Big Trip on a Small Budget

ASIA STYLE

I just got back from a month of adventure in Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. Here are some travel tips to look like a true Southeast Asia veteran.

• Crave rice for breakfast.
  
• Wear your jacket backwards like the motorcycle taxi drivers.
  
• Use mosquito repellent as deodorant.
  
• Forsake proper English grammar for local pidgin.
  
• Walk through a pack of savage dogs without flinching.
  
• Slip your shoes on and off at a threshold with ease.
  
• Squat skybomber-style on Western toilets.
  
• Sit down to a banana pancake breakfast and reach for the fish sauce.
  
• Be able to recount more than one “I almost died” story.

Squamish Smoke Bluffs

Saturday I went up to Squamish for a fun filled day of rock climbing in the Smoke Bluffs. The Smoke Bluffs are a series of short cliffs right in the town of Squamish, they have become one of the most popular climbing walls in British Columbia. They are easily accessed for town and have a high density of good climbs. The decision to go was very last minute since I haven’t been climbing in over two years. I went with Bob, Evan and some people for UBC’s Varsity Outdoors Club. I managed to climb multiple 5.9 routes with ease. It was tons of entertainment; luckily the weather held out for us, I hope to go back later this year.

Spring Skiing

Last Thursday night on a whim Kasandra and I decided to go check out the cross-country ski conditions at Hollyburn Ridge, Cypress Mountain’s Nordic ski area. The Mountain has been closed for weeks however there is still tons of snow and absolutely no one around. We skied all the trails for a few hours before having a snack in the unlocked upper warming hut and then heading back down the mountain to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Busten it old school in my mini van mega fun

Almost there!!! Six years in the making, 45 days left and counting!

UBC BIG BLOCK ATHLETES BANQUET

For more than 80 years, the Big Block Club has honoured the best that UBC Athletics has to offer. Last Wednesday I got inducted into Big Block, a club for graduating varsity athletes, at the annual Big Block Banquet. There were about one hundred of us student-athletes being recognized for commitment to sport and academics.

Nicola Gildersleeve (Marathon) and Matt (XC Track)

Matt and Cameron Kuhn (5000M)

St. Patrick's Day

Kasandra is out of town in Hawaii for a week so I surrounded myself with my best "drinking" budies (All Engineers) on the 17th. One thing I have learned while attending UBC is never try to out drink an Engineer, it just won't happen!!

What would be St. Patrick's Day without green beer.

From the Left to Right: Scott's hand, Evan, Bob, Colin, Mike, Peter and Jodi.

Vancouver Condo Market
There is very little hope for us young professionals graduating from University trying to get into the housing market in Vancouver. Maybe try Langley or Maple Ridge, but who wants to live there? If history repeats itself there will be a period of modest nominal price increases but real price declines that will last a couple of years, unlikely.