International greetings to be received with open arms

Hands

Your friend introduces you to someone. Automatically, your right hand reaches out for an enthusiastic handshake. The other person leans in for a beso beso – a kiss on each cheek. Next thing you know, you’re pumping a fist full of oxygen, and they’re exchanging dainty kisses with thin air. Awkward. [Read more...]

The Vancouver kiss

Occupy Vancouver

In the middle of June, a time when the weather was hot, I was listening to Amy Winehouse at the corner of two Parisian avenues. I stopped in a kiosk, because in Paris, newspapers are sold in kiosks and not in big green or grey boxes. It is not often, frankly, that the French press cares about Vancouver. Since the Olympics, we had no news. But then, several weekly and daily newspapers were going over the same picture in their ‘picture of the week’ or ‘story of the week’ section: le baiser de Vancouver (the Vancouver kiss). [Read more...]

Barack Obama – there is still hope

Obama

In a year’s time, the American electorate will go to the polls and vote for their next president. If nothing changes by then, they will be facing their future with a dose of pessimism they’ve hardly ever experienced. [Read more...]

Spencie’s View

Spencie's View

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Maple Ridge: a little known land of diverse opportunities

Maple Ridge

“They think we live in the boonies and have nothing to do,” says Stevie Shayler, 25, who has lived in Maple Ridge B.C. all her life. “People honestly think we tip cows and hunt game for fun.” If you don’t know what “tipping cows” means, you’re excused, as it doesn’t sound very nice to those poor cows, anyway. [Read more...]

Trees: preserving ancient knowledge for a better future

Sisters Rita and Janie Dubman enjoy fallen leaves in Burnaby, British Columbia

Trees are as diverse, indicative and as full of meaning as the region they come from and the people that cherish them. It’s no wonder then that arbor days are observed in many countries including Canada. [Read more...]

Rebellious love in the time of communist rule

A young Yao Lan Chen and husband Vasiliy Tovarov

The story of Dr. Yao Lan Chen is one of strength, perseverance, love and an interracial relationship, set not in one, but two of the world’s worst dictatorial regimes. [Read more...]

Facade

The Facade

Behind this facade at Bidwell and Davie, a 21 storey tower, the Alexandra, will soon be constructed. The tower greatly exceeds the usual height and density allowed in the area, but the developer has been able to circumvent the zoning by-laws due to the City of Vancouver’s STIR program – designed “to develop new rental housing stock in the short-term to assist with housing affordability.” [Read more...]

Eastside Culture Crawl showcases the talent of Vancouver artists

Corinne Wolcoski's studio

To help celebrate the vibrant and exciting arts community of East Vancouver, the 15th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl will take place from Nov. 18–20 at various art studios and locations in the part of the city bounded by Main Street and Victoria Drive, north of First Avenue. [Read more...]

Amnesty International Film Festival: films aim to expose the struggles of the oppressed

Pray the Devil

Amnesty International, in conjunction with the Simon Fraser University School of International Studies, will present the 16th annual Amnesty International Film Festival – packing in 26 inspirational documentary films – from Nov. 17–20 at SFU Harbour Centre Theatre. [Read more...]