My first shopping experience in China was at Silk Market, a “seven-storey shopping mecca”. Our tour guide didn’t seem enthused that we would make our way there during our free day but I wanted to visit this tourist spot with no other preconception than my aunt’s written instruction, “Bargain at least 60% off”. 60% off, really? The poor merchants! But I was not willing to be a sucker tourist, although I may as well be, with no conversational skills whatsoever in Mandarin.
Walking into Silk Market was like walking into a …

To me, it’s plainly obvious which shoe is which, but perhaps it’s not so easy to tell the difference: One of the following shoes cost USD$90 and the other cost USD$20.

Aldo Rosenthall
Material: Leather
Sole: Synthetic
Heel Height: 5 inches
Platform Height: 1 inches
USD $90.00
Payless Loveit Overlasted Platform Pump
“This chic staple features a rich faux suede upper with a classic round toe and an abbreviated modern 2″ vamp, a lightly padded insole, a hidden platform and a 3.75″ wrapped stiletto heel. Manmade materials.”
USD $26.99, but on sale for USD $19.99
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In a Canadian store, I …

On Saturday, we all woke up super early to meet up in southeast Vancouver to head on over to the border and onwards to Bellingham, Lynnwood, and Tulalip, in that order.
At first, the driving arrangement was for there to be a “boy car” with the three guys including NPY, and a “girl car” for the five girls. However, some concern about how a U.S. border guard will perceive three guys heading into their country in a hot little sports car induced us to change things up. Ultimately, all day long, …

I can be such a poser. Given a wall of girly magazines as choices for light reading during a flight, I skipped over Cosmo, Marie Claire, Glamor, and the like for the latest issue of Runner’s World. I’m not that ardent a runner to devour every issue of RW but I certainly have an interest in a given issue’s contents and it’s far better for my “image” for the cover story to scream “Lose 10 Pounds (The Right Way)” rather than “6 Moves to Drive Him Wild in Bed (and …

I’m home for the holidays (of course) and working a lot at the restaurant (of course) and trying not to waste the short time I am back here by, say, blogging. However, since I had snapped the pictures anyway, I thought I’d share the magnificent talent that is the little sister’s, MY, tailoring skills.
She made every piece you see here including a great coat that was inspired by a Ralph Lauren coat, all made since the last time I saw her in May. You can click on the images to …

Just a few years ago, I only had the faintest idea of when American Thanksgiving occurred. In Canada, we get it out of the way in early October while Americans get around to it in late November. I did not realize how important or long a holiday it was for them.
Besides my secret impression that Vancouver is a very American city, it just cannot be faulted for being located very close to the border, right? Another reason why I love where I live: it’s like a straight line drive from my …

The little sister, MY, is quite an advocate for the Joe Fresh line of clothing you can find while also at The Real Atlantic/Great Canadian Superstore for groceries… and I can’t say that I disagree.
The prices are so reasonable–$89 for a coat! $29 for fall shoes!–and then if you live close to one or do your grocery shopping at a Superstore, you can check often and get the quality clothing on sale! Which MY has done and so have my girlfriends here who delight over finding clearance shoes for $5 …

Through blogs, a long time ago, I heard of this American grocery store, Trader Joe’s, and in my mind’s eye, I imagined a rustic place with a log cabin theme and glass jars of maple syrup. How wrong I was. And to think that for some reason, I never quite realize that I, too, could shop at Trader Joe’s. It’s those immigration officers at the border and at the airport who sternly ask me, “Did you bring back any food?” And I know that in order not arouse their suspicions, …

View Cambie Street Corridor in a larger map
It started innocently enough when I wanted to map the grocery stores (green pins) in my neighbourhood, the Cambie Street Corridor (or Cambie Village, if you please) since a big competitor is set to open its doors on April 29.

(I wrote this article for a class I am currently taking titled “Writing for the Web” so that’s what occupying me. Given it’s my first word limit in a while, it was quite difficult to stick to!)

How and Why I got a free iPod Touch
Last summer, I redeemed 4,000-odd Air Miles from to acquire my first (free) iPod.
So, it took seven years since the iPod first became available for me to get onto the bandwagon. And, I figured, getting an iPod Touch was a good starting point because it has …