s e l f r e f l e c t i o n

There are times when you reflect on what you have been able to accomplish during your life and you wonder if you made a difference. Now, I'm not 90 years old or anything but sometimes you just have to think that the world is bigger than yourself. You realize that more and more when you grow up - it is just the natural way people mature. And that is the way it should be. While we live in a materialistic society we sometimes have to remind ourselves of what makes us really happy. It's self absorbed but I always feel happiest when I do something for another person. It makes me think sometimes that I really need to get out of this corporate life and do something else that will get me back to a place where I can help others and yet still be able to make a solid living (am I dreaming?).

Anyway, one of my most rewarding trips ever was in September of 2009. I went with a group of other coworkers (not for work) to Africa for a part vacation, part volunteer trip. We first went to Zambia and visited their amazing Victoria Falls in Livingstone. I haven't seen too many wonders of the world yet but Victoria Falls definitely deserves its place in there. But the thing I noticed while commuting there was just how much of a disparity there is in Africa. Where we stayed, it was 5 star accommodations and we received customer service like you would not believe in North America. But we also saw loads of little huts, kids walking on the side of the road as they were coming home from school. The guide said that lots of these kids have to walk upwards of 30 kilometers each day to get to school and back. Some of them didn't have shoes to walk in... others didn't have much of a house to live in at all. It was very eye opening. It made me wonder what I could do to make a difference.

We ended up going to Accra, Ghana to visit and volunteer. Accra is the capital of the country and it is very heavily populated, full of congestion, and pollution. But it was also a place where people were happy, vibrant with personality and who just enjoyed life! The world there is different than it is in any first world country though. All the luxuries that we have in North America or in London where I am now are just that... luxuries. When I was in Ghana, we showered in cold water (whether in a shower room that flooded every single time we used it or with a bucket and pail) for over 2 weeks straight. The temperatures were torching every single day and there were open sewers all around. It was a different world but one that makes you really think that we should appreciate all the niceties that we are privy to. We wanted to come here to do some volunteering and we got a slight taste of that while we were there. Luckily, we were able to secure one volunteer opportunity at a child day care center. It was like a school that taught kids from the age of anywhere between 1 to 7. They were so full of personality and mischievous :)

They were like any of us going through elementary school: some were so bright and you could tell right away that they understood the material and could grasp it quickly... others just seem to be in their own world, day dreaming away or taking away others' attention haha. It was great to see. During their breaks we would play with them and take pictures of them and with them. They were so fascinated to see the camera it was funny. They would literally grab your camera though so I had more than one occasion where a finger print ended up on my Canon G10 at the time. Good thing I didn't bring my SLR haha. It was fun. We ended up donating some money for supplies to extend their roof (at the time, the roof did not provide enough cover and when it rained, the kids had no where to go to continue their schooling). So I went with some locals to buy the materials around town... got to ride on the wagon as we brought all the material back to the school and then we started to help out with the construction. The project was far too short but at least we got a chance to experience it. In the end, we ended up building that roof and it turned out well!

At the end of the day, I think I realized that people don't need to have all the materialistic things or the luxuries that we enjoy to be happy. People in Africa and in other places around the world make what they can of life and they enjoy it. We really stand to learn a thing or two from that kind of mentality. Sadly some people are too focused on the wrong things. Lots to learn on this trip and I am glad that I had a chance to see all of this. No documentary could have provided the impact that seeing Africa through your own eyes could. 

Nottingham - Sheffield - Manchester

The past week and a bit have been so busy with work. The hours haven't been all too bad but I wasn't getting home until at least 9-10pm each night so this weekend I was really looking forward to getting away! Not that we were going anywhere really far but we stayed within the UK and just went a few hours north. The first stop was Nottingham. It was about a 2 hour train ride but strangely enough, I really looked forward to the train ride haha. Something about being a passenger on a long road/train trip that is so relaxing. I listened to music, napped a bit and read my book. It was the perfect time out. Anyway! Nottingham is also known as the home of Robin Hood. We went to see the Nottingham Castle (it really wasn't that extravagant). But it was worth while going up and seeing it anyway.

We were only in Nottingham for maybe 5 hours? After that we hopped on the next train to Sheffield where my friend had a martial arts lesson. Originally I was expecting a small town that is mainly industrial but it turns out that it is far from that! It is a small town for sure but it is far more modern than I expected. The structures, the buildings, the feeling of the area... it seemed more like a North American city than anything I've seen in London haha. My friend made the point of comparing it to New Westminster in Vancouver. It kind of made sense... Anyway, funny story though... we got lost going to the hotel (we went to the wrong location) so we ended up walking twice the distance. When we finally got there, we made sure that they confirmed that we would get a cot as a second bed... well, you can probably sense how surprised I was when I walked into the room and saw a baby bed. I even volunteered to sleep in the cot before we had realized that it would be for a baby. Needless to say, I took that back right away. Not much to see in Sheffield though so I chilled out in the hotel room at night before getting some sleep while anticipating the train ride to Manchester the next day :D

Sunday was a day for Manchester. I was really looking forward to this because I was going to meet up with a flickr friend, Bhawi! It's always a lot of fun meeting up with fellow flickr-ites and it was great meeting up with her. The rain came pouring down in the morning when we arrived but we some good fun in a nice restaurant for lunch. The food was fantastic (I had the Beef and ale pie with chips mmmm..). After that, we walked around the city with the guidance of Bhawi and visited the Manchester Cathedral before going to the home of the Manchester United football team! We took the tour and it was well worth it. It was sweet seeing the inside of the famous Old Trafford Stadium and sitting in the stands. Even though there was no game going on, you could tell that the atmosphere would be electric during any game night. Thanks again Bhawi, it was a blast seeing you and the city :D I could tell that Manchester is more my kind of city by the way haha (less congestion and busy feel to the city compared to London).

Needless to say, I cannot wait to go and do some more traveling. This was just a taste of it this weekend. I know what I want to do here in Europe. Listening to the song, "Driving in the sun" already has me anticipating it.

d a y i n t h e m a r k e t

Those of you who know me, know that I am a huge foodie. I may not be the most knowledgeable about all things food but I am always up for going out to eat, drink, etc. Nothing is a better past time for me than to eat... well that may be an exaggeration but it is certainly up there with the best of things!

The sun came out for a period of time today so I decided to make the most of it take a walk to Borough Market. It's a market that is basically for foods of all kinds. I really wanted to come by here the first time I arrived in London for vacation in 2009 but just didn't have the time. But am I glad that I got a chance to go this time...

Borough Market is FILLED with tourists and it is jam packed but the variety of foods and the smells... It is a feast for all your senses, believe me. All kinds of meats were available for sale from your prosciutto, different types of salami, to venison, to ostrict, to... basically anything you could think of. I had to really pick and choose which things I wanted to try. Definitely have to come here really hungry or famished in order to really appreciate it :)








Did I mention that I had the best Chicken burger ever? It was amazing and I'm not sure what herbs and spices that they put in this thing because it was just an explosion of flavor, but wow!




There was also this enormous lineup outside this place called, Monmouth. Since there is a huge lineup, it must be worthwhile seeing right? So I lined up and ordered a cup of coffee. It was easily the best I've had since I came to London. Up there with the best in Vancouver too but what is up with the one size only thing?




Overall, Borough Market is well worth visiting. I will definitely be back here. The only draw back is the crowds but in the quest for good food, that is a worthwhile sacrifice. It reminded me of Granville Island, only 5 times bigger and with better food!

d a y o f f i n l o n d o n

First of week down. Only 2 more months of the busy season to go! It's been hectic but I am gradually getting more used to it. The client's that I work with back at home are so, so much smaller than those that I am already working on here. London really is a capital in the business world.

The mornings here are interesting. I used to love the tube (I've always thought that it was such a simplistic yet genius system) but then I experienced rush hour. Every morning, waiting as 5 trains go by before I can find one with even a sliver of breathing room is interesting - and a good test of your patience :) Oh... and did I mention that I love the excuse, "signal failure" for the reason that the Jubilee line was down for several hours on Friday morning? hehe. In one week, I've taken the bus, the tube, the overground train, and the DLR.

Oh and another thing, people in the morning in London are so... alike. It's like the march of bankers and accountants as I make my way to work. Everyone is in their suits, overcoats, shirts and ties. I've also never seen so many people reading their newspapers than here.

Anyway, no pictures from the bars and pubs that I went to this week but I did get a chance to take out my camera today as I went to Saint Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Too bad they didn't let you take any photos in doors... the architecture was absolutely amazing... It's incredible how people in that day and age can create a work of art like that... in that scale... This is what I love about Europe... So much history and culture here. These are some pictures from today. 














Oh and below is a picture of my neighborhood. Typical London outside of Notting Hill and Chelsea? :)

Frigid photowalk

Today was not so much an early start as I stayed in my apartment watching a movie until about lunch time. Oh... I will miss that when I start work next week! After that, I went back out to Covent Garden where I picked up my cell phone which I had left at a shop to be unlocked. Thankfully, they were able to at least unlock my Iphone 3G (I finally have a working cell phone! :D) since my Iphone 4 can't be unlocked yet... Something about firmware 4.1 not being unlockable to date. 

The rest of the day was spent with a group of photographers from flickr. Met up with a bunch of guys from flickr (Aris, Nana, Sam, and Stan) and walked around Old Street/Brick Lane area. There were more than the 4 of us too so it was actually a pretty big group. All in all, it was a blast despite the frigid temperatures that we were walking around in. None of us were quite prepared to be spending hours out in "what feels like" -6 degrees centigrade. We had all frozen solid by about 9pm (me and Aris started at 12:30). Of course, we supplemented our time with lunch, dinner, and several beer/drink breaks. Good times! Though... I hope the next photowalk takes place when temperatures get a little warmer... or we walk during the day haha. 

Tonight I go and meet up with a potential flatmate. Hope all goes well, if it does, I move in this weekend. You know... I had trouble sleeping again tonight but I read an article about questions that I should be asking myself. It made me realize that worrying is nothing but self destructive. Instead, I should be thankful for what I have and what I have around me. If it really is something that is important, then do something about it rather than sit around. Sitting around and worrying is the equivalent of not doing anything and that's not what I will waste my time doing.

Sleepless nights...

So, it is currently 5:30am and I have slept maybe 1 hour tonight... I just can't fall asleep. Too much thinking maybe. My mind is on overdrive. The move, the flat that hasn't been found, everything else. It has just kept me up all night.

Anyway. I went around to a few properties yesterday to take a look. I think we took a look at about 8-10 properties in total, of which maybe 3 were worth while. The other ones were too old and kind of dingy to consider. Maybe it's because I come from North America. I almost feel snobby because I am so used to modern and new. It's hard to come by a flat like that here unless I wanted to move to Chelsea or Angel and pay a fortune. I mainly took a look through the Clapham Junction and Common areas today. There was this one flat that was amazingly modern and well done up but it is expensive at over 330 pounds per week! This is for a single bedroom mind you... My real estate agent suggested that I do a flatshare. I am just so iffy about that though. I am very, very picky about who I live with and unless you are a close friend, it probably doesn't work out long term but she did insist that if I were to consider that, for my budget, I could consider a very nice flat in Chelsea. We'll see I guess!

Arrival in London

The anticipated flight to London happened last night and I landed at 1:30pm local time. The flight was relatively pleasant... it would have been a lot harder had I had no one to speak to. But in this case, since I got to the airport and went past security, I sat next to two nice people and we just chatted about her experiences. She was going to connect in Heathrow and then fly out to India for a month long excursion. We spoke about that and how she loved the time when she lived in the UK (she now lives in Vancouver). She kept telling me about how I would love it in London and may not end up coming back. I guess the most encouraging thing she said was how fast this whole experience would just fly by. It's not that I want it to fly by quickly, but the alternative of having this experience be slow and agonizing would have been much worse.

I was picked up at the airport by the driver of the company that my company hired after I got my baggage. It was the first time I'd been picked up at the airport by someone with a sign with my name on it. Though, as you would have guessed, the name was spelled "Kelvin Ng". Go figure.

The car that he picked me up in was kind of fancy. It was a Mercedes van... apparently the rest of their fleet are brand new BMW 3 series cars. It was roomy and covered in nice supple leather haha. Not too bad car to be picked up in :) The drive took roughly an hour in the city traffic and I felt like passing out. But not before the driver chimed in on what he thought about politics, food, etc.

Driver "I think that sushi just isn't meant for this population in London"

Me "Oh? Why is that?"

Driver "Well, the Japanese probably eat all these herbs and have a diet that lets them break down the fish better"

Me "..."

Driver "I'd rather have chinese food (all you can eat)"

Me "..."

When I got back to the apartment, I just put everything down and started to look through my luggages and flipped open the laptop. I've been here since... Oh... and when I looked in the kitchen, I found a gift box from the company. It contained some of the following: two cans of coke, a bottle of water, pringles, a chocolate bar, orange juice and cereal. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.

Tomorrow is another big day... going apartment hunting tomorrow. Hopefully I find a place that doesn't break the bank!

Appreciation

As the old adage goes, you don't know what you have until it is gone. Sometimes it is easy to lose your appreciation for the good things in life. Like it or not, we are all (in some way) "what have you done for me lately kind of people". But there are also people or simple things that you can appreciate at all times.

I spent the New Years weekend in Whistler. One thing I learned as I took the picture above is that you can never really fall out of appreciation for the fact that I live in such a beautiful place. While London is on the horizon, I know that I will always call Vancouver home. Not only for the beautiful landscape but for the company I was with. There is no person I would have rather been with at this time.

We all try to live in the present and it is easy to forget to appreciate what we have. Too often we don't appreciate the things we love and care about until it is gone or is about to go. I won't be making that mistake - there are just too many reasons to not take her presence for granted.