Challenge 2: Park Art

I picked up this leaf from a nearby park at the start of Autumn, just when the leaves started turning a beautiful red/orange colour and falling from the trees. So... I named this artwork "The beginning of the fall". Enjoy!

Challenge 4: Photography tour of my apartment!

This is the view as you walk through the front door - kitchen!

Turn to the right, and... there is the bathroom

The view of the kitchen from the lounge room. Note the lovely flowers care of my wonderful family!

Lounge room + my bedroom doorway (+ Dad's banjo waiting to go home to Oz)

View of the kitchen/lounge room from the front door.... are you starting to sense our unit is very small???

My favourite thing in the unit - the kitchen light switch. Retro!

My bedroom! This dresser is an antique and only cost me $60 - bargain!

Ikea bed.... $10 second hand (mattress not included because that would be gross)!

The lounge room!

View from my bedroom... very exciting.

Challenge 6: Take a trip....

So, technically I was meant to take a bus or train trip, but the truth is, the only place I go on a  bus is to work.... and I don't catch trains except to other parts of town.... and it's pretty hard to take any kind of interesting photos! Therefore, I'm adapting this challenge. This weekend I took a car ride with 4 of my buddies here - Jake, Christen, Lex & Shiloh and we drove to Hells Gate, BC (the narrowest point of the Fraser River), around 2.5 hours away from Vancouver. It was pretty cool and lots of fun! On the way back we stopped at Shiloh's family farm to visit the cows. Here are come of the sneaky photos I took out the window on the way there...

Pretty Canadian Mountains

Waterfall ahead!

"Everyone hold your breath in the tunnel... ready, set... go!"

Mount Baker - a huge mountain in the USA that can be seen from Vancouver!

Challenge 5: Photograph a piece of Canadian street art (graffiti)

This guy does amazing street art downtown as a way to make money. It's different everyday!

Challenge 7: Meet Shiloh!

Name:. Shiloh Minor
Favourite Song: Latter Days, by Over the Rhine
Pet Peeve: The sound that people slurping huge spoonfuls of cold cereal in the morning. 
Who would you be in an alternate universe?: Hard to choose. Up close everyone's life has it's issues. So being a movie character sounds better. I want to be the lead woman from Love and Basketball.

Shiloh & me near Hells Gate, British Columbia

Challenge 9: Drink a Canadian beer

This is Nathan! He is a friend of mine from Saskatchewan, currently living in Vancouver and studying at Regent College. Last night he introduced me to Pumpkin Ale! I can't say I liked it all that much.... but a challenge is a challenge! And yes Jimi... I did drink the whole glass :)

Challenge 3: A little bike around Kits!

Saturday in Vancouver started off as many Fall (Autumn) days do... overcast. Then... all of a sudden..... SUN! So I grabbed Christen's bike and did a little cycle-tour around the streets of Kitsilano (my neighbourhood), stopping at the park for a little "To Kill a Mockingbird" in the sunshine. This photo was taken on 6th Ave which happens to be my favourite street in Kits (due to the beautiful trees)!

Challenge 1: A haiku!

Weekend parties rock
Working on Monday is lame
Four more days to go

Challenge 10: Meet an elderly stranger and briefly document the meeting

Tonight I had the pleasure of going along to "Out of the cold", a program run by one of the churches here in Vancouver to feed the homeless and those that have generally drawn the short straw in life and may not be able to afford a proper meal.

I sat at a table with 5 lovely people as follows:

Claire is 61 years old, though she told me her secret to youthful skin is face cream from the dollar store with Vitamin A in it. She said "why pay $20 when you can buy it for $1?" Amen sister! Sadly though, Claire said she doesn't have any family. Her mum has passed away, no siblings and she has not seen her Dad for 50 years. 

Amy is around 33 years old, from China and has lived here for 20 years. She was very hard to understand because of her accent, but she was super cute and very chatty! Amy came with her friend Sally who was older (late 40's), who was originally from Hong Kong and came to Canada so that her kids could learn English. Unfortunately, I don't know that she sees her kids much and although she has been married twice, she is married no longer.

Dorren is probably in his late 50's early 60's and is a dead ringer for Mr. Miyagi! He has a long beard, wears his hair in a bun on the top of his head, and tonight was rocking some hot pink nail-polish! He loves badges and had a mighty fine collection on his shirt and jacket. He has a friend, a large Canadian man named Rudolph, who also had a long white beard and long white hair. Gold nail-polish was his choice colour! My favourite accessory though was the clothes peg in his beard. What better way to hold it together?!

These 5 lovely people and I enjoyed a delicious meal of meatballs and risotto, together with caeser salad and berry pie for dessert. Dorren finished mine off for me! Altogether it was a great night and I'll be back for sure. I commend 10th Ave Church as well for running such a great program. The need in Vancouver is great and they are living up to the calling we have received.