The original goal was to hike/climb 7th Heaven on Blackcomb mountain – which we did. However, on the way up we started collecting garbage. We found the usual objects including water bottles, beer bottles, cans, goggles, clothing, skis, ski poles, two-way radios and the best of all, $125 (US) and a money clip. Maybe that was some good karma for picking up garbage and lost objects.
During the winter season, similar objects are found every day – especially cell phones and wallets. Whistler is a fairly good place to lose thing and have them returned. I recently left my credit card in a restaurant. I didn’t discover it missing until a few days later. When I did realise where I left it, I called and they did indeed have it. I retrieved it shortly after that without any hassle of getting it replaced.
I normally don’t carry cash with me – maybe for fear of losing it? However, banking is different that what it used to be. With ATMs and credit cards, cash is almost unnecessary in large cities and popular resorts. I can’t think of any place in Whistler that does not accept credit cards; and I think every merchant does because Visa is a worldwide sponsor of the Olympics. Even my lift pass is connected to my credit card so I don’t even need to carry a credit card with me when I’m on the mountain. Replacing a lift pass is easier than replacing a credit card or wallet. I’m not sure why people still carry cash.
The set from the day is below; click on the larger image to advance to the next one. If you’re on your iPhone or can’t see it, click here.
While walking from the curling club to the subway station this evening, a friend mentioned the unattractiveness, incongruity and randomness of the landscape in the area. Just as he mentioned that, I turned and saw these four houses. In this area of the city, East York, there are many such houses with architecture that resemble barns.
However, this was not the real topic of discussion. It was the accessibility of the Toronto transit system. Had we been on a bus, we would not have seen this landscape. However, buses on this street do not run beyond 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings. Even on weekdays, it does not run past beyone 10:00 p.m. This seems to strand or marginalize people – especially the elderly or people with limited mobility. The schedule presents even more challenges when the weather is inclement.
The local transit authority, the TTC has an initiative underway, Transit City: Moving Toronto Into The Future.The plan is to extend the transit system into the suburbs. Having such a plan seems counterintuitive when the TTC does not seem to provide adequete transportation within the city.
The lack of transit in this area of East York made it seem neglected and in despair. If proper transit were provided to poorly serviced areas, would the area improve? A hypothetical question that probably will not get answered anytime soon – but should be asked.
It’s been four years in the transformation of the AGO from mild-mannered art gallery to a world class art gallery. This is Frank Gehry’s first major project in Canada. It doesn’t look like it will disappoint anyone. It even looked spectacular during construction. There was a reception tonight but it was a private one. It is scheduled to open to the general public in just over a week. We will see what the critics think then.
My images from the past year. Click on the larger image to advance to the next image.
The first shot where I noticed the difference between my new camera (not the one in the previous post) and my old camera. The above image was captured at dusk, untouched – except for some minor cropping – and at ISO 1600. The higher ISO captures images better in low light conditions – but also produces lots of image noise because the sensor that captures the image is not sensitive enough and the software makes up for that deficiency.
I rarely took shots above ISO 800 on my previous camera because the noise made it look like a snowstorm. Bring on the night!
I listed my former Nikon D200 camera along with my tourist zoom lens on Sunday and I sold the camera tonight; the lens is still for sale. I was surprised because I thought the lens would sell sooner. I’m about to buy a new camera but I haven’t decided which one to get. I think I already know, but I’m thinking of a few different options. I had this one for almost two years. I honestly thought I would have owned it for much longer – but I guess two years is a lifetime in the age of electronics. One can’t get attached to objects.
I definitely learned a lot from this camera – including lighting, exposure and especially effects with a fisheye lens. I haven’t decided what to do with the fisheye lens since it only works on the smaller frame digital cameras and not the full frame digital cameras – which I am very likely about to buy. Maybe I’ve outgrown the fisheye lens. A fellow photographer told me that I would probably outgrow it in about a year and a half – I’m three months away from that since I got the fisheye lens in 2007. Although I am curious to experiment with a super-wide angle lens. That could be my next challenge.
Some recent images with the D200 and fisheye lens.
Ten years after I first visited Yankee stadium, I returned for a final visit in the last season of the current Yankee Stadium. They will be playing in a new stadium starting in 2009 – also called Yankee Stadiium and the old Yankee Stadium will be demolished.
Although there is a lot of history in the current stadium, it is an old style stadium. The seating is old, the walkways and washrooms are cramped and there are not many amenities. Skydome/Roger’s Centre in Toronto is quite spacious in comparison.What I find most interesting about Yankee Stadium are the fans that visit the games. They are the most lively, boisterous and out-spoken – true New Yorkers. The Yankee fans may taunt you because you’re a Jay fan, etc. but everyone can still be friends because we’re all baseball fans.
I’ll probably go back to visit the stadium before it is demolished but this will probably be my last Yankee game in the House That Ruth Built (or the Stadium, the Big Ballpark in the Bronx, the Cathedral of Baseball).
On a related note, while in NY, I met a guy from Toronto that has the goal of watching every Toronto Blue Jay game in 2008 – at home and on the road. He worked out a deal with his company to work part time – when he was in town. His enthusiasm seem to be waning when I talked to him – but that’s understandable because he has been watching baseball games daily on his own for five months and counting. As Homer Simpson knows, baseball isn’t that exciting most of the time (when sober). Ryan’s website, is Baseball Odyssey – he stopped blogging at the end of June – perhaps that’s when he contracted baseball fatigue.
Here is my Flickr baseball set. Click on the larger image to advance to the next image.
In the early 80s, Keith Haring‘s art was primarily in public spaces in New York. Since he died in 1990, not much of it is left in public spaces. There is a tribute on Houston Avenue at Bowery Street in the lower east side that was created earlier this year.
He started his public art in the subway in the early 1980s. His art was not only graffiti, but carried a social message. He had other works such as Crack is Whack, which still exists today – in the renamed, Crack is Whack Playground in Harlem, as well as other works in some private buildings including one that was recently uncovered in a condo building in Tribeca.
According to The Villager, the Haring installation on Houston was tagged in July. Had I been in New York two weeks earlier, it would have looked different. However, it still unmistakably is a Haring and is now more of a collaborative work. It is also accessible to all and not locked up in a museum, art gallery or private collection.
I don’t normally like long commutes in cars, buses, trains or planes. However, I think they are a bit more tolerable if they are done at night and I can get some sleep and arrive rested at the other end of the journey first thing in the morning.
With advances in technology, the amenities for the traveler is much more diverse. Recently several new bus services between Toronto and New York were introduced with rates starting at one dollar. I didn’t get a one dollar fare, but it was close. I took the Greyhound Neon service which featured movies, electrical plugs and wireless Internet.
In the end I didn’t get much sleep because there was a short delay at the border and a couple of other rest stops at midnight and 4:00 am – but this is more for the driver – plus the air conditioning was way too cold and the seats were passable, not the most comfortable; but I’m not complaining based on what I spent and where I went.
The reward – at the end of the Lincoln Tunnel – is always worth it as I witnessed below.
Here is a set of photos of my trip from Toronto to New York – the road trip portion only. Taken mostly while on the bus. Click on the larger image to advance to the next one.
More pictures from New York to follow in the coming days and weeks!
I’m moving offices tomorrow; neither a good or a bad thing. I’m moving to a lower floor in another building. I’ll miss being on the top floor because of the view; however, it always is a long ride in the elevator. When I was cleaning out my desk today, the last thing that I pulled out of it was a fortune cookie. I broke it open and got a chuckle when I read the fortune.
“Less meat, less junk, more plants. Eat food, eat real food.” – Mark Bittman, during his talk,What’s wrong with what we eat. Mark Bittman is the New York Times food columnist of The Minimalist.
Advertising, Architecture, Blogroll, Couchsurfing, Culture, Environment, Food, Photography, Skiing, Whistler | Garry July 15, 2009 | 
Comments (0) 
