tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13418878882759280212024-02-06T19:27:52.112-08:00justinhjJustin's interests include cooking, reading, Buddhism, piano, physics, video games, computer programming, Asian cultureJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-8371965818919148492014-08-26T21:38:00.002-07:002014-08-26T21:43:52.473-07:00The Wind Rises (2013)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst on vacation I spent some time in the evenings watching Studio Ghibli's "The Wind Rises". This is a fictional biography of Jiro Horikoshi, creator of the "Zero" fighter which Japan used during WWII.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story follows Jiro from his childhood, where his dreams of being a pilot are dashed by poor eyesight. After reading an aviation magazine he dreams of meeting a famous Italian aircraft design, Caprioni. In later dreams Caprioni tells him that building planes is better than flying them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After an earthquake meets a girl called <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Nahoko and helps her and her maid to safety. Later on they meet again and a relationship blossoms.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcpUBvmBDvQCATQgr1hUc0BL57BL2JgBNjCeCFRVlJBYS3KeVbl0lOjS918J_DIL4TcmgfsAT15ub_WhivDFeh6rbYL5bhl6z5AbWMp6CJV-Coyn16GjX7EypV1J9Df7an6rnwnZ5iTc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-25+at+8.47.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcpUBvmBDvQCATQgr1hUc0BL57BL2JgBNjCeCFRVlJBYS3KeVbl0lOjS918J_DIL4TcmgfsAT15ub_WhivDFeh6rbYL5bhl6z5AbWMp6CJV-Coyn16GjX7EypV1J9Df7an6rnwnZ5iTc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-25+at+8.47.53+PM.png" height="216" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Between his relationship with Nahoko, the work designing planes and the tense political atmosphere of wartime Japan, a lot happens to Jiro. That said, </span></span></span><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22px;">the story moves slowly, and I found my attention drifting away, hence watching this over a few evenings instead of all at once. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">The animation and artwork are amongst the best of the Ghibli movies, most notably the dream sequences with Caprioni and a scene where Jiro and Nahoko play with a paper plane. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">I really enjoyed the sound effects made by the planes as their propellors hum. They have an almost human quality to them.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22px;">The Wind Rises caused some controversy in South Korea and China, as it could be considered to be glorifying war and Japan's military. I didn't get that impression. The story is really about Jiro's dedication to building a beautiful airplane, whilst balancing taking care of Nahoko and his own ethical concerns about making a killing machine.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdawY3TNuKwmGJr7Epxs6sQLbYUZyg1rpVLsSREf37rX7Y-e8-Y9UnHVgHwECrJs4dP6YYnSUAJ4oZZCOpVeQqE3SEyWo1EbOOWsAwx7D2xJHg6FiEwuST0BsmLUJ7AJVbneVZj4STtTE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-25+at+8.48.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdawY3TNuKwmGJr7Epxs6sQLbYUZyg1rpVLsSREf37rX7Y-e8-Y9UnHVgHwECrJs4dP6YYnSUAJ4oZZCOpVeQqE3SEyWo1EbOOWsAwx7D2xJHg6FiEwuST0BsmLUJ7AJVbneVZj4STtTE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-25+at+8.48.05+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">The Wind Rises is certainly watchable and enjoyable, though not as fast paced and action packed as many of the other films and, happily, not as sad as the other film Grave of the Fireflies.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">Check out my other Studio Ghibli reviews:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://justinhj.blogspot.ca/search?q=ghibli">http://justinhj.blogspot.ca/search?q=ghibli</a><br />
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<br />Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-28595629708087672132013-02-11T20:25:00.003-08:002013-02-11T20:28:08.589-08:00Chicken and sweet potato stew<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">This is based on a recipe from crock-pot.ca but which has been moved (or removed). I've made some tweaks. Mostly I've doubled the amount of spices as the dish was way to subtle for my tastes, and halved the amount of white potato since even with an 8 hour cooking time they still were not very soft with the original recipe. A great dish for cold winter nights.</span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">Ingredients:</b><br />
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2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into large cubes</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">
1 28-oz can whole stewed tomatoes</div>
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2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed</div>
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1 tbsp salt</div>
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2 tbsp black pepper</div>
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1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</div>
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1/2 tsp ground nutmeg</div>
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1 tbsp paprika</div>
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1/2 tbsp celery seed</div>
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1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 4 tbsp minced basil from a tube)</div>
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1 cup nonfat, low sodium chicken broth</div>
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<b>Directions:</b></div>
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Layer the ingredients in the crockpot, starting with the white potato, the sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and finally the chicken. </div>
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Combine the spices and seasoning with the chicken broth and pour over evenly. <br />
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Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours.</div>
Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-2482055629495887582012-11-13T23:23:00.002-08:002012-11-13T23:23:45.400-08:00Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes<br />
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"If we look straight and deep into a chimpanzee's eyes, and intelligent, self-assured personality looks back at us."<br />
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The author, Frans de Waal, is a primatologist who for several years studied a colony of chimps in Arnhem zoo. Although studying them out of the wild like this is not an entirely natural setting, the zoo visitors are kept well back, and the chimps have been found to act very much like they do in the wild in most respects. In addition the setting allows them to be watched close up without danger.<br />
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We get introduced to the key players in the chimps community and feel like we are getting to know real individuals. Then the author covers their behaviour in detail. Factual but never boring or superficial.<br />
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<b>Intelligence</b><br />
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Chimps behave with surprising intelligence. In the book they make several elaborate escape attempts, some successful, that require planning and co-operation.<br />
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In other chapter an ape demonstrates that lying does not require human language. Using body language alone a chimp is described acting like he does not know where some food is hidden when with the group, but later alone he runs straight for it.<br />
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Also discussed is the social intelligence hypothesis. That intelligence evolved in order to deal with increasingly complex group life of the apes. The technical inventiveness that chimps have in limited degree and humans have, is a secondary development to the need to outsmart others, detect deceptive tactics and so on. Is it therefore reasonable to suppose that humans had centralized social organization before they had material possessions with which to display their wealth and power?<br />
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<b>Leadership</b><br />
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Even in the zoo colony the chimps occupied themselves with leadership battles. Chimps want to lead their colonies as the leader gets his pick of females to mate with, and is able to keep his children safe. However in order to become the leader in the first place there is months of not just physical intimidation, but political gesturing and favour giving to win support of the females and other apes in the group.<br />
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The author mentions the French phrase "Noblesse Oblige", which means that with wealth power and prestige come responsibilities. In order to keep their position at the top of the hierarchy, chimp leaders will need to help weaker chimps in disputes, keep the peace, act for justice and share the females in the group.<br />
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The way the chimps behave in the colony is really not very far removed from the way managers and executives behave in a large company in some respects!<br />
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<b>Avoid the epilogue</b><br />
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Originally the book was published in 1982. I picked up a revised edition 1998 with an additional introduction and epilogue, and some edits to reflect updated theories. I recommend skipping the epilogue if you want a happy ending, because you grow attached to the individual apes and there is bad news for a couple of them that was only added in the 1998 printing once the author had time to come to terms with what happened.<br />
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In all I think it's a fascinating book, and anyone interested in where we came from should check it out. In addition it seems to be recommended reading for senators and business leaders. Hopefully my boss will not read this and groom me at work before attacking one of the other managers.<br />
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Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-11426942086214619832012-11-08T14:40:00.001-08:002012-11-08T14:40:50.440-08:00Chicken and vegetable slow cooker dish<br />
This is very easy.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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1/2 lb small potatoes<br />
4 carrots<br />
2 leeks<br />
1 medium onion<br />
2 lean chicken breasts<br />
1 can of chicken condensed soup<br />
1/2 cup of water<br />
1/2 cup of milk<br />
2-4 tsp Paprika<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Cut the vegetables into 1/2 cm thick slices, except the onions which can be finely chopped.<br />
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Layer from the potatoes upwards (working down the ingredients list) in the slow cooker<br />
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Wash the chicken breasts, dry and cut into 2-3 cm cubes and layer on the top<br />
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Mix the soup with the water and milk until homogeneous and stir in the paprika<br />
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Pour the soup over the chicken and vegetables<br />
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Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours<br />
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Healthier options:<br />
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Ditch the can of soup and use chicken broth. Use skimmed milk.<br />
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Unhealthier options:<br />
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Use cream instead of milk. Cross the street without looking.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-9892976746891101082012-08-08T13:04:00.001-07:002012-08-08T13:05:22.254-07:00Review: A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.769730290863663" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This story follows the lives of a handful of people whose paths cross and are connected in various ways. Joinson's tale skips between modern day England and 1920's Northern China, and both the characters and the world they live in are brought to convincing life.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frieda, in modern day London, is a young woman whose life is in some disarray; both her career and relationships. She finds Tayeb, a filmmaker forced to flee his native Yemen, sleeping outside her apartment. Inviting him in they become friends and he begins to help her with emptying the apartment of a old lady who has died, and although Frieda does not know who it is, has been identified as the next of kin.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Kashgar, a trio of lady Missionaries venture into Kashgar in remote China where they become involved with the death of a woman giving birth. Eva, our narrator for these chapters, must help take care of the baby whilst the women are held in house arrest awaiting trial for the murder. Their mission is lead by Millicent, a blinkered authoritative woman, and also with them is her sister Lizzie who is dizzy and somewhat intoxicated by Millicent. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each of Eva's chapters begin with a quote from 'The Lady Cyclists guide', a book which Eva has brought along on the journey along with her bicycle. These quotes have an old school charm of their own and the anonymous author becomes another character of the book.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What I enjoyed most about this book were the many little details and observations that bring the world to life. Similarly the characters all have unique voices and their motivations in life are easy to understand and empathise with. Tayeb's chapters, for example, capture a believable portrait of what England must be like to an exile without papers; always moving, always at risk of being discovered and sent home.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story moves at a moderate pace and everything is tied up nicely at the end. In summary a richly interesting and enjoyable tale that has been finely crafted.</span></b>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-62863373993755263462012-08-02T12:03:00.001-07:002012-08-02T12:11:30.916-07:00Road trip 2012In 2010 we went on a family road trip through the Rocky Mountains to Edmonton from Vancouver. Having enjoyed it so much we did it again this year. In case you're planning a similar trip here's some info on the driving times and hotels for our route, which went Eastwards to Calgary via Banff, then up to Edmonton, and finally back through Valemount.<br />
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Day 1: Drive to Golden from Vancouver. Approx 8 hours driving.<br />
Stopped at Kamloops for lunch<br />
Stayed at the Travelodge Golden, which is a bit old and dirty. Not recommended<br />
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Day 2: Drive to Calgary. Approx 4 hours driving.<br />
We had time to stop at Lake Louise in the morning and spent the afternoon in Banff<br />
Stayed at the Thrift Lodge Calgary University. Quite old. Very cold outdoor swimming pool. Not recommended.<br />
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Day 3, 4, 5: Drove to Edmonton stopping at Drumheller. Approx 6 hours driving<br />
Stopped at the dinosaur museum and had lunch there<br />
Stayed at Days Inn West Edmonton for three nights. Very nice hotel, highly recommended.<br />
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Day 6: Drive to Valemount, BC. Approx 7 hours driving<br />
Stopped several times on the way, not much to see. Did not buy a park pass, although you could do so and stop in Jasper.<br />
Stayed at Chalet Continental Hotel. Old but clean and good service. Pool, play area and spa.<br />
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Day 7: Return to Vancouver. Approx 8 hours.<br />
Stopped in Kamloops on the way back.<br />
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You can view all the albums from this post here:<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114273475760942493764">https://picasaweb.google.com/114273475760942493764</a>
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<br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-86677933924052778492012-05-25T11:47:00.002-07:002012-05-25T12:15:45.188-07:00Book wish listI'm currently making my sluggish way through the fifth (of seven planned) Game of Thrones "Dances with Dragons" and I've also started "Dickens" by Peter Ackroyd which is perhaps the biggest book in the world (1200 pages and weighs nearly 4lbs. Once I have read it I will probably use it as furniture). So although I went to Chapters yesterday and found a bunch more books I want to read, for now they are just on my wish list.<br />
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I loved Oliver Sacks's "Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" in which he talks about some of the patients he had as a neurologist. I can't say I've ever done that, but I've certainly done things almost as daft and I'm not even officially mentally ill. Anyway, I loved his writing style, and in this book Sacks heads off to Mexico to write about Ferns. Not that I am at all interested in Ferns but from the book jacket it sounds full of interesting anecdotes.</div>
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Not on the shelf for another week. "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Cyclists-Guide-Kashgar-Novel/dp/1608198111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337970876&sr=1-1">A Lady Cyclists Guide to Kashgar</a>" is the first book from Suzanne Joinson (disclaimer she is a cousin) and it's published by Bloomsbury. I love the cover and the idea and can't wait to check it out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOM6wWvnGpePP_daThliRen-aaW1GmDmoNqDpgg-iIvteCo4qC2gmlGFNWsT1AfYWJB3cPO3rIzzI8aFSOn5Jpih8NXbRNtTc8HDx5sX8ME2ism33I9h8LWvM2tZKQ_IHzo0x_ScyT14/s1600/2012-05-24+12.16.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOM6wWvnGpePP_daThliRen-aaW1GmDmoNqDpgg-iIvteCo4qC2gmlGFNWsT1AfYWJB3cPO3rIzzI8aFSOn5Jpih8NXbRNtTc8HDx5sX8ME2ism33I9h8LWvM2tZKQ_IHzo0x_ScyT14/s320/2012-05-24+12.16.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A staff pick at Chapters... Mr G tells the story of creation as told by God. “As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe.”. Sounds awesome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuu-ZJ9LAsOW86kjXOZiLrKife_GVoskeXYYIysnM3Rmy-qGUQTie3Vytkcn0Y_WgPZicAYvVl-YaiR4UimIiFZSAk4faKMUYYAjIwEhq6uF7-Rzzm962HsBoa8NEwPTbColTNb8Ut2qk/s1600/2012-05-24+12.19.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuu-ZJ9LAsOW86kjXOZiLrKife_GVoskeXYYIysnM3Rmy-qGUQTie3Vytkcn0Y_WgPZicAYvVl-YaiR4UimIiFZSAk4faKMUYYAjIwEhq6uF7-Rzzm962HsBoa8NEwPTbColTNb8Ut2qk/s320/2012-05-24+12.19.25.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I read most of Neal Stephenson's books but he lost me a bit with his Baroque Cycle. While it has some good characters and lots of historical information, it got too long for me to follow. Maybe when I retire I will revisit these on a chair overlooking a lake, occasionally calling a nurse to come and turn the page for me.</span></div>
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This is a neat book... I need to learn some CSS3 right now, and this is a nice thick book filled with screen shots of what the code does. Also seems to be quite detailed unlike a lot of the 'quick' guides to things.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qpiEtohQrCro4hzxz42r48teJHd4KEQrlsZRmIgiFcDcScKcJMMKq5rRWIyKhCvyHTIO6W0ahHJ5HEaN2sAr9x9mEtXghOohJF-J4Ot-5F-cX2IQbl7AwaBqIYNFovbPoqo81uKofhs/s1600/2012-05-24+12.26.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qpiEtohQrCro4hzxz42r48teJHd4KEQrlsZRmIgiFcDcScKcJMMKq5rRWIyKhCvyHTIO6W0ahHJ5HEaN2sAr9x9mEtXghOohJF-J4Ot-5F-cX2IQbl7AwaBqIYNFovbPoqo81uKofhs/s320/2012-05-24+12.26.47.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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That's all folks.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-77344289456880203272012-02-19T19:25:00.000-08:002012-02-19T19:40:03.246-08:00The Secret World of Arrietty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LrcRt9cf2jJJITBcFmxHcF8yvl2kUGIgl6kd6OjfTUq4eIx3dDx7cRwOByxfgj22uG7BK1iM-O4KjIViaZsSh-LMJovhSjp3wj3IZvCL1UZqbUokQPtUPiGEUJ4fiJ2u_Q5YlxlDz8E/s1600/title.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LrcRt9cf2jJJITBcFmxHcF8yvl2kUGIgl6kd6OjfTUq4eIx3dDx7cRwOByxfgj22uG7BK1iM-O4KjIViaZsSh-LMJovhSjp3wj3IZvCL1UZqbUokQPtUPiGEUJ4fiJ2u_Q5YlxlDz8E/s320/title.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711057023214982482" /></a><br /><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">This is the 9th review I'll have written about a Studio Ghibli movie, but the first that I have seen in the theatre. We went along for to see the North American release of the 2009 movie, which has been dubbed in French and (British) English already. As a kid I really enjoyed the Borrowers books by Mary Norton, but I can't say any of the movies and tv shows based on the works impressed me much. So it was pleased to hear that Studio Ghibli were making the movie, and in fact the founders of the studio have been thinking about doing so for 40 years!</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Borrowers, if you do not know, are 10cm tall people that live hidden in our houses, and get along by 'borrowing' things that we won't miss. Borrowers must never be seen, as once curious humans are dangerous, so once spotted they must uproot and move to a new home immediately. This movie takes the Borrowers story and relocates it in Japan, telling it the style of the many Ghibli movies before it.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2GklBYJq3v_2-Zmi6vH9am82QoOiJBGDRxpOlZFFwqI7DEHTEcl_T4QAMafPmfqz0Q-uV5xHWkPrAXYHsi0Gtt-kK5pucPI6-qj4hKt53jR1GduwAqSFamTNJkd3b1JQJVXNgf9PHhg/s1600/glimpse.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2GklBYJq3v_2-Zmi6vH9am82QoOiJBGDRxpOlZFFwqI7DEHTEcl_T4QAMafPmfqz0Q-uV5xHWkPrAXYHsi0Gtt-kK5pucPI6-qj4hKt53jR1GduwAqSFamTNJkd3b1JQJVXNgf9PHhg/s320/glimpse.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711057030186761506" style="cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 165px; " /></a></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The story begins when a young boy, Shō, is driven to the house in Tokyo his mother grew up in, to stay with his Great Aunt. While his Aunt goes into the house alone, he investigates the garden where a large (fat) cat is investigating a bush. The cat takes off and Shō catches a glimpse of our hero Arrietty as she slides down the stem of a flower and out of sight. Later that night we join Arrietty in the Borrowers home, as she prepares with her Father for her first dangerous journey up into the house to acquire sugar and tissue paper. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DsKFWb-CnUIWL_UduapbEDlfx3ovJibZRBBZFPKmMON5pMVsuWB4gM1I_NYVrLvoZYjNgK52VdGYsi_K13_jRlZhGNcsy194xmeqrbHqLPqIfZaS9S6n_fjDv1YupDTyKL_GiRqa2wA/s1600/withfather.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DsKFWb-CnUIWL_UduapbEDlfx3ovJibZRBBZFPKmMON5pMVsuWB4gM1I_NYVrLvoZYjNgK52VdGYsi_K13_jRlZhGNcsy194xmeqrbHqLPqIfZaS9S6n_fjDv1YupDTyKL_GiRqa2wA/s320/withfather.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711057020503712386" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 174px; " /></a></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><div>As with all Ghibli movies, the heroes are the children. The adults may be busy, sick, turned into pigs or just not give a damn, whilst the kids are independent, fearless and trying to grow up. In this movie the father is a strong yet silent type who obviously runs a tight ship with his family but is not afraid to let Arrietty grow up and take on dangerous work. The mother is more of a worrier, very comfortable in her little Borrower home and not wanting anything to change that. Of course Arrietty soon gets into adventure, or misadventure, with her parents nowhere to be seen.</div></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEV9rANsfQytp223F9jCD7TU4znS9tvKIj7f7abzPP2dyByesoxRgA6BY3vdqNqGLFYWImVTKQ6w2ZTchvxjE5ZZPwtmlD46zFoBSW0HA__uUGIdYWfgEQWrqiO0Lk7XyDQf3eYO-BplE/s1600/bedroom.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEV9rANsfQytp223F9jCD7TU4znS9tvKIj7f7abzPP2dyByesoxRgA6BY3vdqNqGLFYWImVTKQ6w2ZTchvxjE5ZZPwtmlD46zFoBSW0HA__uUGIdYWfgEQWrqiO0Lk7XyDQf3eYO-BplE/s320/bedroom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711057024784677602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 178px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span >Having seen a lot of animated movies aimed at kids recently, it was refreshing to watch one where the pace of the story was slow and thoughtful. Rather than being 90 minutes of action and drama, there is time for tension to build as the characters face increasing danger. There is time to watch amazingly animated beetles, centipedes and ants interact playfully with Arrietty, and for the sour faced fat house cat to play with Shō as he lies on the grass.That said there is plenty of action too, and the movie is never dull. It should appeal to most age groups.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The audio is notable, in that the sounds of everyday objects have been amplified and deepened in pitch so they become alien and scary when heard as if through the ears of the tiny people. I thought the soundtrack sounded like it was influenced by Irish or Spanish folk music, and really suits movie, but in fact was created by French musician Cécile Corbel. From Wikipedia:</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Corbel also performed the film's theme song, "Arrietty's Song", in Japanese, English, French, German and Italian. Corbel became known to Ghibli filmmakers when she sent them a fan letter showing her appreciation of their films, together with a copy of her own album."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >There's no need for me to say that the animation and backgrounds are gorgeous, but it's certainly amongst the top three Ghibli movies. In particular the animation of the creatures in the movies is both lifelike and at the same time they have a lot of personality. The Borrowers house is as richly detailed as the real house upstairs.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7jRZtCiIDdA6EpJtkJaPVgHlNod_BDk0kTGaQFEbn7KNfz0qyxQO5aW8ka9osInjr9GuZqCcRb7mUqt12wcAh6KPU5v5xExVH_DobmcbVnAyGj1lWk0F3CtCBOoIZ758dDFAyOz3G7U/s1600/garden.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7jRZtCiIDdA6EpJtkJaPVgHlNod_BDk0kTGaQFEbn7KNfz0qyxQO5aW8ka9osInjr9GuZqCcRb7mUqt12wcAh6KPU5v5xExVH_DobmcbVnAyGj1lWk0F3CtCBOoIZ758dDFAyOz3G7U/s320/garden.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711057036867681810" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Much as I love all the Ghibli movies, this is now among my favourites. Arrietty is a strong, attractive and likable character, whilst Shō is a tender and pleasant one. The movie explores some serious themes without getting too morose or serious, and gets nostalgic without being sentimental.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-11480983034762889782012-02-06T20:20:00.005-08:002012-02-06T20:39:07.323-08:00Ocean Waves<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">A while ago I set myself a goal to watch and review all of the Studio </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">Ghibli</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "> movies, since I enjoy them a lot, and I wanted a way to remember what each one was about. (I am losing my marbles you see.) Here's my eighth one.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOtUUfw1shyphenhyphen1AhCo406EzXQI3kiWxa8h8bkEVbK-KGvK_shI1ZzSPFHfhOJkLFjpdl4_vaAVZuNJTtXLKTlrIzyhZXhWoGuPXcYwxPAlLW7-pLbZN44_yoPW9YSuS-G_LLOPoDqgSQ5k/s1600/titletrainstation.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOtUUfw1shyphenhyphen1AhCo406EzXQI3kiWxa8h8bkEVbK-KGvK_shI1ZzSPFHfhOJkLFjpdl4_vaAVZuNJTtXLKTlrIzyhZXhWoGuPXcYwxPAlLW7-pLbZN44_yoPW9YSuS-G_LLOPoDqgSQ5k/s320/titletrainstation.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706245241060803026" /></a><div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Ocean Waves was made for Japanese television, directed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Anime</span> producer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Tomomi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Mochizuki</span>, his only <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ghibli</span> title. Despite being made for TV it ran over budget and over time (when does anything good not?).</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Set in a rural city of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kōchi</span> on the Japanese island Shikoku, it's a high school "love story" of sorts. The main characters are friends <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Taku</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Morisaki</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Yutaka</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Matsuno</span>. Strong willed they make a stand alone against the school authorities when a school trip is cancelled due to poor academic performance. (The kids instead get to go to Hawaii, my heart bleeds!) Japanese school children being much more deferential to authority and elders, their behaviour is quite something to the other kids. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Taku</span> in particular seems an independent and strong willed fellow. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyfmpULbawhT5-9w7AegN2uXz_CZ9dn2YxVmVCgByXI80XyVbVJCO-kOySqKNo_QyM3MLh2giDAb776OytyElxZxBkJ61UFPywJKTaUlN6MnP-hsp-SaRrVZMV5tsOfSCjHrW2IewJRQ/s1600/hotel.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyfmpULbawhT5-9w7AegN2uXz_CZ9dn2YxVmVCgByXI80XyVbVJCO-kOySqKNo_QyM3MLh2giDAb776OytyElxZxBkJ61UFPywJKTaUlN6MnP-hsp-SaRrVZMV5tsOfSCjHrW2IewJRQ/s320/hotel.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706247056453347858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px; " /></a></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Meanwhile, following a marital break up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Rikako</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Muto</span> must attend the high school in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Kochi</span> having previously lived in Tokyo. She quickly moves up the schools academic league table, and feeling more sophisticated than the other students in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Kochi</span> she doesn't make friends. Instead she is defiant and doesn't take part in school activities. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuTfeHonCZ016WQ2U41t7h8Nx6xYkaujIRSDmqqFcqn39bO96_HUBiVLFZGRlQFO-IqcCoZ9YJ9d5-icG5TKfDnSakZeiKT_drel5EBbpRy1Sps6GcvJwlMVArIRvTUY68WiH5pI21VQ/s1600/hotelroom.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuTfeHonCZ016WQ2U41t7h8Nx6xYkaujIRSDmqqFcqn39bO96_HUBiVLFZGRlQFO-IqcCoZ9YJ9d5-icG5TKfDnSakZeiKT_drel5EBbpRy1Sps6GcvJwlMVArIRvTUY68WiH5pI21VQ/s320/hotelroom.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706245515681381714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px; " /></a></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Needless to say the boys are attracted to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Rikako</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Yutaka</span> expresses this openly to his friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Taku</span>. As the story unfolds <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Taku</span> connects with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Rikako</span>. Initially they mock each other, but Taku helps Rikako and she quickly decides that she can both trust him and exploit him to enact her plan to visit her father in Tokyo.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEPJvuReDOtU9pV8RaVfJPQ4d8tcvJ_eOdCnc9LJLKVPOqHFpqkmZHQTg6xdKErB0zxl_PN98vL49PfbRSnRooGLzwYICf9DCRRlQ4Wo-FkEtWWwEW24-3knNcOOEJGrHe78JC9P3WE8/s1600/tokyo.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEPJvuReDOtU9pV8RaVfJPQ4d8tcvJ_eOdCnc9LJLKVPOqHFpqkmZHQTg6xdKErB0zxl_PN98vL49PfbRSnRooGLzwYICf9DCRRlQ4Wo-FkEtWWwEW24-3knNcOOEJGrHe78JC9P3WE8/s320/tokyo.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706245510894309666" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span >Taku has to do all the work in this story, both to maintain his friendship with Yutaka and Rikako, but he never seems to be bummed by it, and his personality is refreshingly strong and positive.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONKRQfM0sFp35lUQtlp4RZ9j3nj6x6v8m525OtgFDRY8HM4ajmZVsv7ATP3J_FxUUbrB2gfd3GDMR9iflWste_gx3yaEgZ2X2RH_B0w0IUVBBMD1WhJbg99BL_m2hO1p1RMXBQ6tE_2E/s1600/observe.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONKRQfM0sFp35lUQtlp4RZ9j3nj6x6v8m525OtgFDRY8HM4ajmZVsv7ATP3J_FxUUbrB2gfd3GDMR9iflWste_gx3yaEgZ2X2RH_B0w0IUVBBMD1WhJbg99BL_m2hO1p1RMXBQ6tE_2E/s320/observe.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706245527314874914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px; " /></a></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">This movie won't appeal to kids as the story line is too mature to be interesting (not that there is anything inappropriate though). I really enjoyed it however, it's typical </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">Ghibli</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">. Beautifully drawn and animated in the usual style. The characters and the world itself feel fully real.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-42099955083444926742011-10-25T22:31:00.000-07:002011-10-25T22:31:51.689-07:00Occupy Vancouver<div>Took some shots at the Occupy Vancouver protest taking place at the Art Gallery on Monday. Nothing particularly exciting going on. There are more people smoking dope there on a normal day. In fact it was remarkable how clean and tidy the camp was. Very Canada. </div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpHOoEpUrZG6bHpeJB-EAAhup8uxFPTzxOq4BnloUDNsIrpKOsnBnrhdgQaF9yrivTLUtvv7snZmLLY5ukVE_7nhFkLKrdWp-Q9Y6i3TUROAR5JGGIYcdT9nkJoElS2Ktw-4VvLey2ac/s1600/2011-10-24+13.00.33.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpHOoEpUrZG6bHpeJB-EAAhup8uxFPTzxOq4BnloUDNsIrpKOsnBnrhdgQaF9yrivTLUtvv7snZmLLY5ukVE_7nhFkLKrdWp-Q9Y6i3TUROAR5JGGIYcdT9nkJoElS2Ktw-4VvLey2ac/s320/2011-10-24+13.00.33.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aLnv5jg_kYd4KM8MZCPyel0iOP7GdIKdgrMDgxu_9CtSdY34vCSqyDZyYEeabDwjWUXDI7PdpEUwKX6kaVB_q22at1AacngHFEKTnOAXSdXJegeosSiqtZOrU60aCvSJiWZCN-x31QE/s1600/2011-10-24+13.01.44.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aLnv5jg_kYd4KM8MZCPyel0iOP7GdIKdgrMDgxu_9CtSdY34vCSqyDZyYEeabDwjWUXDI7PdpEUwKX6kaVB_q22at1AacngHFEKTnOAXSdXJegeosSiqtZOrU60aCvSJiWZCN-x31QE/s320/2011-10-24+13.01.44.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvgG7GoBRRsAB5SS-SYtpw-PJaxiCvu-jjvG0KvOtEe-LmM28M3TXfh35B_51MGIVQYkaDaoKLYz1E2fzAwD40rMnPDvhltn6rKGxsXhmIAk6a6v-svAncHPKSThaDfU75r3NlM38IV4/s1600/2011-10-24+13.02.13.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvgG7GoBRRsAB5SS-SYtpw-PJaxiCvu-jjvG0KvOtEe-LmM28M3TXfh35B_51MGIVQYkaDaoKLYz1E2fzAwD40rMnPDvhltn6rKGxsXhmIAk6a6v-svAncHPKSThaDfU75r3NlM38IV4/s320/2011-10-24+13.02.13.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuUGibJEX1IvTNX5SAlnBMmDhwBY90nBcjvJb1kOWJzSmtcbnWMdyifBP4rxvHx9bFHdWJg_6QCIN2aKLttTlzXx0CsAwh-BLuUu6tOO4nDOh7b0e3-N_2WtftkixZ916LyKwpPd-JN4/s1600/2011-10-24+13.02.54.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuUGibJEX1IvTNX5SAlnBMmDhwBY90nBcjvJb1kOWJzSmtcbnWMdyifBP4rxvHx9bFHdWJg_6QCIN2aKLttTlzXx0CsAwh-BLuUu6tOO4nDOh7b0e3-N_2WtftkixZ916LyKwpPd-JN4/s320/2011-10-24+13.02.54.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBWrrQYuqHTPxf6E_1xhyiz46VR5ZR124UTBYp57bTxylC3x5e0TGg1s_cX2yavItPG3oxeaDxzE4rZ2DpMk4iWE-84yy9OrQDPqA2211bCObXay9jRKrEV2RlK_E_ZhOUZAZyBucnbM/s1600/2011-10-24+13.04.05.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBWrrQYuqHTPxf6E_1xhyiz46VR5ZR124UTBYp57bTxylC3x5e0TGg1s_cX2yavItPG3oxeaDxzE4rZ2DpMk4iWE-84yy9OrQDPqA2211bCObXay9jRKrEV2RlK_E_ZhOUZAZyBucnbM/s320/2011-10-24+13.04.05.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-50811806674659310682011-10-23T22:09:00.000-07:002011-10-23T22:29:27.217-07:00Austin Trip<table style="width:194px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/AustinTrip?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K4gUU13fMas/TqTtAqcLVOE/AAAAAAAAGAg/lyb8wcUpmPI/s160-c/AustinTrip.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/AustinTrip?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Austin trip</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I've never been to Texas before so I was excited to head down to Austin for this years GDC Online conference. Arriving in the evening we headed straight for 6th street which was very lively, with rock and blues bars blaring out music. <div><br /></div><div>On the first night I watched blues at a live jam session. The music was awesome. At one point a local middle-aged Dell employee in a boring blue business shirt and grey pants and very little hair took the stage. Turned out he was an awesome drummer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next night we went to movie theatre, also on 6th, called the <a href="http://drafthouse.com/">Alamo Draft House</a> where you can order beer and food from your seat which is then brought to you while you watch the movie. (We watched Drive, which is kick ass by the way).</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally on the last night I went to a coyote ugly style bar. It seemed quite normal at first, but after a few minutes the waitress climbed on the bar and danced along it, pouring shots into the mouths of anyone she decided seemed to need one. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last day before I flew back to Vancouver I took a quick walk around Austin. I went up to see the Capital building, and then down to the river, where over 1 million bats live under a bridge there. Even though it was day light you can still hear them all fidgeting and gossiping to each other in my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_XGSQ55Ft0">video</a>.</div><div> </div><div><br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-34098308558492614712011-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:002011-10-23T22:09:17.058-07:00A day at Harrison Hot Springs<div><br /><table style="width:194px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/HarrisonHotSprings?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-umYkw3inMd8/TqTqen6a6XE/AAAAAAAAF-E/EFhl2kDOsQw/s160-c/HarrisonHotSprings.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/HarrisonHotSprings?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Harrison Hot Springs</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Saturday was a bit of a wash out, so I wanted to do something on Sunday that would be fun even if it was still raining. Harrison Hot Springs has a <a href="http://www.harrison-hot-springs.com/springs.html">public indoor pool</a>, sourced from two hot springs at the end of Harrison Lake.</div><div><br /></div><div>Amazingly the sun came out and it was beautiful drive along route 7. We had burritos at Muddy Waters Cafe before heading to the pool. Lunch was pretty good, but priced for tourists. The hot springs were fun. The public pool is in an old building, but is clean enough and the water temperature was somewhere between a pool and a hot tub. There were about 10 people in the pool at any one time and there are loungers around the side so you can cool off and look out the window at the lake, which was stunning.</div><div><br /></div><div>The drive out from Port Moody was about 2 hours including stopping for snacks and gas. A great day. </div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-4251722313767603932011-06-18T19:09:00.001-07:002011-06-18T19:27:00.692-07:00Vietnamese chicken stir fry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrAc1o9N0VEqX89zQy2eVbbhhq0tMJMiwb08ZlhQBJ147DzJR0agdVN0-mPyyG0Hsclpr7SX7INTih_JS69UQuZ7bHrK1ZvnewODNcHCCOFHRI8YNaKDbKhHL3zVBt31LzP_UWAHBC80/s400/IMG_1019.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrAc1o9N0VEqX89zQy2eVbbhhq0tMJMiwb08ZlhQBJ147DzJR0agdVN0-mPyyG0Hsclpr7SX7INTih_JS69UQuZ7bHrK1ZvnewODNcHCCOFHRI8YNaKDbKhHL3zVBt31LzP_UWAHBC80/s400/IMG_1019.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>For some random reason I decided to have a go at some Vietnamese style cooking. Starting off nice and easy I made this chicken stir fry. Actually this is the second time I made it, having made it last week too, and this week incorporated some of the suggestions of my food critic family. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ingredients</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Lemon grass. (Sliced lengthways then finely chopped, about 2 tbsp)</div><div>Garlic (2-3 bulbs chopped and crushed)</div><div>Fish sauce (2 tbsp)</div><div>Chilli sauce (1 or 2 tsps) </div><div>Bean shoots (2 handfulls)</div><div>Chicken breasts (2 large ones, no skins)</div><div>Cilantro (small handful, chopped)</div><div>Snow peas</div><div>Carrots</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74HdISupfrKCOfPdT7jmkSG_xkoPXIql8hyphenhyphenf4bQaD7GPD3-crEUQeywHT-oQMLYuqhkkfT0JjAEeqlVeqU8VuldyGumOafHSgprBFQJtFO3voCCtHJaX4mHr3zHs8Ez41bIsaiNkdR0E/s400/IMG_1020.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74HdISupfrKCOfPdT7jmkSG_xkoPXIql8hyphenhyphenf4bQaD7GPD3-crEUQeywHT-oQMLYuqhkkfT0JjAEeqlVeqU8VuldyGumOafHSgprBFQJtFO3voCCtHJaX4mHr3zHs8Ez41bIsaiNkdR0E/s400/IMG_1020.JPG" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>What you do</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Although I didn't do it due to lack of time, you're supposed to combine the lemon grass, chilli and fish sauce with the chicken and marinate it in the fridge for an hour.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also due to lack of time I cooked the carrots by slicing them and sticking them in the microwave for 3 minutes, so I could throw them in with the snow peas and not have to wait for them to cook through. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then fry the chicken for a few minutes until all white then put it on a plate, fry the onions, garlic and lemongrass. Once they're soft add the chicken. Once that lot is cooked through and you're a few minutes from done, throw the snow peas and carrots in. Finally throw in the bean shoots and cook for a couple of minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>I served it on steamed rice as you can see. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Family reaction</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>With just a tsp of chilli this is not too spicy for kids or adults afraid of spice. It's quite a dry dish so I added a little chicken stock. It's filled with tastes. The lemongrass in particular makes the dish very fragrant. Last week I made this with yellow and red peppers instead of carrots, and they had a flavour that did not compliment the dish. </div><div><br /></div><div>In general the family liked this meal a lot. I'm looking forward to trying something more advanced. </div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-68692204363518947042011-03-30T20:26:00.000-07:002011-03-30T20:49:18.877-07:00Princess MononokeI'm trying to watch and review all of the Studio Ghibli movies... here's my 7th one:<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBl5mCWZbtqYYS26p4FG5ZINskJMnprpI4efSkRhv7IAyye0ynexVxIQyD4cXQQ44lDv6alZkHxhoL3_V3Rjq8q9YoCj47xdM-AQOP42kWzqurWOhyopbjJeprVIqk3Hjza5Kdn4Y9KA/s1600/MV5BMTI0NjM5NzQ3OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDcwODk4._V1._SY317_CR3%252C0%252C214%252C317_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBl5mCWZbtqYYS26p4FG5ZINskJMnprpI4efSkRhv7IAyye0ynexVxIQyD4cXQQ44lDv6alZkHxhoL3_V3Rjq8q9YoCj47xdM-AQOP42kWzqurWOhyopbjJeprVIqk3Hjza5Kdn4Y9KA/s400/MV5BMTI0NjM5NzQ3OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDcwODk4._V1._SY317_CR3%252C0%252C214%252C317_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590084448304313410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 317px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Princess Mononoke (1997) is written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It has a similar theme to a lot of other Studio Ghibli movies (Castle in the Sky and Naussica as examples), the battles between humans and nature. The story follows the adventures of Ashitaka, who is a brave young warrior who battles a giant cursed Boar in the opening scenes of the movie. Mononoke means monster or spirit. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPG76hJxTSEn0x7OiPP7kdm5Br9SoWhS9MSbnIuGC8nCI-9EDSc-oF7NJwJG1CsWG_uEGzZLq_VkvrjSeDlyBWpXpfu3U46ZxOJO5IqlOLCKvc3K16E6birXuqo6gzLAfBaMIxkv16x3U/s1600/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h46m52s40.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPG76hJxTSEn0x7OiPP7kdm5Br9SoWhS9MSbnIuGC8nCI-9EDSc-oF7NJwJG1CsWG_uEGzZLq_VkvrjSeDlyBWpXpfu3U46ZxOJO5IqlOLCKvc3K16E6birXuqo6gzLAfBaMIxkv16x3U/s400/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h46m52s40.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590085339225980098" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHYAllrn3F0x5hEkuPqk8V0Y7NE8cqUs3WoUSvS_Lww9kWPanx53d5YQF3enEREXVtpWspkLpgHwjKijWo4QLE6yTKqu2wI00fEq4D0Cup5XrzdSggXdEDdgT21_2PCQTNIljlglTUtc/s1600/220px-Princess_Mononoke_Japanese_Poster_%2528Movie%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHYAllrn3F0x5hEkuPqk8V0Y7NE8cqUs3WoUSvS_Lww9kWPanx53d5YQF3enEREXVtpWspkLpgHwjKijWo4QLE6yTKqu2wI00fEq4D0Cup5XrzdSggXdEDdgT21_2PCQTNIljlglTUtc/s400/220px-Princess_Mononoke_Japanese_Poster_%2528Movie%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590084443456225266" style="cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 321px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>(This is the Japanese movie poster. I think you can see why they changed it for the US audience. A girl with a bloody mouth and a knife would not sit well on the walls of the local theatre)</div><div><br /></div><div>The village elders convene and determine that he must journey to the West in order to find out what is happening there to drive evil their way, and possibly find a cure to his curse, which otherwise will kill him.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvixHtOn2YJl-vcX5tg6oNSbguKHxxGw4TyZUKier5ukpXDt70YdELdwKU-nUKUqcQyK5hZTF-Ei-X4QxgIDE7u-NJBRelk196OsAUryVQ14yfF1rBllFg-mB3J7d93RuNfShV1AEJuY/s1600/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h50m41s24.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvixHtOn2YJl-vcX5tg6oNSbguKHxxGw4TyZUKier5ukpXDt70YdELdwKU-nUKUqcQyK5hZTF-Ei-X4QxgIDE7u-NJBRelk196OsAUryVQ14yfF1rBllFg-mB3J7d93RuNfShV1AEJuY/s400/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h50m41s24.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590085345784135106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Arriving in the fortified mining colony of Tatara, he quickly wins the trust of the people there with his fighting skills. The town is battling the creatures of the forest, and San (a girl raised by a giant White wolf god) who are trying to stop the humans from chopping down all the trees to mine iron ore. Lady Eboshi (voiced beautifully by Minnie Driver in the English version), is leading the fight against the forest with her army and with guns. It turns out a pellet from one of these guns is what turned the giant Boar evil in the beginning. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl6FtuYXtVJSy9cqdsp16ez38PSBczdPfqDCmF1A_tpIQdfWdJKI01d0VvWJd1G6EVBPTIjA1d0sOcHfQh0VJ_7xLTGACwU48NXR1NDHa41t3LlmAOcf6v4oIggvy9IGW0T0YX209bmE/s1600/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h51m34s46.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl6FtuYXtVJSy9cqdsp16ez38PSBczdPfqDCmF1A_tpIQdfWdJKI01d0VvWJd1G6EVBPTIjA1d0sOcHfQh0VJ_7xLTGACwU48NXR1NDHa41t3LlmAOcf6v4oIggvy9IGW0T0YX209bmE/s400/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h51m34s46.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590085349721666050" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Ashitaka meets and gains the trust of San which leads to animosity when he returns the town. There is conflict between the creatures live in the forest and don't want the trees to be chopped down and the humans want to destroy the forest in order to mine and build their town into a powerful and rich city. Even the humans are conflicted and complex characters. </div><div><br /></div><div>Much of the movie is action packed battle with packs of giant creatures swarming through the forest. Ashitaka rides an Elk which is beautifully drawn and animated. The giant Wolf gods, Boars and the spirit of the forest are all believable yet extraordinary. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbuyw1iw5V3ffMHqVd4ZpGphivnByxLq_iZfGkmL8catCiaEYf1WstTb1gw1-4I4jK7Mgfxy60lkgJsk2JHL4lN8A9sI1RUER4J7ZCPBApIdp9WfV5AS-bFvOQdck-mGqVnPYG_l_5pk/s1600/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h48m08s30.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbuyw1iw5V3ffMHqVd4ZpGphivnByxLq_iZfGkmL8catCiaEYf1WstTb1gw1-4I4jK7Mgfxy60lkgJsk2JHL4lN8A9sI1RUER4J7ZCPBApIdp9WfV5AS-bFvOQdck-mGqVnPYG_l_5pk/s400/vlcsnap-2011-03-30-19h48m08s30.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590085342802603970" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a new favourite of mine, a deep and sophisticated story, but quite light and filled with humour. I'm surprised I didn't come across it earlier, because according to the wikipedia page it was a huge hit in Japan; the highest grossing movie until Titanic in fact. </div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-85855049468986521292011-03-20T20:08:00.000-07:002011-03-20T21:38:45.648-07:00The Housekeeper and the Professor<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZWIIYBL6p3cYECrfWHCnDVi6rAAhJJd-npYAj-89rOKz5hyvDDamUSL4F_c3guoC4K4im1P0e2tq0-g3X75OvOqk7F3alBECvbgetSY_OMHD-4MmZVCX4yCxWZheNtVoGXEQsjUwHnA/s1600/ogawa.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZWIIYBL6p3cYECrfWHCnDVi6rAAhJJd-npYAj-89rOKz5hyvDDamUSL4F_c3guoC4K4im1P0e2tq0-g3X75OvOqk7F3alBECvbgetSY_OMHD-4MmZVCX4yCxWZheNtVoGXEQsjUwHnA/s400/ogawa.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586368683654383330" /></a><br />I love when a tip for a good book comes from such a random source as this one did. I was reading the website Quora, and the book "The Housekeeper and the Professor" was recommended in the comments to the answer to a <a href="http://www.quora.com/Mathematics/What-is-the-most-beautiful-equation?q=what+is+the+most+beau">question</a>.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >This is the story of a Japanese housekeeper and single mother who starts to take care of a 64 year old mathematics professor who was long ago injured in a car accident. As a result his memory lasts only 80 minutes, and although he can remember his past up to then, he can no longer form new memories. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The agency our housekeeper narrator works for has already sent 8 people before her to care for him, so no doubt there are difficulties. She is hard working and adaptable however, and receptive to him as he communicates in the only way he knows; via the timeless language of mathematics. When meeting someone for the first time (which may not really be the first time at all for them), he will ask for their birthday and find interesting properties of that number. For example the housekeepers birthday is 2nd Feb, 222, which forms an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amicable_number">amicable number</a> with 284, the serial number of his watch. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Maintaining some rudimentary form of long term memory via post-it notes on his suit, he remembers the housekeeper by a simple doodle, and that she has a son. He has a note prominently located to remind him "you have only 80 minutes of memory".</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Soon he discovers that her son is a latch key kid, and tells her to bring him with her in future, and so she does. The professor loves children and his relationship with her son, who he calls root because his head looks like the square root symbol, is very warm and endearing. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The book reminds me of a sort of mathematics imbued version of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, because the characters connect through the sport of Baseball, just as in the latter they connect over soccer. This all starts when the housekeeper finds a box of baseball cards in the professors cupboard.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Yoko Ogawa, the author, is knowledgable and able pass on her knowledge and passion for mathematics and numbers to the reade. The whole book is about finding ways to connect with people, about the joy and timelessness of numbers and their properties. Despite being a translation from Japanese to English, there's no mistaking the truth and warmth of this story. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">In case it's not clear, highly recommended.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-87918341523377822822011-02-06T20:16:00.001-08:002011-02-06T20:25:31.830-08:00Only YesterdayThis is my sixth review of Studio Ghibli movies. I watched "Only Yesterday", which is by the same director as Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata). Disney own the US rights to this movie, and have not distributed it yet [ahem]. The main character, Taeko, appears in the story both as her grown up (27) self, and as a 5th grade schoolgirl.<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvxH232zp7rnDlUQZgsmC9yt-bD4cMcP10U9AoBwaXi4BPeSiFUxu2ogVASU1AT2PaBoOyNdbHZCTHDRYAqBENYrOPACUk3bEQAjz2xffkZiCCAAfbpN8sXHsBHmXcOjerM9iq3AZNLo/s1600/onlyyesterdaytitle.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvxH232zp7rnDlUQZgsmC9yt-bD4cMcP10U9AoBwaXi4BPeSiFUxu2ogVASU1AT2PaBoOyNdbHZCTHDRYAqBENYrOPACUk3bEQAjz2xffkZiCCAAfbpN8sXHsBHmXcOjerM9iq3AZNLo/s320/onlyyesterdaytitle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570798444686333090" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>This is a movie that accurately captures feelings of unachieved dreams, of living a life that your 5th grade self would not feel comfortable with. Bored with her city life in Tokyo, Taeko takes a trip to the country (Yamagata) to visit her sister inlaw. She meets Toshio, and works with him in the countryside where he is a farmer. Toshio is passionate about nature, organic farming, and this captivates Taeko. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQAyp2r4buCKEXtrK88jzYMDjqxFQZwjO6fUrEoFRfkmUfpYV3TGDhJyC5rOnvBPafmcklTxHS-WpnOTPu0iiH_Vt3tdbExEmEohUfa_1MHSyQcC3hDn-zGPsnQc4fxe1PiQFMrkKrVY/s1600/Only+Yesterday-3.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQAyp2r4buCKEXtrK88jzYMDjqxFQZwjO6fUrEoFRfkmUfpYV3TGDhJyC5rOnvBPafmcklTxHS-WpnOTPu0iiH_Vt3tdbExEmEohUfa_1MHSyQcC3hDn-zGPsnQc4fxe1PiQFMrkKrVY/s320/Only+Yesterday-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570798170104117778" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 177px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The film keeps switching back and forth between our present day Taeko, and her 5th grade self. Her schooldays reflect the day to day ordeal of school social life, and her alienation from her parents. Her two sisters simply study and do well at school. But Taeko seeks a deeper understanding of the material, and finds it more difficult to learn what she needs to by passive acceptance and rote. This is interesting as I was exactly the same at school. She instead prefers to put effort into her own interests, and in going the extra mile in her minor part in a school play she is noticed by a town theatre company and asked to star in thir own production. Sadly her father does not see this as something good for her and prevents her from attending. Her relationship with her father is particularly difficult, as he is a stern and rough man. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdb83K9aJ8zE88DqkCZwKtCAKIcpUA4Phcv-gYPN0IIQl4AUqcxZh6z1dJJ1tPxy4o1_QQldlYUTmN1toWIwBrYmx6P03AH1HBy6T2TaDqtFU_ydLDN6UK4IqTPUvAmDxbPS88mEPUYI/s1600/onlyyesterday.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdb83K9aJ8zE88DqkCZwKtCAKIcpUA4Phcv-gYPN0IIQl4AUqcxZh6z1dJJ1tPxy4o1_QQldlYUTmN1toWIwBrYmx6P03AH1HBy6T2TaDqtFU_ydLDN6UK4IqTPUvAmDxbPS88mEPUYI/s320/onlyyesterday.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570798696915405682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 197px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The animation is realistic, especially in the facial expressions, although the 5th grade scenes are drawn in a simpler style, perhaps to contrast the simplicity of childhood against modern life. Only Yesterday portrays nicely not just falling in love with another person, but falling in love with another life, as one often does on vacation or when visiting another place. At times Taeko's 5th grade self is right there with adult Taeko in the same scenes, and perhaps this is the theme of the movie: your childhood self is always with you, and always you can judge yourself from those early innocent days, when the realities of adult life were not upon you, and the sky was the limit.<div> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div></div></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-71412111411762616512011-01-01T11:39:00.000-08:002011-10-25T22:36:57.926-07:00Book mini-reviews from 2010<div>I've been wanting to mini-review the books I read in 2010 and New Years Day is a great time for that so here goes. I hope I don't forget too many of them, and they are in no particular order.</div><div><br /></div><div>Life of Pi, Yann Martell</div><div><br /></div><div>I started reading this years ago and wasn't at all interested in the first few pages, but a friend of mine urged me to try it again so I did. The quality of the writing is truly breathtaking; I sometimes take notes of my favourite parts, but there were so . I can't say much about the story without spoiling it, but I can say that although the story has a mundane start (a schoolboy talks about his life as the son of a zookeeper in India) it soon spins off into a dizzying adventure. </div><div><br /></div><div>Very readable, full of vivid detail and exciting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Beatrice and Virgil, Yann Martell </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDBHAWE4brYiw5s-kgGoh-IlcCjNm1FdYeqc_A97JNtyI9SJ3Ym0HlCFrA3h6lC0D14t2FboCF70-1vSCkDt6oEMptyfbAPpDe2Jq6PZfH2QDxQd7pm4CWIGPtCtT1tsp_dpSY0MMiB4/s1600/beatrice-and-virgil.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDBHAWE4brYiw5s-kgGoh-IlcCjNm1FdYeqc_A97JNtyI9SJ3Ym0HlCFrA3h6lC0D14t2FboCF70-1vSCkDt6oEMptyfbAPpDe2Jq6PZfH2QDxQd7pm4CWIGPtCtT1tsp_dpSY0MMiB4/s320/beatrice-and-virgil.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557328914801226706" style="cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I was excited to read Martell's latest book, as it is a long awaited sequel to his prize winning Life of Pi. Surprisingly, this is a very different kind of book. The narrator is a succesful author, who has written a prize winning book and is trying to write a worthy sequel. Hm, sound familiar? The protagonist finds an interesting looking taxidermist store and befriends the owner. In fact, befriend is not quite the word since the store owner has very poor people skills to say the least. Nevertheless, recognizing his customer is a famous author, asks him for help writing his book "Beatrice and Virgil" which is an allegorical tail alluding to the Hollocaust. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just like Life of Pi the writing is beautiful, but this is a very different kind of book to the adventure novel that Life of Pi is. This is more of a pondering and thoughtful story, where you're never quite sure whether you are hearing the words of the real life author, the books narrator, or the characters within the book. Can we say it's like the movie Inception, without the action and the girl? </div><div><br /></div><div>Worth a read for sure. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho </div><div><br /></div><div>Beautifully written tale of a shepherd who leaves home to find his fortune. The core philosophy of the book is that if you really want something, the Universe will help you get it. Presumably you have to take the risks and put the effort in also. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to a friend for lending me this (she had 10 of them on her for a book club), and I read it in a day. Partly because it's short, and partly because I didn't want to stop reading. </div><div><br /></div><div>Blink, Malcolm Gladwell </div><div><br /></div><div>Having read "The Tipping Point" a while back I was keen to check out anything by Gladwell. Blink is about the subconscious and very rapid abilities of the human mind. There are examples of how succesful professionals working in Marriage Guidance, law enforcement, art valuation and medical diagnosis, use very short periods of experience to make succesful judgements. This being contrary to our expectations that a slow rigorous analysis should yield better solutions. It appears that in many cases, our gut feel is right. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just like his previous books he talks with authority and depth on the subject, spinning his research into fascinating yarns that makes it a very enjoyable and informative read.</div><div><br /></div><div>Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwR3CK1D769Vm-V9Q3ODk9ryb3SUBmhRTYU_epGqvbYSL7KtP8KxZYuLYc-8ynaNGmflcxAdB2J2YauR9a-3hJHVWO0GcMZzRIzAcUS4ZUxPuOor1ehKmD6wPG8AnwMx3jEaYiiqP8SE/s1600/outliers.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwR3CK1D769Vm-V9Q3ODk9ryb3SUBmhRTYU_epGqvbYSL7KtP8KxZYuLYc-8ynaNGmflcxAdB2J2YauR9a-3hJHVWO0GcMZzRIzAcUS4ZUxPuOor1ehKmD6wPG8AnwMx3jEaYiiqP8SE/s320/outliers.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557305216061650402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 305px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Just as in Blink, the anecdotes are richly detailed and compelling. This book is about the people that succeeded in life in a big way, and why. Comparing them with others around them that had the same level of intelligence or diligence, yet not the right environment. We like to think that hard work and talent can get you to the top, but this book explores the uncomfortable truth that the right school, the right neighborhood, the right race can make all the difference. Would Bill Gates have been the man he was if he hadn't had access to one of the very few time sharing computers in the US? If he hadn't had family connections to get his first programming work? </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to exploring the successes and how they may have been aided by their situation in life, he explores the failures. Christopher Langan, an extremely bright man with an IQ of 196 who now works on a horse farm. Born into an environment with nobody to help him, he had to find his own way. According to Gladwell the lack of an appropriate environment prevented Langan from achieving the academic and worldly success he could have had. </div><div><br /></div><div>I can't help feeling that his examples of success are extreme "lottery win" kind of life stories not that applicable to 99.99% of most of the population. The same goes for Langan's story. How many people with exceptional minds would fail to get a scholarship and into a good college today? Only a very few outliers I would expect. </div><div><br /></div><div>Summer Blonde, Adrian Tomine</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUqQOCVRRh4fpSjdkPga7-_uZ1tCAQz6HmsoYVJ5YoOvBUeVTCgMA0tsmr41q0k7S2tVqx7UyDap3Tavi_LDzkL21GlnL-mUrw_dzrdepU8i4dS1AAGj7KFPkwkUM52Vh6UgAti0ffAc/s1600/summerblonde.gif"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUqQOCVRRh4fpSjdkPga7-_uZ1tCAQz6HmsoYVJ5YoOvBUeVTCgMA0tsmr41q0k7S2tVqx7UyDap3Tavi_LDzkL21GlnL-mUrw_dzrdepU8i4dS1AAGj7KFPkwkUM52Vh6UgAti0ffAc/s320/summerblonde.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557305219196119410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 206px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is one of many graphic novels I picked up in Vancouver Public Library, where they have an excellent selection. Summer Blonde is a collection of four short stories. They are pretty dark and gritty exposes of the lives of regular people. Both the characters and the artwork have a fine detail that makes it believable. The stories are of peoples difficulties relating to each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>A Drifting Life, Yoshihiro Tatsumi</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a beautiful looking book that I've seen in local bookstores a few times but didn't think it looked worth the $50 Canadian coverprice. Having picked it up at Vancouver Public Library I think I was right, but it was definitely a good read. In this manga work, Tatsumi writes the story of his late teens and early professional life. Full of detail and fascinating insights into the hard work and thought processes that go into becoming a huge success at what you do. Also you can enjoy it as a coming of age story, as Tatsumi and his peers emerge from their teens and become men in the real world. Even if you're not particularly interested in the technical and philosophical ideas of manga as Tatsumi discovers and relates them in the book, it's a very entertaining read. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thirteen Tale, Diane Setterfield</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the few I reviewed right after reading it. See <a href="http://justinhj.blogspot.com/2010/03/13th-tale.html">here</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Real World Haskell, O'Sullivan </div><div><br /></div><div>A nice, fat, accessible book on Haskell. Just as the title promises it's filled with real world applicable code. For example a functioning bar code reader is developed, as well as examples of GUI, DB and web programming. </div><div><br /></div><div>The beginning is well paced and I advanced quickly, but the mid-section of the book becomes a bit harder to follow and you find the code jumping through abstract looking hoops in order to complete the most basic of imperative tasks. I don't know if that's just the way Haskell is, or whether the authors just think that way. </div><div>Definitely worth using this book to kickstart your Haskell learning if you want to use the language. </div><div><br /></div><div>The World According to Garp, John Fielding</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to a twitter friend, I discovered this excellent John Fielding 1978 book. Something like a cross between Henry James and the UK's Tom Sharpe, this is funny, sexually explicit tale following the weird and exciting life of Garp, the illegitimate son of a large than life, rebellious and independent nurse. Like the author, who also spent time in Vienna, Garp and his mother also spend time in that city, but most of the story takes place in the up-market boarding school where Garp's mother takes care of the students. </div><div><br /></div><div>Highly enjoyable, I look forward to reading more by Fielding. </div><div><br /></div><div>Inu Yasha and Fruits Basket</div><div><br /></div><div>Two of the biggest selling manga series, and I checked them out due to their ubiquity. Neither of them compelled me to read past the second book. They are probably aimed at teenage girls, but regardless I wasn't entertained in the least. </div><div><br /></div><div>Genshiken, Shimoku Kio</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnshYrfswTgwGxWp8K9uzfBb5tllh7ug5Yig2pQi_TucP1rkqLT7z9ZCJhqwTrjqjyWL8gLC9ngiSq3tMbtFQf-Ocb9PVgqU1pLkKNI90net9dmdG2Z8gXv6L5Pxiw1YQ8pQDlZ-xqsM/s1600/genshiken.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnshYrfswTgwGxWp8K9uzfBb5tllh7ug5Yig2pQi_TucP1rkqLT7z9ZCJhqwTrjqjyWL8gLC9ngiSq3tMbtFQf-Ocb9PVgqU1pLkKNI90net9dmdG2Z8gXv6L5Pxiw1YQ8pQDlZ-xqsM/s320/genshiken.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557305099519523410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This story of a group of Otaku college students who join and run a club called "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture" is now my favourite manga series (although I have not read many), and I truly wish it were longer. </div><div><br /></div><div>It follows the group through their college lives as they hang out, play video games, create and sell their own fan fiction and deal with the school administrators. Highly nerdy, it even includes reviews of characters from an imaginary video game at the end of each chapter. The characters are great, the story is epic in its lack of excitement, and yet compelling as hell. I love it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Darwins Radio, Greg Bear</div><div><br /></div><div>This scifi tale reads more like a Tom Clancy thriller, as scientists try to find a solution to a virus that is causing women to miscarry. It's about the characters conflicts with government agencies and corporate politics rather than futuristic science, and I didn't enjoy it that much. It was interesting to read up on some of the science behind the book though...</div><div><br /></div><div>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_retrovirus</div><div>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer</div><div><br /></div><div>Effective Java, Joshua Bloch</div><div><br /></div><div>I read this book as I'm currently working a Java server that is designed to handle 10 to 50 thousand users at one time, so efficiency and concurrency is vital. Bloch is a fantastic communicator, and the book is very to the point, organised in highly effective (sorry) way. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's all for now, there's another few I've forgotten that will appear in a later post.</div><div><br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-85730274255940751792010-12-04T13:29:00.000-08:002010-12-04T13:39:32.972-08:00Redeeming my family cook-cred with chicken in leek sauce<div>COOKING FACTS</div><div><br /></div><div>Time: 25 minutes</div><div>Score: 9/10</div><div>Jamie ate it: Yeah</div><div><br /></div><div>The last couple of efforts I've made to wow Corbey and Jamie with my slow cooker stews and bean soups have not been wildly ecstatic. So, because we're going to be out this evening I decided to cook a nice lunch, with whatever we had around. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLozagXsWWVt3wdyjK2glUVU8UvLbagjuE9nuM2k_PjaMbov5GX4QJ-zbpKO-spRpOkmNyniRRjzGsfykvJKjfmi3sN-updkildlI2-lqHcmSOCoKnfmSvUfy6tEb8cmK3vST-oWarbv8/s1600/chickenleek.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLozagXsWWVt3wdyjK2glUVU8UvLbagjuE9nuM2k_PjaMbov5GX4QJ-zbpKO-spRpOkmNyniRRjzGsfykvJKjfmi3sN-updkildlI2-lqHcmSOCoKnfmSvUfy6tEb8cmK3vST-oWarbv8/s320/chickenleek.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546942970248697858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 249px; " /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>What we did have was half a packet of leek soup mix, which I used for one of my slow cooking recipes, some chicken, a lot of onions, peppers and potatoes. Oh, and some fresh parsley. </div><div><br /></div><div>The result as you can see was sauteed chicken and vegetables with leek sauce. I added mostly milk and water to the sauce, but also some cooking white wine. </div><div><br /></div><div>Potatoes were boiled then mashed with chopped fresh parsley, black pepper and butter. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not an impressive or difficult meal by any means, but was a real hit with wife and kiddo! So I'm giving this one 9/10, since Jamie ate his plate clean. Most rare. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not that this needs much explanation but the procedure was to soften the onions and peppers on low in a frying pan, with some salt and pepper and olive oil. Then I put those to the side and fried the chicken on medium high until brown. Then in a jug I added 1/2 cup of water and milk, and about 1/3 cup of cooking white wine and added that to the chicken with the leek soup mix. </div><div><br /></div><div>After simmering for about 10 minutes it was good to go. </div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-47912300810531472622010-11-23T09:29:00.001-08:002010-11-23T09:29:14.470-08:00Slow cooking updateSo we just ate the meal I <a href="http://justinhj.blogspot.com/2010/11/crockpot-cooking.html">mentioned earlier </a>. Although I had it cooking for 8 hours the potato's were still firm and not soft like I like them, but passable. Again I found the recipe kind of bland, I think I'd probably quadruple the amount of garlic and paprika next time, and this time it was saved by a lot of ground black pepper. <div><br /></div><div>Still the recipe itself was good, the chicken and leeks were cooked perfectly. I added milk to the leek soup mix instead of just water, and I may try some light cream next time and some white wine. </div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-18929652181675736862010-11-20T17:45:00.000-08:002010-11-20T18:05:31.090-08:00Crockpot cooking<div><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OlYlXGx7VwwEmDHc5o3EhA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7S4TKBHteU-sS6qJuPTj8A23eBNwDnujp39dSM6H57JlFwsAfSevBITfrdP1TbRkQ4qs9h5YwBrY-lVvWCMquMVBJKjHOZSXq7vaeQ2XoHF216-CXs7gJIk0pJegVxdt8YX4Hf0GViA/s400/IMG_0618.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/FirstSnow2010?feat=embedwebsite">First snow 2010</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>I was rather disappointed with my cooking efforts last weekend. I made a stew in the slow cooker following this recipe:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://family.go.com/food/recipe-cp-629856-chicken-and-sweet-potato-stew-t/">http://family.go.com/food/recipe-cp-629856-chicken-and-sweet-potato-stew-t/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Copied from that site in case it moves:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Hands-On Time: 15 minutes</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Ready In: 6 to 8 hours (LOW) or 3 to 4 hours (HIGH)</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Yield: 6 servings</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1 can (28 ounces) whole stewed tomatoes</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1 teaspoon salt</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1 teaspoon paprika</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1 teaspoon celery seeds</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1 cup nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Directions</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Combine the chicken, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, salt, paprika, celery seeds, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and broth in the 4 1⁄2-quart CROCK-POT® slow cooker.</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Cover; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.</b></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Since we didn't have a sweet potato I used some salad potatoes instead; the sweet potato seemed to be missed by the rest of the ingredients. Although it had potential it was a bit too watery (probably too much water), and a bit lacking in flavour. Also despite being on for 8 hours the potato's were not quite as soft as I'd have liked. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although my wife Corbey said she liked it, and it was good enough for left overs the next day, Jamie wasn't keen, and I thought it was about a 6/10.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only thing I improved upon from my earlier attempt at <a href="http://justinhj.blogspot.com/2010/01/sweet-potato-and-chicken-stew.html">slow cooker stew</a> was that I put the chicken at the top and the potatoes at the bottom. Carrots and tomatoes were in the middle. My instinct was to stir the whole concoction to get the flavours nicely mixed up, but that stopped the potatoes cooking properly, as they need to be in the hottest part of the pot at the bottom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I love stew and we have some leeks that need using so I'm trying this one tomorrow:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-potato-leek-chicken-192771">http://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-potato-leek-chicken-192771</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Copied:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><b>2 1/2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, can use any combo of boneless pieces</b></div><div><b>5 medium white potatoes, cut into small chunks</b></div><div><b>2 large coarsely chopped leeks, white and light green parts, washed well</b></div><div><b>1 (1 7/8 ounce) envelope leek soup mix</b></div><div><b>1 cup water</b></div><div><b>2 minced garlic cloves</b></div><div><b>1/4 teaspoon paprika</b></div><div><b>1/4 teaspoon pepper</b></div><div><b>salt, if needed to taste</b></div><div><b>Change Measurements: US | Metric</b></div><div><b>Directions:Prep Time: 10 minsTotal Time: 6 1/4 hrs</b></div><div><b>1place potatoes in slow cooker. Arrange chicken pieces on top of potato slices. Place leeks on top of chicken pieces.2In small bowl, whisk together leek soup mix, water, garlic, paprika and pepper until well-combined. Pour over top of everything in the crock pot.3Cover and cook on Low 5 to 6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink.4Add salt, if needed, to taste.</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div>This time I've ensured we follow the recipe exactly, I went out and bought some white potato's and some leek soup mix, so I have my fingers crossed for something more in the 8/10 range.</div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-14569943671029831772010-09-16T22:19:00.000-07:002010-09-16T22:24:02.861-07:00Vacation day 7 : Valemount to VancouverDate of trip 27/08<br /><br />Distance travelled 746km<br /><br /><table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/ValemountToVancouver?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nkGbjVeC3i4/TJL3eOmDDUE/AAAAAAAAExA/ybMe_MWNxQc/s160-c/ValemountToVancouver.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/ValemountToVancouver?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Valemount to Vancouver</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />This last day would be our longest drive so far, but by now we were confident veterans. We stopped halfway at Kamloops again, this time by accident we found the hotel we stayed in our honeymoon in 1999! Deciding to stop and check it out, we were hungry enough that a fried Breakfast at Denny's seemed like a good idea, and it certainly was. While we ate we got to listen in on a bunch of tweens comparing different pain killers in terms of the high, and the side effects. I remembered being in the hotel room back in 99 watching out the window as Friday night revellers stopped by Denny's, fighting and laughing with each other in the car park.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e43lQk5qeaW0_0QAV_Qg0g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vZbCc8dek5xjwShYr5M7j8ihmFtCakZoINgjEY1h3Cs2bgHFWK2mFFzNnj55XZW7rzJbDAjAzGvrW7I-Oga3GuzFbuyTgkY57Pt_p791u1xmbf6P27zn6Ooz_7wkOMlJesjUpnROzDA/s400/2010-08-27%2013.33.51.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/ValemountToVancouver?feat=embedwebsite">Valemount to Vancouver</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />The drive from Kamloops to Mission went quick and soon we were in Langley but it seemed to take forever to get from there to Port Moody, even using the new toll bridge. I guess you get used to just hitting 120km along the highway, just slowing down for the occasional semi or RV as they struggle up the steep mountain roads.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VOinWh12vULaIuoNrtkDTg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUaKel4a0iVXBeXPIKFD3Yr8n9GBKQWukcMblLkwwhgCuPB5Zpa82PiTX9YXLtKJu08ROHTqSeZj7NX9I9d7PYx1Jxuw5EwtoTzD9qTfSo8uW_ItvAZugWqNz_hTdflkCw7S2X1D55xQ/s400/2010-08-27%2013.13.03.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/ValemountToVancouver?feat=embedwebsite">Valemount to Vancouver</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />We arrived home and back to summer, as it was still bright and sunny in the late afternoon when we got to our apartment. That was it, then end of the trip. In a week we'd covered over 3000km, and discovered a new Canadian city. Despite previously not being keen on the car part of the trip, I actually found it way more enjoyable than I expected, and it's so convenient on vacation to have your own vehicle with you. Now I'm wondering when we will next be able to spend the day at Waterworld, and at the same time planning a new road trip, this time south of the border, possibly to California!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-67236706611993298342010-09-16T21:58:00.000-07:002010-09-16T22:02:51.599-07:00Vacation day 6 : Edmonton to Valemount<div>Date of trip Thu 26/08</div><div><br /></div><div>Distance travelled 488km </div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonToValemount?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_nkGbjVeC3i4/TI05kJVVZtE/AAAAAAAAEvU/ycvd3BF_ong/s160-c/EdmontonToValemount.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonToValemount?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Edmonton to Valemount</a></td></tr></table></div><div><br /></div><div>We got up early and spent an hour in the hotel pool, which we had to ourselves, then had cereal before starting the long drive home, which we would do in two parts. The first leg was to Valemount, which we'd already passed through, but today we would be spending the night at the Motel 7</div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XW7NgwTZg09R_06pDKZWMg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_QxXcvuOan1HxrWmt_K53qNt2pPpT9924cSYzhR6LExGPEkMdhUZQ3S38q18rxN36ZwVeMECVSBJWOHKkRhXmuPjZYjKeJaHsHIRQOSXK_uQObYqvGJBR3YhGLdXclTT3P4Lpj0YhWY/s400/2010-08-26%2010.44.49.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonToValemount?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton to Valemount</a></td></tr></table></div><div><br /></div><div>It was the second last day of the vacation and my turn to drive, so Corbey directed me out of Edmonton, and it was her turn to make a mistake with navigation so we ended up driving around random suburbs, not for the first time, before we made our way back to the highway. On the way I noticed some cool place names like Camp He Ha Ho and a big Ranch called Mokoyoko (or something similar).</div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped at Hinton for lunch which is about a third of the way to Valemount, and is a small town with some big stores and lots of chain restaurants. Sadly it would be our last fill up at Albertian gas prices. </div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oL9AVG4U8LgrPK56jeKqYg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxEnBRRucqd6fQglEfGRFGwrKq8Xe1y8pIjjiRJ0P4UPSn3L2T-exRqh51r7f6Iq6DAC53sE_sB5iywI2XSX44rgLNLWymHBL_m4awOU9NRcUfuQqNC6faLbq4XAjvofqLyRJ_TIq9F0/s400/IMG_0397.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonToValemount?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton to Valemount</a></td></tr></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Arriving at Jasper National Park gates we told the cashier we took the option to not pay the park fee, which means you're not allowed to stop in the park at all, but that was fine with us. It takes 40 minutes or so to drive through it and we had no time to visit Jasper again anyway. Although you're not allowed to stop in the rest areas, so this option means emptying your bladder before you enter. </div><div><br /></div><div>The day was a little overcast, and Valemount was very quiet when we arrived in the early evening. The Super 8 motel was run by a young woman who seemed to do everything there; when she wasn't at the front desk greeting guests she was doing a tour of the rooms with towels, light bulbs and solving other problems. Despite her efforts there wasn't much that went smoothly with our stay. The room had only one bed instead of two, there weren't enough towels, and there was no lightbulb in our bedside lamp. So I took quite a few trips to the front desk. Jamie and I checked out the spa, which was one very old hot tub, a sauna that was marked closed with yellow tape and a steam room that was locked with a "staff only" sign on the door. Bizarrely it was one of the most expensive hotels on our trip, and she congratulated us on getting such a great rate. </div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8ZmOUi-QWaxru_Y_4of59A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3TY7lc9RRMTxbJsNGXRXY0VLYeT5vfPwYgnh1LuRKqdjxL0536seTgAWZHMv5mSUMxrBwErXvwR4zfNNa_V5lMQTp3bKphYpoirmCv_yAsyRanBt4prSgCSzK58616YQ4g76IXqyIxY/s400/IMG_0401.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonToValemount?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton to Valemount</a></td></tr></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless we were comfortable in the hotel, and after a few minutes research I decided we were going to the Caribou Grill for dinner. The restaurant is a giant log cabin a couple of km off the highway, filled with authentic looking Cowboy and Indian knick knacks, including moose heads, saddles, bow and arrows and guns. I had a really good feeling about the place which increased when the waitress was super speedy and friendly. The food was fantastic, probably the best I've had in BC; I had Pork Tenderloin. In fact it was so good I had my arm twisted into having dessert. The NY Cheesecake was also excellent. It was about 9:30pm and dark when we left, happy, rosy faced and barrel shaped. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.caribougrill.com/">Caribou Grill</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Happily we drove back to the hotel and went to bed. Next door to the hotel was a tiny greyhound depot, and a couple of times in the night a large bus arrived and backed up right past my window. Being a light sleeper I was wide awake for quite a bit of the night. Waking up about 6am I opened the curtains to find a large old bare chested man looking up at me from the patio, and disturbed I went back to bed for another hour. </div><br /><div><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qWgQd8HcjGX8Nj4O5IzaIA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U8146yg6FsXIrSffRjiqgIrIXuR0Vm53-AHNF8o_vDEyXagsN6yDswfz-443zAxl4WXaXRUMQefl9i-6UJizfDEuGpt7RHHFH6yXNCKBA0FV0-1IwsYm8rHbG74rpnj_CjyCTdWEbpM/s400/IMG_0403.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonToValemount?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton to Valemount</a></td></tr></table><br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-27911372991251004162010-09-16T20:03:00.000-07:002010-09-16T20:34:08.610-07:00Vacation day 5 : West Edmonton Mall - Galaxyland<div><table style="width:194px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_nkGbjVeC3i4/TI0w6aGSYqE/AAAAAAAAEuU/yya2TWESN_k/s160-c/EdmontonDay2.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Edmonton day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>After we ran around at Waterworld on Tuesday until we were exhausted we slept in a bit later today, but Corbey managed to get Jamie and I out of bed before the maids arrived, just. We had breakfast cereal in the hotel (yes I'm thrifty and I plan ahead) and went to the mall again for one more day. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FAdHg7qj4ynyPmwOBCC0yw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl04rwTb2EhwCGPT5C1QzjV37e9V82t6dPZP5bBG8GhlsYJ1reO7_Ml6rhaa-i145p1Ac6MTwiLTQge0VFXi7DrPnvv61dqQORQGeaC_wngWiH1FIt2n0jOT2AAn1U-sQO6y8hmwdIrYQ/s400/2010-08-25%2012.59.03.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>First we went to Galaxyland, which like most of the mall is somewhat dated, and a few of the rides were closed for maintenance. The most exciting looking ride, a roller coaster, I couldn't quite bring myself to go on, because Jamie wasn't tall enough and would have been way to jealous. We did go on a medium sized roller coaster instead, and made up for the lack of extremity by screaming and laughing all the way around. Honestly, I didn't think Galaxyland was that great; and by the time I'd spent $50 on ride tickets and lost a few tokens in crappy broken arcade machines I was ready to check out the rest of the mall. </div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PZqbkRktU6TkHZ30BUD6uQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzUNkcWZrh0O587W0HHNIZ5Qo1sojriXrwSL-7xbgT85bzXi1weYYJYxIrKSdOsx0_BYRRJsu54Vn3frxGROh1-S1n6bj85ErOp5gfGrIAo9i2nFi2Y-UMPM8o6CoCv4lT-DBcKMppZU/s400/IMG_0361.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>We had lunch in the food court, then checked out the ship in the centre of the mall, which is nicely maintained. It's a replica of the Santa Maria, the ship Columbus sailed to America. We paid a couple of bucks to go in it, and were apparently the only people inclined to do so. Funnily enough the ship was built in Vancouver and had made the same journey that we just had, also by road, to it's home in the WEM. One striking thing was how small the ship felt, when you considered that the crew of 30 lived below deck together for the 70 day long voyage. </div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jKhxBlgYXz1r7CzVJv7Ipw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Zl9sz2RS6Ob4VWqj-8C_8dbs15owVom9CY4BwG7674JgB94EXZZMHK5RZnyhtXwWP3A48stRjn0S25w9n8dfuk2_hAyHBhAMNIKVBlmENKuo4_jkifKXRBT798hQ-HdtZSNsyrW8aVc/s400/IMG_0393.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_(ship)">Santa Maria</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Also interesting, although we didn't go inside, was the Sealife Caverns. They have a giant tank right in the mall where sea lions and other large creatures do shows throuhgout the day. Without paying for the attraction you can watch the shows from behind a glass wall, just 15 feet or so back, which was fine for us. Throughout the day we did a bit of shopping, almost entirely window shopping. We took advantage of Alberta's low sales tax to buy clothes for Jamie, and he spent his saved up pocket money on an awesome Star Wars lego kit.</div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zB8P0sLtuDz-XkE42qzMbg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlzw4S-uRuz5fE1weFqA2jlvTl8uvpwmiDicX2SmajopH0xlmLQFcqDp3a-_0hexSq8wkzJxy_lQqt2ddOtURSErHfJEuPobo5VmqVi1fxyKsjCWZlxpFka5ADyk6eMzuIBn6xMCKCyY/s400/IMG_0387.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Next we played adventure golf, which was a little crowded so we spent more time waiting than playing shots, but pleasant enough for an hour of fun. Later in the evening we watched a handful of local kids, who could skate like NHL stars, whiz about on the ice rink in the centre of the mall, while we drank coffee in Tim Hortons and tried to ignore the staff mopping our feet to encourage us to leave.</div><div><br /></div><div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/puf0Ll2_1Kj1PBh1KuzD5w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmK3mhAe9FHwW7Grn0l0IyDHIIi6OIwFK5ElrMZkS1jNvILwLoqfKGzxaWSwkMYSB1JxWRUYVkftuol1m8D38y67fxcRw8JzBKAh-No_rg7ww3o_5EvrTlAhRlI94GKOLzQI_lTOvcQc/s400/IMG_0377.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay2?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a handy page with the facts you need for <a href="http://foundlocally.com/edmonton/Travel/Attr-WestEdmontonMall.htm">WEM </a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-91499051976360353042010-09-12T18:14:00.000-07:002010-09-16T20:01:14.514-07:00Vacation day 4: World WaterparkOn our first day at the West Edmonton Mall we went to the giant indoor World Waterpark.<br /><br />I was excited about the waterpark, having spent many blissful hours in them in Majorca and Portugal as a kid. Jamie has been to some aquatic centres with wave pools and slides but nothing on this scale, so I was looking forward to his reaction too. In my research about the mall before the vacation I read that there may be a line up just to get in, and then lines on all the popular slides. So I bought tickets in the hotel on the way at a decent discount (they sell a ticket at a fixed price which you can use at the water park or as an unlimited ride ticket at Galaxyland), and we made sure we got there just before 10am when the pool opens.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9ggJsYR1pg4ITiq_6KpNNZn9gfvHlT9bUph9SEo9tdlUG5ifNBQ-TLqNrH-CvOGgE8wPJ9mlCs5YPsHD1-04w3bVwreTmqVrK1XJdOTSAcKvsDGE80JO8fA16YhDkVan6bVkbGrGgyk/s1600/377341700_187a3d28a9_z.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9ggJsYR1pg4ITiq_6KpNNZn9gfvHlT9bUph9SEo9tdlUG5ifNBQ-TLqNrH-CvOGgE8wPJ9mlCs5YPsHD1-04w3bVwreTmqVrK1XJdOTSAcKvsDGE80JO8fA16YhDkVan6bVkbGrGgyk/s320/377341700_187a3d28a9_z.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516201224112334178" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br />As it turned out the line up was about 20 minutes if you don't have tickets, and only a minute or two if you did. There was plenty of family changing rooms, and it wasn't long before we'd put our belongings in the lockers (which are about $8 on top of admission). Shortly after that Jamie and I were heading to the very top of the park up a maze of staircases. Jamie and I came down a ride marked 'Extreme' first, which was a long and fast ride with lots of turns that whapped you into the side.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl8q-pMTnnMiPAg4wJBQdSXrPiJ2MmCyU70Fz-12I-InzE_kbA4wk2peJ9VL0ZTpHszsvfuXL0pn299l3QzZ4R3LbaprJUIh0-SY3DaHPQrDHiJ8_u5s4WlNGVoaM0mleXaeOOrCddN4/s1600/377341811_e976527caf.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl8q-pMTnnMiPAg4wJBQdSXrPiJ2MmCyU70Fz-12I-InzE_kbA4wk2peJ9VL0ZTpHszsvfuXL0pn299l3QzZ4R3LbaprJUIh0-SY3DaHPQrDHiJ8_u5s4WlNGVoaM0mleXaeOOrCddN4/s320/377341811_e976527caf.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516201400778610210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br />After that we went on all the slides, except I didn't let Jamie go on the big red ones that plummet straight down, almost vertically. I went on them and it was amazingly fast. My shorts were around my armpits as I plopped into the pool at the end, which was surprisingly deep. All the slides were fun, and in the morning there were no waits at all. As it got nearer to lunchtime the lines got a bit longer, and by the afternoon there was a 15-20 minute wait at the popular slides.<br /><br />The wave pool is brilliant fun, with 5-6 foot waves coming in groups of 3 or 4. Each one would bring dozens of people on big yellow tubes (that you can rent) coasting right over our heads, and after each wave we'd try to find Jamie, who always managed to paddle off on his own just as the big wave was about to hit. None of us got hurt, but it's pretty wild with feet and legs flying everywhere as the waves roll by.<br /><br />Also worth doing is a slide where you sit on a plastic float and then shoot down a 60 foot water slide and then skip along on top of the water at the bottom for another 60 feet. There's also a giant blue bowl which you slide into, then spin around before dropping through a hole in the bottom in the pool below.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARy_hU6UiqDTtRE6MdRy6eDfSs_2DvyqaoJv_S7QYxo4IaRq2gX7uGx0iV66ceo14QuSKRT13GUUkV9a0YaVaK2S5edBir-y-zOICJpZRjDN3kVtoeXEZrwMKxFTBjKjndxXi7thDdZ0/s1600/377341923_a88fc4016d_z.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARy_hU6UiqDTtRE6MdRy6eDfSs_2DvyqaoJv_S7QYxo4IaRq2gX7uGx0iV66ceo14QuSKRT13GUUkV9a0YaVaK2S5edBir-y-zOICJpZRjDN3kVtoeXEZrwMKxFTBjKjndxXi7thDdZ0/s320/377341923_a88fc4016d_z.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516202877759281746" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br />For lunch we had hot dogs and chips at one of the cute little cafes dotted around the pool, and were quickly back in the water. We watched someone do a bungee jump, which is done over the end of the wave pool. Looked pretty wild, and I would have done it too, but my shoulder is not quite in one piece again yet since breaking it in a bike riding accident.<br /><br />Although there's not much to write, it was the most fun day of the holiday. We were in the water park for from about 10am to 4pm in the afternoon. Once we were thoroughly exhausted from all the sliding, we went back to get changed. I vaguely remembered hanging my shirt up in the change room, but not putting it in my bag, so it turned out I'd lost it. It wasn't in the lost and found, so someday I may go back to Edmonton and see someone wearing the free shirt they got that day. Slipping back into my towel we slipped out the back door and went back to the hotel to get another one.<br /><br />We returned the mall for further exploration, in particular the restaurant section which had a reasonable selection of different style restaurants. We decided on Mr Mikes, since Jamie and I were both in the mood for steak.<br /><br />Feeling pretty tired after that we went back to the hotel and bought a movie on the hotel TV (Furry Vengeance).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wem.ca/#/play/home/World-Waterpark">West Edmonton World Waterpark</a><br /><br />(The pictures from are from this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35318832@N00/377341700/in/photostream/">Flickr stream</a>, as we didn't want to take cameras in with us.)<br /><br /><br /></div>Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341887888275928021.post-36719317871868141062010-09-11T02:29:00.000-07:002010-09-11T02:41:40.232-07:00Edmonton blog day 3Jasper to Edmonton <br /><br />Date of trip Mon 23/08<br /><br />Distance travelled 355km<br /><br /><table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nkGbjVeC3i4/TItE2bN1J3E/AAAAAAAAEso/ESEzkFdYEOM/s160-c/EdmontonDay1.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />Since we'd already been to Jasper, albeit 11 years ago on our honeymoon, it was exciting to be heading for the first time into new territory. The last leg of our journey would take us from Jasper to Edmonton, and is about 4 hours along the Yellowhead Highway (AB-16). First though we decided to retread some old ground, and take a short drive to Pyramid Lake, just 10 minutes from the guest house in Jasper. <br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_oZEui1lHpGkb8ngDD-UgQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQWWHd90BbFJ5lkjG9PqeCvl2jJioLw7liQhTJa7hlhdIWnBAqzkK6ahS-H-FhMei0QWbzw48C7B4x7-pVEhx2VKanwDl6XuCS7iLpkNLlqf8at3K5YfO4HYvYJtlBlrDjS4IW8MVwL8/s400/2010-08-23%2010.10.39.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />I wanted to go for a horse ride, but it turned out the stables near the lake were closed, but luckily the canoe rentals were not. While we considered whether to try it or not, another family with two young boys hopped into boats and paddled into the distance with little effort. Next to the lake is an up-market hotel and restaurant, which takes care of the boat and bike rentals. We rented a big canoe, put on life jackets and paddled into the lake. <br /><br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LtZ7ltO68P_M-LU9XiNcIA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ejw-X9e0l0kIS65T1FHFDguGRQY-h8Bn48uU7v7MiFw6qCa_7xDQ_uNByl9uXDma3k6UQFuoUxVZn3x575wVR3jI_pAB_k2g01sx6L-nasL6ijUlg9nsb3vBFKWpG3v1bTMARZsHSoA/s400/IMG_0326.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />There were some scary moments as the canoe was very sensitive to tipping, and Jamie, wanting to help, kept leaning right over the boat to stick his oar in (literally). So it was that the Heyes-Jones family made it's way, neither effortlessly or quietly, into the centre of the lake. Making pretty good progress we paddled around corner out of view of the hotel (and any chance of a rapid rescue) and towards a small island. Despite the sun, the morning was cold, and once around the corner there was a strong breeze trying to turn the canoe. So it was, that after an hour we arrived back at the boat rental with dirty hands and bright red faces with the effort of paddling. <br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G8WYh9QrAlVMW-ytmAb9og?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKkC5ZB21IBKadOWn1TSSbS23zMp7NoHZUxEWb0-D2jp7O3cuJpoY5fnxh435aG2LYha1fLc8hbP7UsLl0emToDPprxJMzz2Yns0E2jBK8wSLbzS6QgDIxGJ0XQooOmLUoYL0JqDFRPc/s400/IMG_0330.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />Leaving Jasper, we stopped in the Petro Canada and spent a small fortune on chips, gas and coffee, realising by now that you can't eat too much on a road trip (you somehow burn calories just sat there in the driving seat). Although we were now in Alberta so gas was about $0.86 per litre, compared with about 30c more back in Vancouver. <br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qUju_W7JoqNaj0xLsHmg6g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJIzLbRutE-WsiXWOBRxJB1ga5XeCiNZcDPe-rgGIvsNr6RnhMlBY-_CAB_ZfteYunbvR86zJ0umjj332NfCW4MnzAq7THxVwnQxcRiPIq4TOpWo_X1o4-CSZjYJcWQ_zA_CejtH_els/s400/2010-08-23%2012.10.22.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />Not long after leaving Jasper, the mountains suddenly fall behind you, and in their place is a giant blue sky. There's not much between Edmonton and Jasper, as far as I could tell, except for farm land; wery much like the England green hedge lined countryside I grew up in fact, except scaled up to fill this vast flat area.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/d1GFERQulDsP8sLB8H-H4g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa_hmSutuWOvr3Y6zIriwq1m0PwZycIY2gapjk9nCBlCtfIhv-OgsFlCZflQ4hACXcCjChPGcIlC8hKAuC569MTuapUQQ3AtnDovbUbb8-hYEXLZYBNI7I16FQPX8fMEMJ_kCewPODQ4/s400/2010-08-23%2015.39.20.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />There are a couple of small towns you can stop in along the highway but we had plenty of supplies so stopped only in a rest area. On the way I was delighted to see what looked like a large grey fox running along the median. Jamie and Corbey were less delighted as they didn't see it time. <br /><br />We arrived in Edmonton in the early evening, and I used my smartphone with GPS and google maps to drive us to the wrong part of the city in rush hour (I guess it's not smart enough to know when the user doesn't type the post code in correctly), so we spent 30 minutes touring the road works on Whitemud Drive. We also incidentally drove to the campus of the University of Alberta, instead of the West Edmonton Days Inn Hotel.<br /><br />On reaching the right area for the Days Inn, we couldn't see it anywhere, and I, not trusting my smartphone any more, decided to use it as a dumb phone and call the hotel for directions. Unfortunately I'd used up the battery almost completely, and the hotel put me on hold. Still they came back on the line just in time, and were friendly and helpful despite the fact that we were getting tired and our brains were mush. <br /><br />After checking in to our hotel room, which was really nice and a 5 minute drive from the West Edmonton Mall (WEM), Jamie and I hit the pool which we had to ourselves. It was deep and pretty big for a hotel pool, with a hot spa on the side. After that we showered and went for dinner. It was about this point I just gave up on navigating in Edmonton and let Corbey take care of it. The maze of one way streets were a puzzle I was not quite in the mood to solve. We had dinner at the Olive Garden which is a family favourite; the service was good and friendly which was a distinct pattern we were noticing with Edmonton folk. <br /><br />That evening we were itching to check out WEM, so even though it was due to close any minute we drove over there to investigate. Looking through the windows at a giant rollercoaster got Jamie super excited. We were able to wander through the mall, even though the stores were closing, and plan out our next couple of days. Jamie was blown away by Galaxy Land, Water World, and the fact that there is a full size ship right in the mall. <br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G5SE_pHCo99UcQ5BGdB0Eg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkj_Q_Mo9NACSHSYLftz9rEbXhZbZVpS4lW70VsfX0RHCyAufCp79uIg2NxuC0TBOlZaYCNlGVC5ALzUoYQPHp7ThwlfW7Ax6ln1z5mt2Og7lPlobvJTYXqPF8xFZwlM1wDM0JRjl4Bg/s400/2010-08-23%2021.24.42.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhj/EdmontonDay1?feat=embedwebsite">Edmonton day 1</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />Finally we went back to the hotel and settled into the giant comfortable beds.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05978765743088322110noreply@blogger.com0