A Vancouver beach sunset

The heat has been almost oppressive on the left coast of Canada. Temperatures have approached thirty degrees, unusual for Vancouver.

People flock to the beaches around the region as did we on one hot night recently. It's cooler than a west facing apartment and the skies are brilliant.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Daddy's Delight ~ a kebab palace in Richmond

Last week, for Father's Day, the daughters took us into east-Richmond for dinner. It's an area not really known for its restaurants and it's a part of the city that has retained much of what used to be a very multi-cultural Richmond; today the city boasts an ethnic-Chinese majority population and great Chinese dining abounds.






Here, on Richmond's eastern flank, at Cambie and 5 Road, we are very near the delightful multi-purpose King George Park.



And it is here we have come to our mealtime destination and something called Daddy's Delight. It's in a strip mall next door to a phone store, and a Halal store called Superior Halal Meat &Deli, which has a certain appeal as this is the beginning of Ramadan.











Daddy's Delight sign actually suggests pizza, but I'm not sure they even serve pizza. And it's certainly not much to look at from the outside. In fact without coming inside you would never know what a gem you have discovered.

It's rather minimalist inside, bare basics. Slightly spartan, and spotlessly clean. A large poster of a 2006 national squad from Italy adorns one wall.








As it turns out, Daddy's Delight is a Persian kebab palace. House-made and grilled, coated with sumac and served with a wonderful yogurt sauce. The meat, either chicken or beef, is tangy and lemony. I expected to see lamb on the menu, but chicken and beef are the order of the day. Salads are crisp, fresh and appealing, though lacked the flavour punch I was expecting from an Iranian bistro.




Much of  Daddy's Delight business appears to be take-away, and with the large park nearby, it makes sense. Dining-in is a treat because you can see the care and attention they devote to the grilling of the meat and vegetables. The naan, is made fresh, as you wait for the mains.

Alas, no wine or beer will be served here (another reason for take-away to the park I'm wondering), though one must try the fermented yogurt drink called Doogh. This one is a salty concoction, made locally and sold throughout Canada by Almas. Not for everyone, Doogh is is an excellent accompaniment to the kebabs offered here.

Daddy's Delight is a gem for kebabs. It's one of those rare finds: clean, friendly, and filled with good tastes.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Cedrick's Coffee & Tea House in Crofton

The plan was to have an early lunch at the lovely Seaside Restaurant before getting on the ferry to Crofton. We had spent a weekend on Salt Spring and were taking a different route home, via Nanaimo. As it turned out, we arrived just as the ferry was loading and we joined the parade and became the very last car to board. Twenty minutes later we were driving off the ferry and looking for a coffee shop. In Crofton. We found Cedrick's.





Cedrick's is an interesting place. The place has a look and feel that will be appealing to seniors and to moms with kids. There is ample seating, inside and out. a play area, WiFi, and a fireplace for colder days. This is not an urban coffee shop and the customers aren't all wearing cycling gear and yoga pants, though I'm sure Cedrick's would welcome them too.

The coffees are good and available in all the usual espresso machinations. There is a standard drip available as are a bunch of teas. Pastries and sandwiches are made in-house or by local bakers.






Cedrick's is unique in that it is charitable enterprise; it donates its profits to the work of KIDS International, a Vancouver Island charity. In 2000, a twenty-one year old named Danielle was killed by a drunk driver. Devastated with their loss, her parents, Adrianne Dartnall and Rick Lennart, went travelling each year thereafter to communities in the two-thirds world. They volunteered their time working to improve the lives of children living in poverty. In 2004, in response to others who wanted to be a part of the work they were doing, Dartnall and Lennart formed the non-profit Kids International Development Society. Last year KIDS International raised over $400,000 and much of that was spent on development projects in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Part of that effort came from the support of a coffee shop named Cedrick's.

So, next time you're in Crofton, or passing by, stop and find Cedrick's. Have a coffee and a homemade muffin. It might not seem like much, but it makes a world of difference.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Palestinians now allowed access to their underwear

Our world is complicated and tragedy abounds, yet amidst all that, there are moments of humour, even in the occupied lands of Palestine.

This weekend is the beginning of Ramadan, the annual month-long celebration during which Muslims fast to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran. In honour of Ramadan their Israeli overlords have decided that Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza will no longer be considered "terrorists" or "security risks." Palestinians will be allowed to travel to Jerusalem to pray, visit their relatives beyond the normal barriers and even visit the Mediterranean Sea. This niceness is often bestowed upon the Palestinians during Ramadan. I'm not sure what difference Ramadan makes in the labelling of citizens, but apparently it does to Israel.

To announce this generosity, The Commander of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories took to facebook with a video. He spoke to his audience in Arabic, though there might have been a few pronunciation problems, as reported by Samah Salaime on +972:

The high point of the video was when he announced "Intu btiqdaru truhu al-basat." Meaning that Palestinians can freely reach the underwear. What? We have access to our underwear!? Finally, God is great, Ramadan kareem, thank heavens. Every Palestinian who wants to is now able to wear and touch his or her underwear without having to go through a checkpoint, undergo a search or receive an entry permit.

On my second listen, I realized the commander meant to say "buses" rather than underwear. 

So yes, "buses" and "underwear" are different things. Palestinians are given permission to visit their own land, families and mosques, as if they were foreign tourists with a one-time 30-day visa. The humour lasts only a few minutes while the reality of occupation seems to go on forever.

Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

The Transit Referendum.... The results?

So. Maybe I've missed something. I've been away as my faithful reader knows.

The 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite, otherwise known at the transit referendum, was held by a mail-in ballot and voting closed at 20h00 on Friday, 29 May. Simple enough. I voted and encouraged others to do the same, regardless of their position. We are told that about 45% of eligible voters made the effort. Not bad, all things considered.






I have a question: Where are the results?

It's been almost three weeks and ... no results. Unless I've missed something of course. Entirely possible.

It takes less than an evening for our nation to count, by hand mind you, an entire federal election. With a few minor exceptions we get it right in every constituency. The Excited States marvel at our abilities. There they use all sorts of mechanical devices and it sometimes takes days. And even then they don't always get it right.


So why aren't the results from the Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite available from Elections BC? On their website they say,"Counting and reporting of voting results is expected to last a number of weeks, depending on voter participation in the plebiscite."  Really? And what does a number of weeks mean exactly? Four? Five? When our political masters tell us?

How hard could this be? Or am I missing something?

Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.2015