More fireworks photos

Happy Niu Year!

Went on the rooftop of Calvin's place in Fulicheng (just south of the CBD) to watch a panoramic view of the New Year fireworks. This is how crazy it is.

Skiing at Nanshan

Out in the arid brown mountains north of Beijing is a artificial-snow ski resort. It's not Whistler, but it satisfies the ski craving. Never saw so many Chinese people skiing before. Lots of French too. I went with a bunch of SHA colleagues there last week to go snowboarding and drink lots of pi jiu.

Toronto

Gehry's new Ontario Art Gallery.

Ivs posing for scale.

A brilliant staircase!

The serpentine ramp at the front entrance is an understated masterpiece.

The new ROM.

The new Four Seasons Opera House. Although very conventional, it does manage to create interesting moments where theatrical display and public promenade coalesce.

Korean buffet!

Montreal 

View from the plane. Notice the downtown core shrouded in haze, hugging the base of the mountain, called Mont Royal (hence, Montreal).

An interesting layering of urban patterns. St. Joseph's Oratory is the dome on the left.

Nothing beats a bowl of pho. 

St. Viateur, where they make melt-in-your-mouth bagels.

Lebanese cuisine is amazing. This is the schwarma.

At Steak-Frites with old friends.

New Year's 2009 at a straw-bale cottage in Morin Heights.

Relaxing at an outdoor spa.

The Canadian landscape.

Chad having an intense conversation with Pastor Dave.

Charmaine and Janelle.

With Pastor Dave's family and Tyson and Eliane.

Very good article by Thomas Friedman about how America has turned into G.M.

SHA Christmas party.

We had our annual christmas party this year at the Linked Hybrid. 200 people attended, with lots of food and flowing wine within the cool, darkly lit belly of the sales office, which afforded amazing views of the project. We projected images of our work onto the sloping aluminum facade of the cinema outside, which really made it a truly magical experience.

Nick Vujicic speaks at BICF

A man with no arms or legs spoke this Sunday. An amazing testament of overcoming great barriers.