In Science World_Vancouver

Chuc Mung Nam Moi ;-)

The Ox year is here. (Re. picture with di Oanh va Trang)

Last Sat we went to a party in downtown Vancouver, there were about 600 Vnese there. I even met my neighbour in VN who moved to Vancouver 20 years ago. We had a lot of fun (and a lot of foods). The next day I even received my red envelop with lucky money, and wishes like "wishing you next year to find your love or finding a husband..." ;-) (yeah yeah, that's right, you got the picture ;-))

We continue eating during the next couple of days, too. Since the Vnese community is big here, most of the things we do during Tet were kept. Things like going to pagoda at mid night of the last day of the old year, making offers to the ancestors, and the gods, eating rice cakes...and it's even greater if we have a big family around us, then everybody meets, talk, and have fun. I miss that.

Anyway, at the end note, I would like to wish everyone a good Ox year, may the trouble of last year go away, but happiness and prosperity!

China town and Sun Yat Sen garden

Gastown

Small update from Vancouver

After three years of none real travels, I have welcomed 2009 with my first trip to North America, destination Vancouver. As said, haven't been travelled for some time, I was strangly a bit nervous about the trip, felt a bit dizzy before getting my flight from Brussels to Amsterdam. However, after that things just got a bit better and I found my travel enjoyment quickly when I was on the plane from Amsterdam to Vancouver. I didn't know how much I missed the feeling lifted when a plane taking off, it was like your whole body (and I felt that even from my guts) was suddenly lifted in the air.

From the plane, I could see the beautiful Canadian rockies covered in snow. Vancouver is beautiful, it is still wild and green. On Saturday, I went to visit the Aquarium Vancouver, I was very much impressed, it is huge. There are more than 9000 types of fishes, sharks, sea otters, sealions...etc. The Aquarium locates in Stanley Park, a huge forest park that you can walk along the seaside or into the wild. Yesterday, went to see the suspended bridge that links the Capilano canyon, owned by George Mackey. The view is great and pretty romantic ;-). On the way back, we dropped by Gastown to see the steam clock that weighs about 2 tons.

Next post will be with my first snowboard adventures!

2009

After several weeks of continuous heavy eating, we are suffering the blistering cold of winter. Brussels (or Belgium) has not been under this kind of cold air (it was -17 celcius yesterday) in a long time.

My train gets late almost every day at the moment, and there is no bus taking me from the station to the company, so I walk. It is much better to walk than waiting for a bus that probably won't come although at the time when I arrive to my company, I can no longer feel my toes ;-). Anyway, we have to admit that it is nice to finally have a normal winter.

On the other note, we are now in 2009, and as most of experts have forecasted, this year will be a difficult year because we are plunging into a deep financial crisis, recession. So, those of us who are having a job should be pleased, and be content to stick around until the situation gets better (don't expect it to be end of this year, it may last until end of 2010). If we manage to still have a job, it already means good. In those time, it will be better to plan some savings (yeah, always easy to say but always difficult to do ;-)).

Enough with the pessimistic view, let's talk about books, movies, foods,...;-). I am reading a book called "The Great Tranfomation" at the moment, it is about compassion and empathy work best in time like the one we are in now, the Axial time...it is not only about history but about how doing good and bad has led the world into where we are today. I also bought a couple of more books, going to Canada for two weeks, and I plan to read a lot during those vacation time apart from sightseeing and keeping myself being killed on the snowboard slope ;-).

Other than that, I also went to the Buddha Smile exhibition in Bozar, Brussels. It is an exposition on Korean Buddhism, the metal arts in Korea, and was very much impressed of Korean's precision in artworks.

On the art note, I wish everyone a Happy 2009!