When I was just a wee lad of 12, my uncle took me here to White Rock to see the ocean for my very first time. 🌊 It has been nearly 35 years and I have returned. Fish & chips 🐟🍟 got more expensive, but the sunset’s still free 🌅

Chad stands on a large rock on the waterfront. In the distance you can see the US shorelineSun starting to set over railroad tracks disappearing into the distanceShoreline with a long pier jutting out into the water at duskChad smiling into the sunset wearing sunglasses

[Me about to propose a new office/livingroom/dining room layout for the new condo]

💁‍♂️: Dear Wife, come into my Mind Palace

👸🏻: [walks away]

💁‍♂️: Where are you going!?

👸🏻: To the bathroom… aka your Mind Palace 🔥

💁‍♂️: 💀💀💀

#truelove

Okay, so we were able to successfully sleep on beds last night, the first night in our new condo. I was totally wiped after dealing with hauling, installing, then returning a bum aircon. But got the new one in this morning so we won’t die of heat as we continue unpacking. Next up: Office.

I have traded sunsets of buildings with sunsets of forests and mountains

panorama of sky and mountains

Taking a short selfie break while hauling all our stuff over the second mountain pass of the day.

Chad selfie in front of a 26 foot U-Haul truck. In the background are some stark looking mountain tops

Executing a highly coordinated multi-city international move during a heat dome while heavily jet lagged… do not recommend 🙅‍♂️

Nothing says “Back in Canada” like a late night root beer and poutine

A bowl of fresh poutine and 3 bottles of Mug Root Beer

Back 🇨🇦

Chad selfie at the welcome carving at YVR immigration

Current status:

🇯🇵 Osaka ✈️ 🇹🇼 Taipei ✅

Gonna hang here in Taiwan for a bit, then:

🇹🇼 Taipei ✈️ 🇨🇦 Vancouver

Current status: 🇯🇵 Osaka ✈️ 🇹🇼 Taipei ✈️ 🇨🇦 Vancouver

Loaded up

Three airport carts stacked with suitcases and boxes

For our last night in #Japan we went down to Nanba. Ate dinner at Kani Dōraku HQ and watched the crowds on Ebisu bridge taking photos of Glico Man. Then down Dotombori to a shrine where you pour water on completely mossed up Buddhist statues #Osaka #mosstodon #lichensubscribe

Dotonbori canal on a bright day under a blue sky Dotonbori Shopping street at night, crowded, with amazing 3D signage including a giant double serving of gyoza sticking out from one storefrontCat sits on a stone lantern. Behind him is a statue of Fudō Myoō completely covered in mossA hand holding a ladle pours water over a moss-covered statue

SÖT Roastery has been on my “to go” coffee list for a while ☕️

A coffee cup with the words “Life is SÖT”. A Mario beaker has 90mL more of coffee to the right. To the left is a cup with a large ice cube for making ice coffee. A paper label describes the roast as Ethiopian. On the tray is a package of nougat and some Biscoff cookies

After a long hard move, time for some rest and relaxation at the onsen ♨️

Chad in a yukata about to chow down on a giant tempura bowl

Last night in Sakuranomiya. The shippers took our luggage to the airport. Tomorrow the junkers come to take away the rest of our stuff. We go to the hotel tomorrow. This was a great neighbourhood, and this apartment gave us a ton of epic sunsets. 😍 #Osaka #sunset

Orange sunset with striated clouds and an airplanePink sunsetDusk with a nearly clear blue sky, a couple clouds on the horizon Brilliant orange and blue sunset with feathery clouds

Okay here is a full album of pics from all over southern Osaka. Includes occultists, wishing shrines, pagodas, ripped devas, and cute 3 legged crows!

Abe-no-seimei in Osaka, Horikoshi Jinja, Shitenno-ji, Mitsudera

Couple more holy spots here in the Nanba area: Mitsudera has a hotel built OVERTOP of it. This wooden temple survived the WW2 bombings so they are protecting it. Then of course you have his worship the Glico Man and some excellent takoyaki signage 😉 #Japan #Osaka

A hotel building. The bottom left section of the building, about 3 floors worth, has a cut out with a temple inside UNDER the building. Mitsudera with the roof of the Candeo hotel aboveChad selfie at the Glico sign at Nanba bridge Giant 3D octopus on the side of a takoyaki shop. In the background is another sign with a dragon looking like it is wending its way in and out of a ramen shop

Getting in a last temple visit: Horikoshi Jinja ⛩️ (where your 1 wish will be granted) and Shitenno-ji ☸️ which is Japan’s first temple originally constructed in 593 by Emperor Shotoku Taishi #Japan #Osaka #Buddhism

Chad selfie with the Horikoshi shrine signChad at the gate of Shitenno-ji where the sign claims it is Japan’s first templeMain hall of Shitenno-jiChad selfie with the famous 5 layer pagoda and the main building of Shitenno-ji

Currently reading: Buddhism by Dalai Lama 📚

Needed some easy, non-fiction reading that I can put on while packing and riding planes and the like over the next week.

Cover of the audiobook

Quizzing my daughter about football. The only thing she knows she learned from the Blue Lock anime, and she showing big attitude:

Me: “Explain the Offside Trap”

Her: “That’s the little cage at the side of the field, right?”

Me: 💀 💀 💀

#football #footie