Tourists in our own city - the grand tour

In an effort to make our newly emigrated friends David and Laura feel more welcome in their new home, we took them on a grand tour of Metro Vancouver. David and Laura are from Delaware.

We started early with Karen's famous french toast for breakfast. After packing in the hearty breakfast, we headed out. We visited many places starting in Queen Elizabeth park. Oddly enough, our friends found the Nat Bailey Stadium (adjacent to the park) to be quite the thrill. They vowed they would revisit it to see an actual baseball game. We then drove through Cambie line RAV construction to make it to Richmond via the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Once in Richmond, I brought them to the little community of Steveston where some of the first Japanese and marine settlers came. I recounted to them how my family had started our B.C. life in Steveston, and how we used to buy fish every Saturday morning by the docks. We had a tour of those docks, and topped off our experience there with a visit to the famous Dave's fish and chips restaurant.

From historic Steveston, we took them back through the city of Vancouver to a relatively modern import - a bubble tea cafe (Dragon Ball) where they enjoyed some of the latest taiwanese/HK imported mixed fruit drinks.

After we got our drinks, we zipped across town to "Little Italy" near Commercial and Broadway. One cannot truly appreciate the diversity of Vancouver until one has visited Commercial Drive and it's various shops including the famous Santa Barbara market.

We proceeded along Hastings Street through to Simon Fraser University where David was finally able to see his current employer's rival school. (David is currently a post-doctorate fellow and lecturer at UBC.) Much to the bemusement of us SFU alumnus, they actually enjoyed the Arthur Erickson architecture of SFU.

Next up was a breathtaking view of the city atop Burnaby Mountain (where I had proposed to Karen). We stopped here briefly before heading on a longer drive straight across the North Shore to Horseshoe Bay where we explored one of my favourite parks - Whytecliff Park.

It was here that I learned something new about Laura and her incredible climbing abilities even whilst wearing a pair of (stylish) sandals! (see David's commentary on his blog...)

We ended our day with a quick tour of the downtown eastside (hey, we got to show the good, bad and the ugly right?) and finally dinner at a Vancouver classic - the old Spaghetti Factory.

As evidenced in the picture above, Erich had loads of fun too. It was great getting to know our friends more, all the while showing off this great city to them.

Home Depot! (and Erich)

One of the things that continues to amaze me about being a new parent is the degree to which seemingly small and trivial events have great impact on your children. I had no idea, for instance, that my bringing Erich to Home Depot last month to surprise his mommy would stick with him for so long.

Ever since that day, "Home Depot" has been his favourite real and imaginary place to go. There was one time when we were at a playground. He sat me down in a chu-chu train and proceeded to "drive" the train. When I asked where we were going, he proclaimed proudly in a loud voice, "Home Depot!". Just then, a passing couple with their two-year old came strolling by. When the husband heard where Erich was planning to drive me, he gave me the strangest look!

Perhaps it doesn't help that I am in the middle of another home renovation project. (More on that in some future post...) Erich has been dutifully helping me measure walls with his very own measuring tape - and he's exact too! When asked how long the wall was, he replied as he stretched out his tape measure, "Ninety-four and an eighth!". That's just too funny.

He's been taking his newfound contractor skills to daycare too. He recently "discovered" a crack in one of the wooden support beams at daycare. He promptly asked one of the daycare workers whether he could "fix" it.

I know I've been praying that Erich would be a man after Jesus' heart... Well, I just didn't know he might take on his trade too! :-)

Congratulations on 25 years!

Mentors and friends, Danny and Claudia Tsang celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary lately. Their daughter, Queenie Tsang had organized a surprise party for them at the Howard Johnson in Vancouver. It is great to see them reach this milestone, and it is evident from the lives of Queenie and Kelvin that they are indeed leaving a great legacy.

May God continue to bless your marriage Danny and Claudia!

Another year, another birthday

Last Tuesday was my birthday. Those of you that remembered - thanks for the birthday greetings! It's always nice to feel special on your birthday. Rather uneventful this year... after all birthdays after 30 tend to be more inchpebbles rather than milestones. But it is kind of cool that this birthday is a power of two for the computer geek inside me. Hey, it's a pretty significant number according to this page.

Karen and I went out for dinner at the Watermark - and had a very enjoyable evening of appetizers and good company. (I highly recommend the prawn spring rolls.)

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

Our family has recently begun a new routine during church worship services. We have discovered that Erich really enjoys the singing and worship portion of the adult service, so we keep him in the sanctuary during that portion before bringing him to the nursery. We've found
that this really helps him get settled and it allows him to participate in the worship service as well.

Today, he decided that he would REALLY participate and promptly conducted himself in the way many adults would. Instead of sitting on mommy´s lap, Erich found a seat in the row in front of us. He sat, grabbed a church bulletin, and began to browse through the bulletin. Then, when Rodney, the worship leader, asked everyone to stand, he took a stand himself and enjoyed as people sang. When the music was done, he sat himself back into the seat, and looked again at his bulletin.

It was all very cute to watch. It also got me thinking - many of us when we first become Christians begin by emulating and imitating the outward actions of Christ (WWJD). It isn't until later that we discover and we internalize our faith from which our attitudes are changed.

My prayer for Erich is that his faith would become genuine and that the habits and disciplines that he may begin by simply imitating would become a genuine article, attitude changing part of his walk with Christ.

Opportunities for application

In our quest to deepen our relationship with Christ, our small group at the Bridge has been tackling the various disciplines in which we commune and meet with God. Specifically, we've been looking at worship through prayer, and edification through the studying of His Word. One of the tools we have been using is homiletics: the process of breaking down then rebuilding a passage of Scripture. One thing I admire about this tool is that it allows the reader, through exposition of the passage, to extract application.

Laura, a person in our small group found that this tool really helped her. She put it succinctly when she wrote to me in an email that homiletics:

• allows the reader to really meditate on a piece of Scripture, and
  
• it provides the believer with an opportunity for application.

The word "opportunity" really stuck with me. I have never really thought of it quite this way - but in fact, she has nailed the aim of homiletics on its head. When we meditate on a passage of Scripture, in addition to its historical and theological significance, we are really given an opportunity to apply the passage in our lives. That is the beauty of reading the Bible to see how God may want to speak into our lives vs. reading the Bible to justify the way we have lived our lives. What we do with that opportunity is up to us.

My opportunity for application

We have been looking at Colossians 1 through 3 the past few weeks, and I must say that the opportunity for application for me is to keep on the "clothes" (or attitudes) of Christ. I need to remember to draw from Christ's strength rather than my own and that in all things, to all people, it is opportunity to demonstrate Christ's compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12).

Planespotting in Vancouver

As a treat, Karen and I brought Erich to the Vancouver International Airport to do some plane spotting. When I told him we would see airplanes, he was excited! After searching some hobby sites, we whisked down to North Templeton Road on Sea Island right under the landing path of airplanes and watched as plane after plane came in for a landing.

Some were small ones and some were "really really big airplanes" (as Erich would say). I must say that it is quite incredible to only be a couple hundred feet below a passing 747. In case you didn't catch the full impact of this from the picture above, this is what it looked like from my camera!


We had a great time, and this is a great way to bond with the kids. As planes flew by, eventually we sat in the car, trunk open and ate our lunches. Who says entertainment has to be expensive? :-)

I scream, you scream, everybody scream for ICE CREAM!

Now if this isn't mom and son bonding time, I don't know what is! :-) After an afternoon out at the Stanley Park Train, we all decided to have some ice cream on the front porch. Erich particularly enjoyed his strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone as evident in this next picture...