NEW GALLERY COLLECTION ==> Karl Marx and the Leipziger Hebstmesse!!

OMG!

I've just uploaded an impressive collection of postal stamps from all across Europe. Scan the gallery and bask in the awesomeness that is 1200px graphic-design history!

The date is set -- 28 February 2010.  On that date I will remove the Menu Projects from the INTERNET.

It's time for NEW.  Besides, they must be horribly out of date since I haven't updated them in almost two years.  But what do you expect?  I don't even live in the US (much less Alabama) anymore.

The project was never about menus anyway -- it was about web design and I learned a lot while working on the projects.  Hope you enjoyed them and there is exciting stuff in the future!

As a new immigrant, I have been studiously collecting all of the documents that really mean that I'm actually here. 

For your viewing pleasure and curiosity, I present 'My life in plastic,' an incomplete sample of the new bits of officialdom from my wallet.

Click for larger image.

From left to right:
1. Bank of Nova Scotia Bank/ABM Card ('Scotiacard')
Ok I guess this is a good place to start.  Remember the 1980s?  Remember before debit cards, you had an ATM card and that's all it was good for.  Well this is kinda like that, except you CAN use it as a debit card sometimes where you see the 'Interac' sign.  Ever seen this? I didn't think so.  No online purchases either.

2. British Columbia 'CareCard'
This is that free socialist healthcare everyone talks about. Yeah, it's great. Seriously.

3. University of British Columbia Student ID
Nothing special here.

4. Safeway Savings Card
I LOVE savings.

5.  Immigration Canada - Study Permit
Well the title kinda explains this one.  I will mention that Canada has branded her public services.  So you get all your immigration needs met at 'immigration Canada,' while on the other hand if you were to need, say, an RPG or submarine you might call 'Defense Canada.'

6.  Mountain Equipment Co-Op  Lifetime Membership
Immediately upon landing, you will notice that every Dick, Jane and Suzy has something produced by 'Mountain Equip CO-OP' on their person;  rucksacks, jackets, slickers, whatever.  Well I found that they do have rain gear that is not as expensive as the Northface alternatives.  It is a Co-op (started in Vancouver in the 1970s, compare to REI in the States) so I had to pay 5.00 CAD for the lifetime membership.

7.  U-Pass Transit Pass
Transit Pass - All Zones, Busses, SkyTrain or Seabus suckas.

8.  Service Canada - Social Insurance Number Card
You ever wonder why they put social security cards on that crappy paper and then tell you not to laminate it?  Well I have.  I was pleased to learn that my Canadian equivalent was on a normal durable plastic card.

9. Bank of Montreal (BMO) Bank/ABM Card
Just like the Scotiabank card except BMO sucks.  I opened this account first, before I knew how incompetent they were.  Apparently they were the first bank in Canada though.  Also this is a good time to point out that ATMs are called ABMs here.  Don't ask me.  Just to be different?  Oh and free-range chickens and eggs are free-run.

10. Bank of Montreal (BMO) Mosaik Mastercard
Well I need something with which to order things online.  I was surprised to find that I was actually approved for this credit card.  There is apparently a 'credit crunch' or a 'global financial apocalypse' or something going on AND I have no credit history in Canada. 

11. Vancouver Public Library Card
VPL is a really awesome public library!

12. Aeroplan Card

13. Institute for European Studies Electronic Key

14. Building Electronic Key

15. AMS/GSS Insurance Card
More free insurance to cover optical and dental...I'm tired of writing this.

16. UBC Library Copy Card
17. UBC Library Copy Card (IES)

The transition to Vancouver is almost complete. Thanks to another trip to IKEA and the discovery of a number of 0.99 cent stores, we have made a comfy home out of our 475 sq./feet apartment.

The weather is starting to change here. We have been fortunate to experience a little BC summer before the rains come. I think this will be the last week of clear skies for a while. We have tried to take full advantage of them so far by going on walks to Stanley Park and English Bay in the afternoons.
Currently we are trying to figure out how to get all of our studying done, while also going to the Vancouver International Film Festival and the European Union Film Festival. We also bought tickets for a Lykke Li concert in October. I'm still trying to convince Lyds to go the Dengue Fever concert as well.
With regards to studies, I'm enjoying my new program at the Institute for European Studies immensely so far. On top of my course load, I'm also a research assistant on a project concerning EU environmental policy; a topic about which I can imagine possibly writing my thesis .

In other news, me and Lydia will soon launch a new blog called 'Canadia', which will document our weekly attempts to do something really 'Canadian'. Molson Brewery, here we come!

We have made it to Vancouver, settled in a bit and so far its been a nice transition.  The first couple of days, we were in a hostel down in Gastown, which was on par with any ‘hip’ hostel we’ve stayed in or visited any where in the world.  Then, to our delight, we were allowed to move into our new apartment a few days early.  It was completely empty but a day at IKEA solved that.  Well, sort of.  The stylish Scandinavian furniture combined with the fact that we still have very little of it, gives the apartment a very minimalist feel, which is nice and leaves little to clean and keep maintained.

The rest of our time here has been spent trying to acquire all of the documents and permits that will allow us to stay and study in Canada; SINs (social insurance numbers), study permits, transit passes, student IDs, BC IDs, bank accounts, mobile phones and so on.

We did get our hands on a couple of new tel. numbers and will be able to contact people at home soon.  We also hope to be wired (via Internet) at our apartment by the end of this week.

General Impressions

Vancouver is very pleasant, so the hype is warranted, but there are small oddities and we hope to blog about these differences in a blog similar to the one Lydia made while in Germany called 'The Little Things'.  We are not yet sure if we will host the blog on this site or on her site, so stay tuned to find out.

The city council of Birmingham (UK) is some what embarrassed after they printed £16,000 ($30,000) worth of pamphlets promoting the city's recycling program, which included a photo of the Birmingham (Alabama) skyline.

Well the days are counting down!  Four until Lydia gets back from Germany.  Twelve until I finish my short tenure as a tech. services librarian.  Twenty-three days until we move to Vancouver and thirty days until we start classes at the University of British Columbia.  I'm getting very excited, but there is still a lot to do first. 

I'm not sure what this means for the menu projects.  I haven't made up my mind yet.  I'll keep everyone posted.

I just added Trey Yuen to the Tuscaloosa Menu Project.