Crossing the Fraser River

The weather was nice again today.  We chose to hop on the SkyTrain and cross the Fraser River into Surrey.  Really, I wanted to see how the replacement bridge is coming along.  It's already much behind schedule and planned completion dates simply seem to come and go.

We've been watching the bridge deck inch closer to joining near the New Westminster end of the span.  It's impossible to view from our apartment.  From most downtown points, the old bridge is in the line of sight and prevents viewing too.

I knew if we took the SkyTrain we'd have a chance to see how big the gap is.  It seemed pretty small from our angle.  On the left side of the picture above, it is to the right of the white tractor trailer (crossing on the original bridge).  There is still so much to do on the connections on each side that it'll still be months before the new bridge opens and 88 year old infrastructure is dismantled.   I read the change-over may begin in December of this year.

We went to buy goji berries at the T&T Market.  That is a huge Asian market chain here.  We couldn't help but pick up a few items from the premade foods.  

Although we got off the SkyTrain in Surrey Central, as we had to walk through the mall to get to the supermarket, we left by crossing the street to King George station at the end of the current line.  What a brilliant day to be free and outside in the optimum September weather!

Everything, Including ...

 

Here! For those of you who feel that I blog about everything but the kitchen sink, you were mistaken.

We've been thinking about replacing our original old, stainless steel sink with something different.  We need a new faucet anyway. And we surely don't need the existing 'garburator' at all. (Sorry, eh? That is the Canadian term for a garbage disposal.)  I wanted to take a photo along with the written dimensions when visiting the Home Depot.  We checked and will probably be going elsewhere for a granite composite because of their current limited supplies.

We kept on going up the hill to Surrey Central to stop in our favorite branch of T&T Asian Supermarket.  Jay did find his chopped, frozen lemongrass today.  After we got home we discovered the kimchi we bought was made in China rather than Korea.  Oh well, they make just about every other product in the house!

We parked in a covered area when shopping.  The whole day has been rainy and cool.  Well, yesterday was as well.  In fact, one week ago, it rained for the entire weekend.  It's time for spring, really!

Our Second Sunday in May

It was Sunday.  It was another one of those mixed-bag weather days.  The sun and showers were spotty. We decided to head across the river.  

First, we stopped at the Home Depot.  We've been thinking about replacing the dishwasher.  A few years ago, we got a new refrigerator and stove but didn't bother to replace the dishwasher at that time.  Ours is still the original from when our building was built.  That makes it decades old.  We seldom use it, but perhaps if we get a newer, energy / water efficient model we'd let the appliance actually wash our daily dishes. We simply looked at what they had.

Following that, we drove up the hill to shop at the T&T Asian Supermarket.  Today, we were luckier and found the items that were missing last time.  The frozen blocks of lemongrass from Vietnam were available today.  As well, curry leaves were finally fresh and the price had dropped back to what we normally pay.  Of course, I encouraged Jay to buy some items from the prepared Chinese food area too.  We will eat the items with our usual lunches for a bit of variety.

Oh, and later in the afternoon, we saw a message from Tim on MS Teams as he was out exploring on his motorcycle.  He wondered if were home.  We were.  He came upstairs for a mini chat and then we saw him off.  It was our chance to see his exciting means of conveyance.

Not Available in Some Locations

We are grateful we've access to grocery stores such as T & T Supermarkets. We drove up to Surrey Central today so Jay could pick up a few items at the Canadian chain of Asian supermarkets. 

They carry a broad selection of East Asian, SE Asian, and Indian foods. Of course, that is a very large demographic of urban Metro Vancouver. We know that the general selection of foods for most North Americans is not as great. Being able to shop at T & T makes us feel lucky. 

Today, I plugged into gratis electricity for our half-hour visit. It was only Level 2, rather than quick DC current, but we arrived at home with more power than with which we left. A trip to Surrey Central and back is only around fifteen kilometers.

1988: When One's Selfies Were Taken by Others

Today was grey and cold. It was quite unlike yesterday, but not all that unusual for a Victoria-Day Long Weekend in BC. 

We wanted to walk a little, so I thought of the idea of going to Metrotown Mall, about 10 kilometers from our place. I think it is the largest mall in British Columbia. First, we parked in the maze of lots under the mall. Our closest door brought us right next to the T&T Supermarket.  We generally visit the supermarket chain's branch close to us in Surrey.  However, today's has a much more authentic feeling as there is a very large Chinese and Asian community in that part of Burnaby. Although the products are the same, the aisles feel crowded with a much more Asian vibe. Jay was able to pick up some good quality pandan and curry leaves. We are now partial to goji berries with our evening snack of nuts and picked a large packet and a few other items. They also have a great takeaway food section and we got a container of Spicy Chicken with Chili.  I didn't take any photos today though. 

In the afternoon, I did hit one more pile of old snapshots. I swear I will keep at this chore until I have scanned and completely ripped up every paper photograph in the house!  Today, I tried to choose a small pile and found 1988. It was the year I was working in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. My teaching job was with cadets of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. I was a teacher there for exactly one year and after completing my contract, I moved to a different job in Bahrain. Today, I've picked four pictures from that time and place to include today.  Let's see, where's the calculator?  One-third of a century ago, in 1988, I turned twenty-nine years old.

 

Several Kilometers of Retail

At mid-morning, we still had a number of lights on in the house. The weather seemed so different than yesterday's because we had thick, grey clouds and a large chance of rain. We didn't want to stay in the house all morning, so took a drive to Surrey Central Shopping Mall. It seems we now frequently go to malls for a chance for some walking rather than shopping. 

We entered through the large Walmart and walked to each corner of the mall. I hadn't explored a Best Buy for ever so long.  We did make a few purchases and a bit of Chinese takeout in the T&T Asian Supermarket. We walked back to the car park in a slight drizzle.

 

Taking 'Kimchi' for a Spin

The weather at this time of year in British Columbia is the definition of fickle. The last few days have been superb but today was another story altogether! It is cold, grey, and has not stopped raining until now.

It seemed the only way we'd get our Mi band 'steps' up to the daily minimum would be to do some indoor walking. We combined that chore with a short trip in our new EV, lovingly referred to as Kimchi, and a trip to pick up some Asian groceries.

In particular, Jay wanted to buy a slab of diced, frozen lemongrass. The T&T chain is the best bet for what we needed. There's a large one in the mall in Central Surrey. While in the fresh vegetable section, we spotted fruit familiar because of our winter in SE Asia, namely: jackfruit, durian, and rambutan. We couldn't afford the Canadian prices on those items today!


This section of the T&T changed from cafeteria style to self-serve.
We put on a few extra steps by walking around the mall and through the Walmart Supercenter. We rediscovered how much larger that store is than the one uptown in New Westminster. We crossed back over the Fraser River on the Pattullo. Driving the Hyundai KONA would best be described as a blast. I think I will eventually press the button to switch from Normal to Sport mode to really feel the ultimate torque of its 100% electric drivetrain.

Meet Jay and Jack

Boy, don't we know how to plan 'em?

We came back to Vancouver right into a stretch of good weather. Some folks have suggested we brought the sun back with us. Today our sky was a shade of blue as it can be only on the west coast. It seemed cold for us as we never saw any temperature near 14c in SE Asia.

We didn't hit the parks or trails. We only drove across the Pattullo and up the hill to our closest T & T Supermarket, an Asian market chain. A few things there, at least, reminded us of where we spent December through mid-April.


Jay and a $50 jackfruit.

Not Available at Safeway

It was a delightfully sunny day, not the 100% sunshine that was promised, but sunny enough nevertheless.

Being a Sunday with fewer drivers on the roads, we ventured across the Pattullo Bridge and up to the T & T Supermarket in the mall at Surrey Central. We were out of some of Jay's staple ingredients which are not carried at our usual supermarket. I love the fresh produce of this market chain as we can pick up things seemingly a little more exotic.

An Uncluttered Life

Considering it is a long weekend, we didn't do too much this morning. We did jump on the SkyTrain and rode over to Surrey Central.




That was just to pick up a few things at the T&T Supermarket there. We figure that one in Metrotown is nearly the exact same distance as the one near the end of the Expo Line. On Sundays, all transit rides cost just one-zone, so crossing the river didn't incur a premium. I love the Asian market chain for the unusual, non-typical products they sell. This is not a small, private store as it's owned by the same mega company that owns our normal supermarket brand. It's just that there's such an Asian presence in Metro-Vancouver, it makes sense to stock particular products which might not be of interest to other Canadians.

Although we grow a large clump of lemon grass which thrives on the balcony, Jay often likes the ease of using the chopped, frozen stuff when cooking. When walking around inside the store, I noticed that Chinese mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival cost way too much. I think the brands are a type of fashion statement, so the companies can charge a lot more than for their mere ingredients.

Crossing Back Over

Got to love days when the weather is like this!

We went to Surrey Central to pick up a few things at an Indian grocer. The area is close to the end of the Expo Line near the King George Station. After, we walked back through the mall as we picked up a few things at the T&T Asian Supermarket too. We had discussed whether to drive or not. Jay, of course, has a monthly transit pass and I figured it was worth my $2.10 just for convenience sake. We took the SkyTrain as our station is a part of our building. The end of that line is probably about 10 minutes away.


This picture was from the SkyTrain bridge while returning. It's looking at the Fraser River and downtown New Westminster. This is home. It's a prettier sight than when we first came to live here. There are both taller buildings and more green spaces than 20 years ago.

McArthurGlen Vancouver

The weather looked threatening at times during the day but it was quite warm and ended up sunny.

Last night we'd mentioned getting together with the guys today. So, we thought we'd go to Richmond and meet up with them. Transit seemed like a fun option, so we took the SkyTrain to 22nd Station, the #100 Bus to Marine Drive Station on the other line, and then a trip to Templeton Station. We'd heard about the McArthurGlen designer-label outdoor mall at the airport, but had never been.



It was quite packed and I'm surprised there were so many people waiting in lines to purchase products in the various outlet retailers. I guess it's good that people throw around money. None of our group had a single bag when we went back out the front gate. It was fun seeing all the others though and the design of the complex was very nice. All the fake facades reminded me of Disneyland.

We left and after an extravagant fee to get back to Richmond by TransLink, we walked to a T&T Supermarket and ate in the Asian food court. It seems as though trips started at any of the three stations on the YVR Airport spur, get an extra $5 charge. It's money grab and makes sense for people actually leaving the airport. One should not be subjected to a five buck surcharge to go to a shopping mall. What a ripoff, TransLink!

We returned home after dinner and got home just as it was getting dark at around 8:30. Most of Canada is off tomorrow too.

Saturday is Shopping Day

We didn't need to do regular grocery shopping this week. If plans work out correctly, we will have an empty fridge and no opened food packages on the day of our departure for the winter away.

We did jump on the SkyTrain and head to the end of Expo Line. We'd not been to the T&T Supermarket for a while and it was a good a place as any to buy a few vegetables, bananas, and a half litre of milk. I love the Asian-oriented chain as there's always something new to inspect.


The next time we go in search of a big supermarket will be in the middle of November. During the few days we spent in Luxor, Egypt last year, we didn't search out a big market because we just picked up things in the neighbourhood. I look forward to sharing our future favourite in a blog entry just as I did after visiting Ley's last winter.

Blue Sky and Asian Spices

I love the month of May here. When the sky turns blue, British Columbia is awesome. Don't believe what some say; generally, there is more than one week of this kind of weather per year.



I am still a little sick. I have coughed so much my chest hurts, but I know that it is all up hill from here. Even though a SkyTrain line runs right to the T&T Supermarket near the King George Station in Surrey, we drove.

That means heading over the Pattullo Bridge. It is an ancient bridge not up to today's traffic standards but it remains a free, non-tolled passage over the Fraser River. The iconic structure does help define New Westminster. Replacing it has been a topic of discussion since we got here in 1996. Nineteen years ago the structure was already 59 years old. It is a fun drive, as the tiny lanes make the experience quite like playing a video game.

Getting over to the huge, chain T&T supermarket of Asian and South Asian groceries was a very necessary trip. We haven't seen curry leaves and some other necessities for Jay's cooking since last November! We did find lemon grass in Mexico but never spotted any pandan leaves.

It Wasn't a Long Way to Tipperary

I didn't have much to do today. I had already printed my last activity and examination for tomorrow's class.

Jay had thought about renewing his passport but filled out the form with tomorrow's dates. Rather than locating the dried bottle of Whiteout, he decided to do this tomorrow. We still drove over to Surrey Central as we'd not been to the T&T Supermarket for quite some time.

While there, we noticed a Shopper's Drug Mart near the entrance to the mall. A few minutes before leaving the house, I had called the local one and found the seasonal flu shots were available. So we waited around for a half hour by looking in the Futureshop and picking up just a few things at the market.

My arm doesn't hurt.


Later in the day, I walked up to Tipperary Park. The new park by the river means I've been ignoring my previously-favourite park near the City Hall. It was still there and I feel much better for having walked up the hill and back.

Early

This morning I didn't get up until 6:15 am, so apparently I'm slowly getting back to living on Vancouver time. For a few days I couldn't stay in bed past 4:30 in the morning and I certainly wouldn't want to keep on a schedule like that!

Still, being up early meant we wanted to get out in the sunshine early too. Actually, we went a bit too early. We drove to Queen's Park to check on the "Petting Farm" which traditionally opens over Victoria Day weekend. We missed that so this would have been the first visit of the season. Unfortunatelly, the hours are from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. I didn't know that until I read the sign at a little past nine o'clock. At least through the cage's wires a peacock was ready to show off to visitors.


We walked next door to the Rose Garden. I could see just a few varieties had bloomed and that many will not be ready for a while more. While there, I confirmed the banana trees made it through the winter intact.



After that, we drove over the Pattullo Bridge to the T&T Supermarket at Surrey Central. The chain is owned Loblaws the same mega company which owns our usual supermarket. This one carries mostly Asian products though. It is always fun to shop there. Jay got some curry leaves which cannot be found elsewhere.


I love free days. My summer class won't start until Friday, June 27. I like to think of this morning as practice for November's early retirement!

Remembrance Day

Today was a nice day for reflection. We noticed it was snowing during the televised Ottawa celebration at 8:11 our time. We didn't get to the New Westminster event but caught most of the biggest of Vancouver's three on TV. It is an important, reverent holiday in Canada.

It was also a nice day to stay close to home. We did go out to the T&T Supermarket in Surrey in the morning as well as making it to a matinee of Ender's Game this afternoon. I feel as though the movie, sort of, fit in well with the spirit of the day.



Oh, and while at the Supermarket, I bought a package of disposable, wooden chopsticks. It is very embarrassing living in Vancouver and not being able to use chopsticks. Being proficient is a given here and it surely would have come in handy when in SE Asia earlier in the year.

Chillin' on a Chilly One

Today is Victoria Day in Canada. Of course that means it's the end of a long weekend, a long weekend over which we took no special, out-of-town trip.



So today, we ambled down to the SkyTrain just to walk a bit in downtown Vancouver. It takes almost a half hour to get to the end of the line at Waterfront. Today stayed overcast for a majority of the morning but filtered sunshine did bring a little brightness. We saw just one cruise ship at Canada Place as it is a Monday and most summer, Alaskan cruises depart on the weekend. We walked out on the pier to peer in the balcony windows of the ship. After, we walked up and got the #5 bus to English Bay. We sat on a bench and looked at the beach for a while. I had to come to terms with the reality that a lot of people living in a region with two million people do not have a sandy, downtown beach. After a bit of time, we took the Davie Street bus back to the Granville SkyTrain station and came home.

We made use of Jay's monthly pass which allows a free accompanying passenger on Sundays and holiday. We will probably go down a bit later this afternoon and take the train across the river to the T&T Supermarket near King George station in Surrey.

That's it. Just an kick-back type of relaxing day.

Much More Than Choy

I've probably blogged about our access to a great selection of food before. When I see what meager options are available in supermarkets when I visit others in different places, I am doubly impressed. Most probably, it has to do with the urban setting in which we live. Moreover, the variety owes its reason to the fact there are such vibrant ethnic communities living here. In the Vancouver area, a full 40% of our residents were born in other countries. What an exciting environment in which to live!

We eat well because of the enormous selection of imported food products. Not only manufactured foods from abroad are available, but fresh fruits and vegetables from all parts of the globe are for sale here.

Jay was pleased to see freshly-cut jackfruit segments at a T&T Supermarket yesterday. They are a personal favourite from his home.