Hamming for the Webcam

Road Trip: Destination Alberta

In Canada, the summer months are June, July and August. Families usually take advantage of the nice weather and go camping or go to the beach or do some other “outdoorsy” stuff because you never know when the sun will come back. Some take road trips which is exactly what we did this summer. Our destination: Alberta.

Why Alberta? Well, we wanted to see the the “Rockies“, more formally known as the “Rocky Mountains”. We also wanted to go to the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta (just outside of Calgary) and dig for Dinosaur bones. Finally, we wanted to visit family in Edmonton (my wife’s brother and his family). We made the trip together with another family, the Genabes, which made it even more enjoyable.

First stop: Kamloops, BC. The drive to our first stop took only 3 hours (it usually takes about 3 1/2). We took the Coquihalla highway to get there. We found this nice park and had lunch there. Smile, Matt!

The drive towards the Rockies is really picturesque. Along the highway we saw Elk, mountain goats, deer and other wildlife. For the most part, this was the view we enjoyed:

After almost a full day of driving, we stopped over at Golden, BC

The next day we went to Banff National Park and the world-famous Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise:

The water is emerald-green (in fact, it is also called “Emerald Lake”) and is that way because the water actually comes from melting glacier.

Next stop: Drumheller and the Royal Tyrell Museum. Eons ago, Alberta was dinosaur-playground. Now, these badlands have revealed thousands of dinosaur bones which are now housed in this huge museum.

Now, on to Edmonton. It was hot! It was great to see family again. We even got treated to a wonderful Filipino restaurant named, “Fat Jakks”. Loved the Crispy Pata!

We drove around Edmonton (getting lost is a good way to get to know a city) and also went to the Alberta Legislature buildings:

We spent a couple of days in Edmonton. The biggest attraction (especially for our teen shoppers) is the West Edmonton Mall which once held the bragging rights as the biggest mall in the world.

On our way back, we drove to Jasper, Alberta then back to Kamloops (and swam in the hotel pool). We spent one day in Kelowna and saw the Grand Okanagan Lake. Then, it was time to head back home! All in all we spent seven days on this road trip and feel blessed to witness the beauty of God’s creation.

Saturday Evening before Father’s Day

Note to self: I am not a runner.

This past Saturday just before Father’s Day, my daughter Michelle (age 11) and I ran on the 24 Hour Relay for Kids to help raise funds for the Easter Seals Summer camps. Well, Michelle ran ahead of me, it was a relay, you see. By the time it was my turn, I quickly realized why I seldom run.

The course wasn’t that far – 3 miles, almost 5 kilometers. The runners started out at Swangard Stadium and ran or jogged through Central Park. The idea was that your team always had to have a runner on the track for the 24 hour duration.

I started out well, I must say. After a burst of speed, however, I was huffing and puffing. I look to my left and a sign says “1/2 mile”. “What? What do you mean half a mile?”, I say to myself. “Surely to goodness, I’ve ran farther than that”. But no, the sign was right. “Did someone just put that sign to mock me?” By now, it seemed, everyone was passing me. Kids were running faster than me. People in crutches were running … – well, no, not really.

I’d rather bike, swim, kayak or canoe. Not run. Me not a runner! But I did run again this year – the third year in a row at the relay. Made special by the fact that my daughter ran too. She did well. She didn’t wheeze and puff like I did. Me, I had to summon every ounce of energy to cross the finish line. And oh, did I love the sight of that finish line. So, don’t ask me to run again. Not for another year, anyway.

Hi, I’m a Mac. And I’m a PC.

I love the Apple commercials showing the two guys representing the Mac and PC divide. Yet, the ultimate icons of Mac and Windows are, of course, Apple’s Steve Jobs and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.

Recently, at the D Conference, they shared the same stage (after almost two decades) and reminisced about the PC’s formative years, the early challenges of both of their companies, and their vision for the future of computing. Their interaction was surprisingly congenial, with Steve aptly delivering the one-liners and funny retorts. Bill was his usual techie self although he got a good one in with a “Steve is so known for his restraint” comment. Go watch it.

Stuck in the Moment

It’s the long weekend and I’ve finally decided that I would have enough time to upgrade our PC to Windows Vista. So, I pop in the Upgrade DVD that HP sent me weeks ago. I knew it would take its time. What I didn’t know was that it would take more than six hours to get through all the upgrade (and a few updates, and several re-boots).

Midway through the ordeal I get a frozen screen then a blue screen. I had iTunes on and playing a most appropriate tune – “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” by U2. I had to laugh.

Stuck in a moment. This brings me to what I really want to write about in this blog entry – the state of Philippine politics. I realize I am thousands of miles away, but in a “wired” world I am not that far. I must simply make my observation known – that the Philippines is sadly stuck in a moment that it can’t get out of.

The general elections of the past week (see www.inquirer.net) will show that although, the opposition will win more seats in the Senate, the Congress will remain under the control of the current administration. The painstakingly manual counting of votes will end. The unfortunate shedding of blood (inevitable only in the Philippines where elections are a bloodsport) will claim its victims. But the nation will find itself stuck in the crossroads.

Would that the people were clearer in their choice. Vote for change or stand solidly behind the current government. But the old adage applies, “You get what you ask for”. Perhaps that is what has driven a few to abandon their vote, asking if their vote matters anyway. http://cyberbaguioboy.com.ph/personal/does-it-matter

Yet, if you truly want to effect change, the last thing you want to do is to give in to apathy. The best way to get “unstuck” is to wake up.

Canucks Fever Grips Vancouver

With the Dallas Stars out of the way, the Vancouver Canucks enter the second round of the NHL playoffs. Tonight they take on the Anaheim Ducks. Canucks fever is in full tilt!

Update: Those pesky Ducks have knocked out our Canucks out of the playoffs. Oh, well. We do have an MVP goalie in Luongo. Maybe next year.

Pandora in Trouble

Pandora, the fast-rising “music discovery service” is in danger of being shut-out of business because of excessive license fees.

An appeal was sent out today from Tim Westergren, the site’s founder. Here is what he said:

“I’m writing today to ask for your help. The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora. The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays and broadcast radio doesn’t pay these at all. Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora.”

I wrote about Pandora here when I discovered it by chance and loved it instantly. Well, who wouldn’t? The experience is akin to having your own radio station, one customized to your taste. Streaming music is legal and Pandora pays artists their due.

Tim continues:

In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters. I hope that you will consider joining us. Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio: http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541

So there, if you’ve tried the service and love it, sign up and help save Pandora and other internet radio stations.

Superman Lives Here

A few weeks ago, I was reading a post from a good friend about Superman. Yes, Superman, the quintessential superhero. I said to myself, wait till he finds out where they film Smallville. Today at the cafeteria here at my work, I read a notice saying that Smallville 3 Films is going to be filming near our workplace. The film studio is actually just a stone’s throw away from us. They are warning all the neighbours (I suppose they’re required to do so) because they’re doing some scenes involving a car exploding! Last year, they landed a small helicopter behind our building to similar fanfare.

Well, here is a picture of the Notice of Filming (I know it’s cut-off on the right-hand side). Click on it to get a bigger version.

Having watched a few episodes of Smallville, I’m excited about the possibility of seeing some of the stars in person. That is, if I can sneek out just at the right time. I’m not a huge fan by any measure but I can see why the show has a big following in many countries – the stars are young, hip, and happening and of course, it’s about Superman, hero of the universe.

Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti

Don’t laugh. Actually, laugh. That is the title of an actual book. It is of course, a take-off on the popular “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” concept. The book explains why a man is like a waffle (each element of his life is in a separate box) and why a woman is life spaghetti (everything in her life touches everything else).

Thus, you will understand why I’m branching off this blog and creating a different “box” to contain my other interests or thoughts. This will remain my personal blog, an inside view into our family life and will continue to be updated (in fact, I have a few photos from Spring break to share later).

So, the Bravo! blog has hatched. Check it out if you want to see links to great (and useful) websites, blogs, and software.

The long weekend is coming up. I’m looking forward to having a break. However, I will have to come in to work on Friday morning and do some network upgrades. Hopefully, it will be done by noon so it isn’t too bad.

Raising "Canapinos"

My wife and I are raising Canadian-Filipinos (or “Canapinos”, yes it’s a term I’ve just made up and will soon trademark). Or you can call them “Canoys” – my brother-in-law thought of that.

In any case, our 3 kids were all born in Canada (Burnaby, British Columbia) – in fact, all in the same hospital (BGH – Burnaby General Hospital) almost exactly 2 years apart. We’re raising them as best we can, helping them appreciate two cultures that inevitably intertwine and help form their identities. Michelle is 11, Matthew is 9, Megan is 7.

Earlier on, my wife and I decided not to teach them how to speak Pilipino, or even our dialect which is Ilocano. We’ve always spoken to them in English and we’ve always read to them in English. We felt that they needed to be grounded in the language of their country first. It doesn’t mean that they won’t ever learn our (the parent’s) mother tongue. In time, as they grow, they will learn. Canada is their country and English is their mother tongue.

Having said that, our kids do use Filipino words such as “Manong, Manang” (ok, that’s Ilocano but you get my point). This is simply because there are no equivalent words in the English language to show a sign of respect in addressing an older brother (Manong) or an older sister (Manang). Respect for your elders has always been an excellent Filipino trait. We encourage them to have that.

Interestingly, our kids often think of themselves as Filipinos first. During the first week of classes this year, one of our kids commented “I’m the only Filipino in my class.” To which our youngest daughter replied, “There are two of us in my class!” Another time, our eldest daughter was telling us that she had corrected one of her classmates who thought she was of East-Indian descent by telling him “No, I’m Filipino.”

What makes our kids Filipino? Other than the fact that they are our offspring and physically appear to be very Pinoy, they have grown up eating Filipino dishes (adobo, kare-kare, palabok, the occasional pandesal, to name a few). However, living in the cultural melting pot that is Vancouver has exposed them to other types of food and culture as well: Greek, Chinese, American, Italian, Indonesian, Indian, etc. And of course, rice is a staple in their diet. Aside from this, what makes them Filipino are the traits that define our culture – respect for elders, closeness with family, sensitivity to other’s needs, etc.

What makes them Canadian? Aside from our frequent forays to The Pantry, an all-Canadian restaurant, they do know their Canadian history. Yes, they know more than we do in this regard. My son loves hockey. We love to be outdoors, enjoying the great landscape that Canada offers. They look forward to fishing, crab-trapping, and camping when summer rolls around. Individualism or “pulling oneself up by one’s boot-straps” is a very Western trait. We rather think that we’re encouraging self-reliance and not the “what-do-I-care” attitude of individualism. Alas, they are too young and too reliant on Mom and Dad to show any of these traits yet. But they are forthright and brutally honest at times. Other times, they’re just plain Canadian nice.

So, here we are raising kids who straddle two cultures. Our hope is that they will learn to appreciate both, taking the best from both worlds and taking pride in being what their Papa calls, “Canapinos”.