethora of high rise residential buildings reaching towards the sun.



We settled in New Westminster because of easy SkyTrain access. In 1996 downtown was in a bit of a shambles having given up its Golden Mile status forty or fifty years beforehand. When we moved here, drug dealers were more numerous than shoppers. We figured all the pieces were in place for renewal. A decade has now passed. There are easily, at least, four towers under construction with others on the drawing boards. During this year and next, I can easily assume the residential population of downtown New Westminster will double. That's excellent news for the vibrancy of my neighbourhood.

Labels: New Westminster, transit

I've never really tried the BLOG THIS button on the Flickr website. I don't feel like coming up with anything clever or witty today. So, here's a photo taken in Coquitlam. The Millenium Line SkyTrain stations are quite an improvement over those on the original Expo Line. You should be able to click on the photo.

I haven't tried the EMAIL TO BLOG feature either. Imagine, I've been a member since last summer and there are still new things to try. Isn't software grand? Isn't it strange to refer to an Internet app as software?

Labels: transit

I had luck earlier in the week, making a slideshow of the process of making Sri Lankan string hoppers.

I reckoned I could point to previous set on Flickr to create a new slideshow. This is the Millennium Line of Greater Vancouver's SkyTrain. The shots, from last October, show the scenery between Columbia Station, New Westminster and Burnaby's Lougheed Town Centre. I sat right in the front and snapped these because the system is completely driverless. There are 18 pictures in total.



First, we head out of Columbia and have come to the junction of the Expo
and Millennium lines. The left tracks head over the Fraser River on the
SkyTrain Bridge to Surrey; however, we'll stay right and head
into a tunnel.

Labels: Flickr, New Westminster, transit

As I pasted in yesterday's entry, I couldn't help noticing the old address. How we ended up there is a bit of a story that needs telling.

In July of 1996, an airplane landed at YVR from Dubai. We carried only the name of a hotel and a few suitcases. While overseas, we had looked and called to reserve a cheap hotel in Vancouver. We'd had a Vacouver tourist book for at least a year. Yet, we certainly didn't know much about the area.

A taxi driver dutifully brought us from the airport to the Patricia Hotel on Hasting Street. The facilities seemed adequate as we'd booked for a week. Not having a clue as to where we would eventually move, we figured that 'budget' was the way to go. We didn't know that we had picked a part of Vancouver which is often referred to as Canada's worst postal code. We could view the waterfront but, from our third story window, we could also see hookers and drug dealers. It was quite an eye-opening welcome to Canada!

Then, we scanned the newspapers and found an "agency" that would provide lists of rental apartments. We paid a small fee and walked away with a listing that would contain the apartment which we'd eventually first rent.



The next step involved searching around for those places. We did this by transit and had come to know the SkyTrain. We marked off places which were near the Expo Line. One such place was in New Westminster. We settled on an Agnes Street address as the price was $550 per month and it was just 25 minutes from downtown. A week later, I rented a car so we could lug suitcases to the new dwelling which was, of course, without furniture.

Over the next two years we came to love our adopted, small city and purchased an apartment that is within sight of this initial living space.

Labels: New Westminster, transit

I was riding home on the Skytrain yesterday doing what I most like to do; namely, people watching. While some people were incessantly gabbing on their cell phones and others were reading the free newspapers, I was simply watching the other riders.

There was a fat, old Chinese woman. She reminded me greatly of my grandmother. It wasn't really the appearance although I guess that babies and old people from any culture do resemble each other. There was something about her eyes that showed great joy in just existing. It was if she were confidently aware of a lot about life. I could see this even though she was simply sitting there.

Of course, this prompted me to try to find a picture of my mother's mother upon arriving home. We used to call this woman nana and this might have been one of the last pictures I have of her. I would guess this was when she was living with her daughter in Florida and I was there on a visit when working in the Middle East.



Anyway, thanks go to the old Chinese woman for prompting me to scan in this picture of my grandmother, Emily Osgood. (I have blogged a photo of an earlier picture of my Grandmother Hurd which was posted in May of this year.)

Labels: transit

We've now lived in New Westminster for nine years and we'd not choose another city in the Vancouver area. We have always enjoyed the feeling of true community. Things are in the midst of change and the reputation of the city also seems to be changing for the better too. The whole region is experiencing growth. However, I was a bit surprised to learn that eventually we'll be just a few blocks away from the new height in chic urban living!

Azure at Plaza88

Does that mean they'll chase away the crystal-meth sellers from the New Westminster Skytrain Station soon?

Labels: New Westminster, transit

If you happen to search for SkyTrain at this blog, you'll come up with a surprising number of matches. The word features prominently as the Columbia Station is accessible right from this building. I seldom drive to Vancouver as it's far easier and cheaper to travel the twelve miles in driverless cars on the generally-elevated track.

Labels: transit

Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 05:20:11 -0700
From: Dennis Sylvester Hurd (Google Mail)
To: rick_kams@bcrtc.bc..ca
Subject: NOISE LEVELS from SKYTRAIN ANNOUNCEMENTS at COLUMBIA STATION
Cc: kcoueffin@city.new-westminster.bc.ca, custrel@translink.bc.ca, editorial@royalcityrecord.com, mike_richard@bcrtc.bc.ca, amelita_quizon@bcrtc.bc.ca

The last letter below was sent last fall. I have copied an entire history of complaints about the Skytrain system announcement VOLUME LEVELS. You will discover that this situation dates back to 2003.

I am writing this at 5:20 because I was rudely awoken this morning by an announcement at 5:00 am. Last weekend was an especially trying time as I was unable to get to sleep until after 2:00 am on Saturday morning. This was the same day that I started teaching day-long classes at BCIT beginning at eight. I know announcements will be necessary ... but there has to be control over the sound levels.

I demand that studies take place in order to get the announcements to acceptable decibel levels. If the Skytrain station were a neighbor, then municipal noise regulations would be preventing the headache that you are causing. I'd like to to be personally acknowledged as to the plans to prevent this constant interruption to my life.

==Dennis Hurd
#1001 420 Carnarvon Street
New Westminster, BC V3L 5P1
tel: 604.524-6197

==========

Dear Quizon Amelita,

As you will note on the previous correspondence, it has been about five months since I last wrote about excessive announcement noise from the Columbia Station Skytrain Station. However, I would like for you to keep a constant eye on the situation.

Last night between 12:45 and 1:45 am, I was again awoken from a sound sleep. Please bear in mind that I live on the tenth floor of the building behind the station. Announcements were made in both a female and male voice at the arrival of each train.

It goes without saying that I know the system will encounter times when announcements need to be made. Yet, they should not prevent sleep for neighbours of the stations. TURN THE VOLUME TO ACCEPTABLE LEVELS, PLEASE.

I will provide and early thank you for your understanding and action on this matter.

== Dennis Hurd


----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Sylvester Hurd
To: QUIZON AMELITA ; Keith
Coueffin ; custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: KAMS RICK; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; RICHARD MIKE
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: Oct. 30 AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

Dear madam,

I'd like to thank you very much for the prompt response to my email message. Unfortunately, I must have been unclear in the original as you were unable to address my major concern.

You told me the reason for the service interruption. I was well aware the reason. I wasn't able to avoid hearing the announcements repeated this morning while trying to get back to sleep. You continued by telling me that you needed to communicate with customers and I can certainly accept that without condition. I am sure the on a system as advanced as the SkyTrain that technical issues will occasionally develop and announcements will need to be made.

What I was trying to address was the extreme volume in which the message was broadcast. The subject line in my original message read, "AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud". I live on the 10th floor and my windows were tightly shut. I was sound asleep but the announcements forced me and my partner to awake.

That type of 'inconvenience' should have a solution and, unfortunately, you did not address that concern at all.

== Dennis Hurd

----- Original Message -----

From: QUIZON AMELITA
To: Keith Coueffin ; Dennis Sylvester Hurd ; custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: KAMS RICK ; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; RICHARD MIKE
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 11:50 AM
Subject: RE: Oct. 30 AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

Dear Mr. Hurd:

The announcements that occurred this morning were required due a system failure to a major safety system which prevented our ability to begin revenue service at our normal time.

We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced this morning, but such cases we are required to communicate with our customers thus the announcements you heard. Be assured that every effort is made to minimize any inconveniences to our passengers and surrounding neighbours, but on occasions such as this it may not be possible.

Once again, we do apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for allowing us to address your concerns.

BCRTC: 2003-01493 TransLink: 25337

Amelita Quizon
Customer Service & Operations Support
SkyTrain-BC Rapid Transit Company Ltd.
6800 14th Avenue
Burnaby, BC V3N 4S7
Tel. (604) 520-3641
email: amelita_quizon@bcrtc.bc.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Coueffin [mailto:kcoueffin@city.new-westminster.bc.ca]
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:57 AM
To: Dennis Sylvester Hurd; custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: KAMS RICK; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; RICHARD MIKE; QUIZON AMELITA
Subject: RE: Oct. 30 AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

Mr Kams
(Rick),

Will you be able to investigate the concerns noted by Mr.Hurd?

kc Keith Coueffin
Assistant Director of Strategic Services
Phone 604-527-4645


-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Sylvester Hurd [mailto:DennisSylvesterHurd@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:29 AM
To: custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: rick_kams@bcrtc.bc.ca; Keith Coueffin; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; mike_richard@bcrtc.bc.ca; amelita_quizon@bcrtc.bc.ca
Subject: Oct. 30 AM
SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

To: Translink, BCRTC
cc: FYI - K. Coueffin, New Westminster City Hall
Royal City Record -- Please consider for editorial page or as a topic assignment for an article.

==================================

A female voice advising a 'service disruption' blasted from the Columbia Street Skytrain station at 5:05 this morning and was repeated for about 10 minutes.

This was several hours before I had to be awake. Our building is directly in back of the station. Although most won't have time nor drive to complain, I am sure that all residents in the south-facing apartments were awoken. The volume of these announcements was inappropriately loud. Columbia station surely doesn't seem like a good neighbour this morning!

Unfortunately this is not a one-time occurrence. Over the years, even the city of New Westminster has been involved in requests for sound-level monitoring. It was six months ago, I wrote to complain about excessive speaker volume and the accompanying 'beep'.

We moved here well aware of the convenience and well as drawbacks of living so close to the station. Since that time, the Millennium Line has vastly increased the number of trains, announcements, and people through the Columbia Station.

The station's exposed roof opening is not very large. I would like to propose that Translink begin to study the cost of the installation of a glass-pyramid covering for it.

==Dennis Hurd

Labels: complaints, transit

My friend, Bret, started an email-a-thon regarding video editting. I mentioned how much better Pinnacle Studio 9 is when compared with Windows MovieMaker. Here, quite literally, is my first attempt with Studio 9. Last spring, I simply walked out of my front door, down to the Quay, and then back via Columbia SkyTrain station. Initially, there are some fireworks shot from my balcony during FraserFest.



I rendered the original on DVD and just tried to output to Windows Media today. Please let me know your success at being able to 'stream' the result which is approximately eight minutes. Were you able to view it? I'd like to request that any reader feel free to email me. (IN THE AFTERNOON, I REDUCED THE FILE SIZE TO 1/4 OF THE ORIGINAL.)

Labels: Bret, fireworks, Quay, transit

Yesterday, because the weather was so fine, it seemed very worthwhile stopping for a moment on the way to the supermarket in Coquitlam.



This picture is looking east from the Sapperton Landing Park in New Westminster. The new park was built along the Fraser River as the Millennium SkyTrain line was being constructed. It is a remarkably peaceful area considering how many thousands of commuters pass by overhead on the tracks and beside on a major traffic artery.

Labels: Fraser River, New Westminster, transit

I have taken lots of pictures of the SkyTrain and Patullo Bridges and there are some contained in this blog.

Here's another bridge. (Click the little picture to open a larger version.) This one was built by New Westminster for 4 million dollars in 1960. It connects our city to Queensborough on Lulu Island and the industrial area of Annacis. It crosses just the north arm of the Fraser. It was formerly a toll bridge, then it was purchased by the Province of BC in 1966. Presently, it's a feeder to Route 91 and to the Alex Fraser Bridge built in 1986.

Right at the moment, there's construction on the Queensborough interchange. It's part of a total $336 million of federal and provincial infrastructure funding agreement for new roads and highways in British Columbia.

Labels: Fraser River, New Westminster, transit

There was too much bad news this week so it was good to get out last night. It, however, would not have been a good night to drive.

That's why I'm thankful for easy travel via the SkyTrain. Our apartment building opens right into the station at Columbia in New Westminster. I go down the elevator and right to Granville Street in twenty-five minutes. Speedy and covenient access to downtown Vancouver seems worth the occasional station noise.

The SkyTrain, SeaBus, and regular bus system played designated driver last night. It was New Year's eve, so public transportation was free. That's an effective way to cut down on traffic fatalities due to drinking and driving. "Give credit where credit is due," I aways say.

Translink has found it necessary to raise fares from today! There's now a slightly greater cost for convenience.

Happy 2005!

Labels: transit

I have had a large picture sitting in my web directory for at least five years. It goes mostly unseen as the only link is from a seldom-viewed page. I can provide access so you needn't rent a small plane.

You can simply click the small picture to see an aerial photograph of British Columbia's Lower Mainland. A new browser window will open but the 396 K (1024 X 768) picture may take a few moments to load. You'll probably need to scroll around to see the complete view! Downtown Vancouver is at the top, center section of the image. The Fraser River runs along the bottom of the photo. You will find the New Westminster Quay on the lower, left-hand side, this apartment near the bottom center, and the edge of the SkyTrain Bridge on the lower right.

Labels: Fraser River, New Westminster, Quay, transit

We ran around yesterday afternoon during the break in the weather to capture a little of the area on digital video tape as it will interest Jay's family in Sri Lanka. We went to the end of the SkyTrain line and then hopped on the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. At first it feels embarrassing to take video of your own city until you realize that people will just assume you're a tourist.

There were four cruise ships in port. Three were docked at Canada Place and they were about to leave because most 7-day Alaskan cruises start on Sunday evenings. I'd forgotten just how enormous those babies are! Some carry over 2500 passengers plus crew. Yesterday, I took the GPS, so I can include several (WGS84 datum) waypoints:

Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver, BC

N49 18.577
W123 04.971

Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

N49 17.292
W123 06.814

Granville SkyTrain Entrance, the Hudson Bay Co., Vancouver, BC

N49 16.979
W123 07.036

Labels: GPS, Quay, transit

Posted by: Dennis S Hurd / 7:45 AM 0 comments

This week, I noted that Las Vegas has opened a monorail. It runs from the Sahara to the MGM Grande. That's seems like a good idea although I thought part of the Vegas experience meant getting sore feet walking up and down the Strip.

Apparently, Bombardier Transportation (the Canadian Ski-Doo people) built it. They are also responsible for producing our local SkyTrain which I frequently mention here. Finally, after a few false starts, they will also be building an Vancouver airport-to-downtown line that will be completed before the 2010 Winter Olympics.


The land, to the west of the New Westminster Station, was
recently okayed for development. Eventually, a few twenty-five
to thirty storey residential towers will sprout from the
grassy area.

Labels: New Westminster, transit

It's somewhat of a sport searching for scenery from the British Columbia's Lower Mainland in Hollywood movies. Because there's a talented production staff and a cheap Canadian dollar, many more movies are filmed around here than you'd first guess.

One of these blockbuster movies is being released today. I, Robot was not only shot in the area, but right here in our neighbourhood! As first mentioned in this blog nearly nine months ago, Will Smith and cast were down on Front Street. That location was transformed into the part of the city where the lead detective lives.

You can visit a page containing the archived, October 23rd entry of this blog.


Front Street is a truck route running next to the Fraser River and
the railroad tracks. A half kilometer stretch is covered by a
public parkade. It's also the home to many antique stores. In the
photo, note the SkyTrain on the bridge mentioned earlier this week.

Labels: Fraser River, transit

I find something inspiring about two of the Fraser River crossings in New Westminster. I am not quite sure why I'm so fascinated with them. It might be a respect for engineering or civil design. I've taken a few pictures of the Patullo & SkyTrain Bridges. The Patullo, built in 1937, is presently undergoing some renovation. It carries cars and trucks whereas the SkyTrain bridge is a transit-only crossing completed in 1990. The SkyTrain bridge can be seen from my balcony, but this picture was taken from the Brownsville Bar Waterfront Park on the Surrey side of the river.


"It is not best to swap horses while crossing the river." --Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)

Labels: Fraser River, Surrey, transit

Trains ... trains ... trains. One disadvantage of living downtown,
is the nightly trains that rumble through with whistles blaring.

Labels: New Westminster, SkyTrain, transit

Fires that consumed and destroyed whole cities must have been fairly common in those days. In 1898, most of downtown New Westminster burnt to the ground.

One exception was the Burr Block. It's the central building in this photo. Nowadays, it's the Met Hotel and Bar. When on the balcony, I can look down onto the roof of that building (and hear drunken patrons yelling from their back patio). In addition, to the left-hand side of the picture, is the entrance for the Columbia Street SkyTrain station. It's now one of five stops in our city. These apartments provide direct access to that station.

Labels: New Westminster, transit

Even if you've switched over to digital photography, you can probably still remember putting a new film in your old camera. You used to take a couple of shots just to get the roll lined up for the first picture.

Yesterday, I knew I was going to take my digital camera to BCIT for a class photograph. I still had this useless need to click a shot from the balcony before I left for Burnaby. What for? (It's an old habit, I guess, and a little like when we insist on dialing a phone number, although we've actually been pushing buttons for decades.)

Fraser River & SkyTrain Bridge

Labels: balcony, BCIT, camera, transit

We went to a friend's house for dinner yesterday evening. Just like every trip to downtown Vancouver, we took the SkyTrain. It's convenient to pop out of the tunnel at either the Granville or Burrad Station. Because of the nice weather yesterday, it seemed that everybody had a similar idea of going downtown. Robson Street was very busy.

Here's a picture of my apartment tower. The building has direct access to the Columbia Street SkyTrain station, so the half hour trip is always a breeze.

When going to work, it takes me about the same amount of time to drive half the distance.

Labels: transit, Vancouver

Time really does fly.

This summer will mark the eighth anniversary of being in Canada! From 1996 to 1998, we rented an apartment. From the ninth-floor, living room window, it was easy to see Douglas College. From the small balcony there, it was also possible to see the New Westminster SkyTrain station and a bit of the Fraser River. (See a Real Player Time-Lapse Video Clip.)



After Agnes Street, we purchased and moved into the present building about four blocks east. When leaving Dubai, we had never heard of New Westminster. Life is interesting. Life is good!

Labels: Fraser River, New Westminster, transit

This link will take you to a picture that's been sitting on my web server since the days I used to run a web cam on my balcony. It is an aerial photo of a big chunk of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The Fraser River and the SkyTrain bridge appear along the bottom of the picture. The camera is pointing north and west toward Burnaby and Metrotown. Downtown Vancouver, although twelve miles away, is visible too.

View Large Image in New Window

I cannot remember where the original came from. I modified the image to include a green arrow at the bottom center which points to my apartment building. Since the picture is 1024 X 768, you may have to use your scroll bars to view the entire panorama. The file is nearly 400K and may take several moments to load depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

Labels: camera, Fraser River, transit, Vancouver

Here's a wrap up to the present topic. This is the Skytrain Bridge which spans the Fraser River in New Westminster. The Expo Line runs to Surrey and crosses on this purpose-built bridge. You will note the train running beneath the closest arch.

Labels: Fraser River, Surrey, train, transit

I got several notes regarding yesterday's picture. I wondered if I could find more information about the Skytrain on the net. I did. Find Columbia Station on the system map as that's where this apartment is. Here's a link:

metroPlanet > America > Canada > British Columbia > Vancouver - Skytrain [Link Expired]

---

And here's what Don said in response to the link:

. . . I now know what I will do as a retiree. Go from city to city spending days, weeks or months riding their Metro systems. Just think of all the people I could chat to, used clothing stores and cheap out-of-the-way restaurants I could find.

Like my aunt and uncle, who had never been anywhere, woke up one morning and decided to drive to the Pacific Ocean and left home two hours later and returned two months later. And they did something similar each summer for the next ten years. No particular plan. Just started driving. And took normal roads and ended up in out-of-the-way places and visited things like the world's largest hub cap collection. And they met dozens of people and then the ensuing years would go and visit these people. For example, they were sitting in a restaurant in some place (let's say Humboldt, Nebraska) and struck up a conversation with another retired couple who were on their way to visit their daughter in some place (let's say Fargo, North Dakota), so my Aunt and Uncle decided to follow them and by the time they arrived, they had become friends enough to be invited over several times to the daughter's house. These people were from (let's say Northern Oklahoma), so the following year, my Aunt and Uncle drove to Oklahoma to visit these people. And the four of them drove to the Grand Canyon.

Many times they slept in their old car at a rest area, (one time their old car died and they bought an even older car to finish the trip), sponge-bathed in the restroom, set up a gas cylinder out of the trunk of the car at a picnic table and made breakfast, and off they went. Most of the time they bought baloney, hot dogs and beans and tuna fish, etc. in local grocery stores and made lunch and/or dinner and ate in the car or beside the road. About every third afternoon they'd check into a motel for 12 hours to rest up and replenish and take baths and do laundry. They'd be on the road for two months and stay only about 20 nights in motels and eat about 30 meals in restaurants. They'd come home after 2 months with some of their social security checks, of $600 a month combined, left over! With a car full of memorabilia and scrap book full of post cards and napkins and motel brochures and things like a stone from the Grand Canyon or a tulip bulb or clipping from somebody's flower bed or an old mayonnaise jar of water from Salt Lake or the Mississippi River. And each year they'd start earlier and come back later; no Winnebago, not even AAA. And each week they'd make a person-to-person call to themselves to one of their children back home to let them know they were OK. The first year they didn't even do that. They just sent post cards.

Labels: Don, transit

This apartment is about twelve miles from downtown Vancouver. I never drive there however, as it's easier to hop on the Skytrain [link expired]. I'm proof that people will use public transit if it's easier or faster than driving. The Columbia Street Station adjoins our building so getting downtown is a no-brainer --- it's both easier and faster than driving. (It's also cheaper than paying for parking!)


Here's a night picture of an 'old' Skytrain car.

Labels: transit, Vancouver

I always arrange life so that I have a very light teaching schedule. For example, I won't go back to teach a class until November. People occasionally ask what I do with my extra time. Umm ... I guess I think. If one has the opportunity to think then there's no such thing as extra time. This leads me to a personal view I've got to share.

Cell phones are great technology but I often see people who can't seem to find the off switch. On the SkyTrain or bus, they waste precious minutes of their lives involved in meaningless conversations. They spend half an hour asking where the other person is and about other verbal debris. These people are sitting beside me but are 'virtually' in some unknown space. I wish they could shut off the phone, look out the window and just think a little!

Labels: complaints, transit