Vistor

This visitor from Germany is kind of shy. Turned her head just as I pressed the shutter button. The background is Gastown.

Waiting

Outside a shop at Granville Island

SFU Surrey

Simon Fraser University's new campus in Surrey continues the school's tradition of having distinctive designed building. Its main campus up in Burnaby Mountain is still a study in contemporary architecture today.

Bike to work

This is Bike to Work Week. Take your bike out for a ride! You don't bike? Show your support by taking public transit or walk to the store instead of driving. At today's high gasoline prices you not only get more fit but save money also, a true win-win situation.

The first outlet

This is the company's very first outlet in the Lower Mainland. It was the very first Chinese-oriented grocery store outside Chinatown. It is spacious with wide aisles and well-stocked. From here it branched out to other locations in BC, Alberta and Ontario.

Recently the Vancouver Sun reported its services are better than the other national supermarkets such as Safeway and Loblaw. The store that reporter visited must be one in Alberta or Ontario. We've shopped in every one of their Greater Vancouver locations and service is the least likely word we would associate with T&T.

It is not uncommon for the employees behind the food counter to talk amongst themselves rather than serve the waiting customers. Can't recall when was the last time we saw a cashier actually smiled. Their attitude seems to be that they are doing us a huge favour by scanning our purchases and taking our money.

Saki anyone?

In the windows of a sushi take away

Grad Teddy

One of the ritual of spring is the new crop of high school grads. For these young people there is no bigger event than the grad dance and after grad. Each year's grad dance is two years in planning. To the retailers it has become a valuable marketing tool.

Church

You can find a church such as this in just about any small North American town. This one, however, sits on Kingsway, one of the main arteries connecting Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. The sign on the left indicates an application for a zoning change has been submitted, a reflection of Vancouver's booming real estate market.

White azelea

This is the time for azelea

A close up

A close up view.

Food court

The snake plants on the food court's curving eating counter nicely separates the food stalls from seating area.

Top it up

So your building isn't tall enough? No problem! Just top it up with more steel, concrete and glass. They are adding, so far, three more floors to this structure in Burnaby.

A touch of wood

On the Tinseltown's second level is a continuous craved wooden panel. This is the northern end of the panel. It jumps right out at you amongst the concrete, glass and metal in a modern day shopping mall.

Memorial Cup

The Vancouver Canucks may be out of the Stanley Cup playoff but remains front and center in the Lower Mainland as the Vancouver Giants play host to this year's Memorial Cup Tournament, supremacy in junior A hockey.

Me and my dog

Two regulars at the Austin Ave shops

A barber shop

Here is another storefront along this strip of commercial space along Austin Avenue, in Coquitlam, BC. What attracted me was the small table and two chairs in front of it.

Slaying the dragon

Along Austin Ave. in Coquitlam, BC. is a long row of small shops housed in three to four commercial buildings. One of them is Gifts Galore & Home Decor and this was part of its window display.

Out of the shade

My neighbour's cat as they were getting ready to leave.

Pink rhododendrons

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers!!

Reflection

The information desk in Brentwood Mall as seen in the mirror under the up escalator.

Night photography

Thought I should try to take a photo or two at night. The conclusion is this is one area to stay away from.

Chocolate

Purdy's Transcanada Chocolate Tours makes a stop at Metrotown. This is one of the many displays.

Going up!!

On the way to the roof top parkade

A crack on the sidewalk

I was walking along the street the other day and happened to looked down and saw this small crack with a weed growing out of it.

Sitka Apartments

I just like the archway, bridge, and water of this front entrance

Silhouette sales office

Nothing is more common than a showhome sales office in Vancouver's overheated real estate market.

Capilano Mall entrance

Totem poles

Inside the new section of Capitano Mall in North Vancouver

Hyacinth

Granville Island

Residential part of Granville Island, just before the commercial sector begins

Purple rhododendron