Last Friday began with a grilled and fermented meal of Korean food with a group of eight people that filled two tables. This same group sat down for a low buy-in game of Texas Hold-Em, with a total pot of $40. I did not win, which was expected. J, didn’t win either which is unexpected as she is given the uncanny combination of luck and skill to win in every competitive game. It was a fun game, full of puns, candy and by the end…exhaustion. By midnight’s crest, the whole game was getting “fold,” as we would have said.

Korean BBQ.

Poker begins.

My poker face.

My two poker mates: Cool Breeze and Sullen Wind

Portland was host to two sunny and warm days over the weekend, which was one of first times I had spent many hours outside since the previous summer. While my skin got confused by the sun, it did it good. A couple more days outside and I’ll brown up my waterlogged and pasty winter skin.

Today, I left for a 10 day trip to Vancouver, B.C. to work on a television commercial. The flight was one hour long on a turbo prop. As the plane only flew at half the altitude of the big birds, it afforded a detailed view of all the islands, water, green and mountains between Portland and Canada. I’m staying in downtown within walking distance from Stanley Park and large bodies of beautiful water.

More details as the week progresses, but until then a few photos from today:

Vancouver with clear skies. From wiki.

Some of the many high rise housing.

The waterfront on the North side of downtown.

The only floating Chevron gas station I’ve ever seen. It’s a very surreal site to see lit up at night, alone in the black water of the harbor. Either there are amphibious cars here, or it’s for boats.

The Hong Kong style urban panorama out my 15 floor window.