More Gold!

A very interesting turn of the events in the Olympics, these last few days: Canada gained another 3 gold medals (and a bronze) today, bringing our total to 25: 13 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze.

Today's medals were earned by:
Gold - Men's Speed Skating Team Pursuit
Gold - Men's Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom
Gold - Men's Curling
Bronze - 4-Man Bobsleigh

All our medals won today were won by men. Interesting, since over the past few days there's been talk of our women carrying the national team on their shoulders, on account of their many medals. I think this balances the equation somewhat.

Another interesting note is that we're currently tied with Norway and Germany for the most ever gold medals won by a host nation at the Winter Olympics: 13. If we win gold against the US in hockey tomorrow, we'll break that record and own the new one.

Go Canada Go!

Dinner At La Bodega With Mom And Dad

Tonight was the first time in a while that I saw my parents. Mom and dad came over to my place around 5:30pm, and shortly afterward we went to La Bodega together for dinner.

I actually ordered for us all, and I ordered the same dishes I did last time when I went with Jen. I was a bit torn about ordering: mom and dad are not the easiest guests to please at a restaurant - there's always something that "would've been much much tastier and healthier at home", and on top of that, my current dietary restrictions because of Lent meant that I should've limited myself, but I didn't, at least not as far as meat is concerned. An exception, a compromise, seemed appropriate given the context, so that's what I made.

Tonight was also the night of the men's hockey semi-finals. During dinner the waitress twice approached our table to give us score updates (we were virtually the only ones at the restaurant, everyone was watching the game!). We played the Slovaks, and during dinner, the score was first 1-0 for the good guys, then 2-0, then 3-0.

After dinner we walked towards Robson Square, and along the way, we found out that the score was 3-1. By the time we got there, the score was 3-2. It was chilly and rainy, but that didn't deter thousands of people from filling the square, even the sidewalks and streets were full. We watched the last 3 minutes of the game on a giant screen, and man, these were intense minutes. We hung on to the score, the game, our lives (!), and Luongo made a fantastic save with less than 20 seconds left that could've changed the whole outcome of the game.

But prevail we did, 3-2, and now our boys are off to the final, and as predicted by many, it'll be against the mighty Americans, who've played very fine hockey throughout the tournament. That'll be a superb game, this Sunday.

Over the past 3 days Canada's Olympic team has also come alive somewhat, earning 10 medals, bringing our total to a respectable 21 (10 golds, 7 silver, and 4 bronze). In terms of the gold medal count, we're actually leading the Germans (9) and the Americans (8), but in the overall medal count we're lagging behind both the Americans (34) and the Germans (27).

Canada 7 - Russia 3

Ooooooooooh yeah. Man, we smoked the Russians today. What a game .. I was such a proud Canadian. The Russians were supposed to be the favourites to win the tournament - they have Ovechkin - but our team made them look like juniors, total domination, from beginning to end.

I have to revel in this, these types of wins do not come along everyday...

To watch the game I met up with Vero and Jennifer (although she didn't stay for long) at the Bread Garden on Broadway and Heather. We ate dinner there, and afterwards Vero and I made our way to New Westminster by skytrain to meet up with the rest of the TTR-addicts for a night of great board-game-fun.

Sanjit was a great host, he made a Kenyan tea that's to die for: 2/3 water, 1/3 milk, black tea, cinnamon, anise, and cardamom seeds.

So, the highlights of the day: hockey win over Russia, TTR with great friends, and Sanjit's Kenyan tea.

Canada 3 - USA 5

Today was the final game of the round robin in hockey. Our boys played the Americans, and we got smoked, 5-3.

This means our road to the gold medal game just got harder. We'll have to beat the Russians just to get to the gold-medal game. Ouch...

There is now one week left in the Olympics. The weather's been fantastic - uncharacteristically warm and sunny.

Saxony House: Take Two

A day in (mostly) pictures:

The day "began" around 3:30, when Sanjit and I met up with Marty who's in town to take pictures for the Winter Olympics. We met in front of the VAG, and man, the place was was packed with a sea of people, almost as far as the eyes could see.

We immediately made our way towards Stanley Park, stopping at a mediterranean resto again (see yesterday's post), to eat a falafel along the way. The weather's been amazing - warm and sunny - making the walk truly pleasant. Here's a couple of pictures of our approach to the Saxony House.

The wait outside was super long, it took us 1.5+ hours to get in. Here's a picture of the long lineup:

But unlike yesterday when the wait was arduous, today we made the best of it and had great fun. Thanks to Marty - Mr. Outgoing - we met some great people!

Once inside, we were welcomed by a music band playing typical Saxon folksongs. My parents would've felt right at home, I think, except for the beer that was flowing freely (but it certainly wasn't free, at $8! per glass), like a waterfall. Later on, Benja said "Now I understand why Germans drink so much beer, this music sounds best with beer." It sounds like he was implying that the music was so bad you need beer to enjoy it, but I don't think he meant that. :)


































There was a great patio outside, with a great view of downtown:

But the action was definitely inside.






















































We met Sandra, the beauty on the right. My gosh, I'm smitten: Italian background, from Brasil.















At around 10pm we left the SH, and headed back towards downtown. We'd heard that every night there is free entertainment, music, fireworks, and lasershows near the VAG, so we went there, and we weren't disappointed.

All in all, a great day. One thing that I have to say, albeit anecdotally, is that I felt incredibly distant from Jennifer today, probably the most distant I've felt in the last two years.

Al Watan, Saxony House

Dinner at Al Watan: I met up with James and had dinner at my favourite place. It was good to catch up with him, it'd been since before Christmas that I saw him last. I don't quite understand why I see so little of my Christian friends, I'm realizing that my bonds of affection are much stronger with my non-believing friends. This is an increasing source of disappointment to me.

Saxony House: after dinner, we met up with Jennifer and one of James' friends, Matt, and together we went down to the Saxony House Pavilion (Vancouver Rowing Club) to take in some of the Olympic atmosphere.

As with all other Games-related sites, there was a long lineup to get in: 2+ hours. We only stuck it out for about 45 minutes. We were cold (I didn't dress warm enough), hungry, and generally impatient.

So we gave up the quest to conquer Saxony, and went to eat instead. Jennifer, in particular, was hungry, so we walked along Denman until we found a place that had both, food and a television to follow the Olympics on. We settled on a mediterranean fast food-type place.

But our interest in the Saxony House was piqued enough to try getting in another time, perhaps tomorrow.

Addicted To The Olympics

I remember in July of 2003, waking up one morning at 5am, to hear the live broadcast of who would become the host city of the 2010 Olympics. I was thrilled then, to find out that Vancouver was selected.

Fast forward 7 years - and numerous articles, announcements, discussions, and arguments in between, both for and against the Olympics - here we are, 6 days into the Olympics, and I'm completely addicted. It seems that for me, in terms of a sporting event, the only sporting event that generates more enthusiasm and excitement, is the World Cup.

There's something about the Olympics, and particularly the Winter Olympics, that makes me just want to sit down and take them in. I'm not sure what it is, maybe it's the competitive aspect, maybe it's watching how the athletes who've spent the better part of the past 4 years preparing for this event react to their successes and failures, their joys and their sorrows, maybe it's the media hype that comes along with an event of such large proportions, or maybe it's all of these, I don't know, but whatever it is, the draw is there and it's real.

And it seems that I'm not the only one. The big whigs at work installed a large projector in the lunchroom, with the Olympic channel streaming all day long, and on breaks, the room's completely packed with people.

And Vancouver itself, seems to have been transformed into a city of fun. There are people everywhere, it's busy no matter where you go, there's vibrancy, there's life. The buses and the skytrains are full, and on the streets there are reminders of the Olympics everywhere: advertising signs, official event vehicles, stores, and of course, the fireworks that I can hear clearly from my bedroom window every night at 11pm. It's really quite refreshing, to be in such a dynamic city.

And patriotism - my goodness - there's red and white everywhere: buildings are adorned with the maple leaf flag, windows are draped in red and white, and people are also wearing their national pride on their sleeves: if not the ever-popular red mittens, then white "Canada" sweatshirts, or some other national symbol. Frankly, I had no idea we were so patriotic.

So far, though, the enthusiasm in our hearts has been more prevalent than the results on the score sheets, because as of now we only have 7 medals. Hopefully this will change.

Lent: Ash Wednesday Begins Journey Towards Easter

This morning at 8am I attended a special Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Mary's RC church, in Burnaby. Afterwards and for the rest of the day, I walked around with a cross-shaped ash mark on my forehead: "....for dust you are, and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19b).

Very interesting reactions at work: most westerners and chinese said "you have something on your forehead", while Filipinos all recognized the mark, "Oh right, it's Ash Wednesday today."

So, for the next 6 weeks, as a form of self-discipline (I Corinthians 9:24-27), no:
- coffee
- wine
- chocolate (hot or cold cocoa drink ok), or
- red meat (beef, lamb, pork)

Connections Between Film, Faith, And Love

This morning our church had a special Valentine's service that focused on the theme of love, especially as the theme is explored in film. Aaron was the speaker, and I think he did a good job, giving examples of where movies portrayed deep, profound love in a winsome way. Reviewing various movies - most of them with Hugh Grant: Love Actually, About a Boy, Notting Hill, and Magnolia - Aaron made the following points about the nature of love:

1- Great love requires great sacrifice => often we don't love as we should.

2- Our tendency is towards disconnection => but sacrificial love can transform us. We don't want to be vulnerable with one another: "we spend a lot of energy pretending things are ok when they are not, and we are afraid of real relationships, and yet, our heart cries out for them."

3- Love requires great vulnerability => vulnerability implies being real with those around us rather than protecting our reputation or image.

After making these points, he, turned to Scripture and "filled out" some crucial missing links. The text he looked at was I John 4:7-12, which says the following: "7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

God's love is not immature, depending on feelings, whims, or emotions. God's love is radical: He loved before we even loved him. In fact, he loves us irregardless of whether we love him in return. Two amazing things about God's love:
1- Verse 10: God loved us, even while we ignored him.
2- Verse 9: God's love for us came at a great cost to him: it cost him his Son.

What does "atoning sacrifice for our sins" mean? What is sin? Why sacrifice?

Sin: describes our internal posture towards God => declaring independence from God. This declaration on our part (we've all done it) results in ruptured relationships with God and one another.

Sacrifice, Atonement: God dealing with our brokenness, our disconnection with him and one another. God loves us and doesn't want to leave us broken, but he can't ignore our disconnection (sin) because he's also a just God. In order to deal with the injustice of ruptured relationships we've caused, he sent his Son to die for us, in our stead.

Questions: Does this ring true? Does it sound right?
Self-Sacrifice: God loved us so much that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ.
Disconnection: God dealt with our disconnection by sacrificing his Son.
Vulnerability: For us to reconnect with the Father, we must admit our weakness (sin) and return (repent) to the Father.

He ended by encouraging us to pray this prayer, about making Peace with the Father: "Father, thank you that you love me. I have not always loved as I should, I'm sorry, forgive me. Thank you that Jesus died for me. I want you to be in charge of my life now. Amen."

Afterwards, Sanjit, Jen and I went for Vietnamese coffee, and on our way there, Jen asked the question that gets right to the heart of the matter, it's such a good question. She said: "Love does require sacrifice, but how does sending Jesus cost God something? It cost Jesus something, but how does it cost God something?"

The answer, of course, is that God is three persons, one God, three persons that make up the "Godhead": God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit are all persons that make up the One God, so when the Father sent his Son, he's sending one of the persons of the Trinity, he's sending himself (in the person of Jesus). This sending, is already an act of great sacrifice (because it shows God's love and care for us), not to mention the isolation and suffering that Jesus endured on our behalf.

It was very good to think through this question. a little It's the best possible question she could've asked. But it's not an easy answer to grasp. It's truly only the Holy Spirit that help sus consent, better yet, it's only the Holy Spirit that can enlighten our hearts and minds with this wonderful truth.

Dinner At La Bodega With Jennifer

Tonight was our sort of Valentine's dinner. I say sort of, because Jen and I aren't together any longer, and as a result, there's a definite barrier between us. Physically, of course, much of our playfulness is either gone or on its way out. Psychologically, we are not on the same page anymore, we keep our cards closer to our chest, not wanting to reveal or expose ourselves. Spiritually, well, we were never of one mind to begin with, that's been the problem from the get-go, so nothing has changed there, except maybe the odd bitter feeling - I'm sure all this is mutual.

So what's left is what we began with, the social, a friendship, except that whereas we began our friendship with enthusiasm and excitement at our new discovery - each other - now, we have a friendship that's tainted, at least temporarily (I hope), with hurt and disappointment.

Even so, we managed to put on our smiley faces and go to one of my favourite restaurants, La Bodega. Actually, I'm grateful to Jen for suggesting this place. A nice touch on her part.

We ordered what we always order when we go there:
* tomate y cebolla (sliced tomatoes and sweet red oninos)
* chorizo casero (cured, spicy pork sausages)
* albondigas (spanish meatballs)
* arroz español (seafood on spanish rice pilaf), and my all-time favourite:
* patatas bravas (literally, brave potatoes: potatoes with zesty dressing)

Even as I write this my mouth waters! I'm hungry again!

Below are two pictures, both taken at the beginning of the meal.

After dinner we went for a walk near the restaurant, to take in some of the Olympic atmosphere. After all, Vancouver's now an olympic city: it will be a zoo over the next 16 days.

We walked halfway across the Granville Street Bridge, and took a look at the searchlights that have been gracing the skies of our beautiful city for the past few weeks already, and tonight was no exception, as they shone right through the fog and rain. Actually, one could argue that the fog and rain amplified the effect in some way.

Below is a picture of Granville Island, taken from the bridge. Across the water, the building with the bright yellow lights (I believe it's Bridges Restaurant) is the Swiss House, for the duration of the Games. Apparently they give out free chocolate to visitors: sounds like a place I need to visit before Lent begins next Wednesday!

On our way back to Jen's place, we noticed that the streets were much much more crowded then usual. Various age groups and flags of nations were visible in the city streets tonight. It was a refreshing sight, to see life in the city. I hope that the city will shed its "no fun" image over the next few weeks!

Once at Jen's we watched the opening ceremony on tape. Overall I thought they were good, although it seems like there was a glitch at the end when the hydraulics on one of the totem poles failed.

It's also not very wintery: it's wet and miserable, not exactly the winter wonderland the world probably expected. I wonder if someone told visitors coming here that this is typical "winter " in Vancouver.

Harvey's Birthday

Tonight I was invited to Norah's, who was hosting a birthday party for our good friend Harvey, "bishop" Harvey, as I call him.

The beginning of the evening was slow, I felt totally out of place. It seemed to me like a high class affair, lots of wealthy folk standing around in the living room and kitchen (that's just the first floor, there's a second floor with a massively big party room), chatting it up about who knows what, while drinking a glass of wine. Nothing wrong with any of those things, but for whatever reason I felt like I didn't belong.

Until I hooked up with Glenn, good ol' Glenn. He belongs fully in this crowd, he's Mr. Etiquette, but he's so down to earth, so easy to talk to, so humble, I was thanking God for putting him in my path over dinner, because we had a great conversation.

I shared with him my ongoing vocational frustrations, and he shared with me his ongoing frustrations, the details of which I wont mention here. Needless to say, once we began talking I relaxed, and all of the sudden, all those other folk who'd intimidated me, were no big deal any more. Actually, some of them saw that we were having a good conversation and came and joined us. And we welcomed them. Maybe had I done the same - join others in their conversation - they'd have welcomed me too.

Social encounters with native Canadians (and for the record, other westerners) remain mysteriously uncomfortable for me. For whatever reason, I feel much more comfortable with non-westerners.

Towards the end of the evening, a few of us - Will, Harvey, Glenn, and I - embarked on a very interesting conversation, covering science, ethics, atheism, and biblical history. We all agreed, of course: all good Anglicans always agree on everything (hahahahaha!).

Dinner @ Rachelle's!

Tonight I went for dinner at Rachelle's! I say this with an exclamation point, because I rarely see her anymore - she seems to have disappeared, or rather, withdrawn (?) - from the map. It was actually the first time I saw her since before Christmas; well before Christmas, maybe even as far back as late summer, August or September-ish.

She made dinner, lasagna, with a lovely salad, and my gosh was it ever good.

We also had a coffee, for ol' times sake. I remember fondly the Sunday mornings we used to attend church together and then afterward go for breakfast, sometimes at her place, sometimes at mine, and sometimes at Paul's Place or some other good breakfast joint. And all our breakfasts ended on the same exhilarating note: coffee, cream, and sugar.

Sadly, she has completely withdrawn from the community of faith, and I feel partially to blame for that. All our conversations about the church burst her bubble somewhat, made her realize that the church has not always spoken with one unanimous voice on many issues, and that's just thrown her for a loop. Which voice is right? Who is telling the truth?

It seems like we live in times when doubt and skepticism rule the day. Unless we can speak of something definitively, we seem unwilling to call it truth. Sadly, when doing so, we extract all mystery and beauty from the world.

I pray that she would return to the fold. The Shepherd bough her at great cost to himself.