ellipsis…

after almost a decade of bringing some of the finest independent music to Canadians, Shameless Records Canada is closing it’s doors in March. i’m sad to see the label close as i’ve been lucky to watch Glen put his heart and soul into each and every artist. Glen put on the first Shameless Records Showcase at the Sidetrack Cafe in November of 2004; featuring Trainsleeper, Dual, F&M and Deon Blyand. i dug up some images from that first showcase.

thanks for all the great music Glen. for all of the hard work you put into pushing independent music forward. Shameless Records and The Wheatpool will be greatly missed. [more pictures after the jump]

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Merry Christmas!!!!

this very Merry Christmas is coming way of YVR airport. waiting to board a plane to Hong Kong for round-two of my sister’s wedding, a fantastic Chinese reception. last time i was only in Hong Kong for a few days, so i’m really excited to explore what the city has to offer. i’m also thinking of shooting some street fashion over the 10 days that i’ll be there. should be fun!

wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. eat lots, drink till you’re merry, and be safe.

thank-you Steve Jobs for your amazing persistence of not caring what anyone else said and creating visionary products that forever changed the way we interact with technology. you will be greatly missed.

i was invited to the launch of the new Jacqueline Conoir flagship boutique & studio last night by the always bubbly Natalie. it’s was a party right from the get go with champagne and wine flowing out of the bottles. i really like Rozemerie’s tailoring and attention to detail. i wish she designed a menswear line, or even just a mens jacket or two. i absolutely love the jacket in the black & white photo below. if there was a size big enough for me, i’d probably buy it.

i also thoroughly enjoy button-up shirts on girls (like the boyfriend-shirt dress). i really like this take on the shirt.

the night kinda ended like this, as any good party should.
[more pictures after the jump]

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a little Friday post that has nothing to do with tech or business. this lovely space is the treasure of a fantastic cafe/lounge in Seattle called Odd Fellows. the entire restaurant has a great rustic/heritage charm; from it’s exposed brick to the bright coloured tea pot. the best part of the entire space is a super small, super cute, patio off to the back. completely surrounded by brick, adorned with white & blue tables and chairs, with a just enough soft light coming through the buildings. was tipped off about Odd Fellows by my buddy Danny, and went for breakfast a few weekends ago with Steve & Kim. if you are in Seattle you must stop by for brunch or lunch or drinks. the menu is small, but very good. have a great weekend!

[more pictures after the jump]

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i decided to take a walk through the embattled riot zone this afternoon after hearing that a large group of volunteers had taken to the streets to clean up the aftermath. not only did i find amazing people doing everything they can to clean up, people also turned the boarded up windows into a huge love letter to Vancouver. it was awesome to see the pouring out for a city that less than 12 hours earlier looked like a war zone.
[more pictures after the jump]

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Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals in Vancouver was tonight, but about 30 minutes after Boston won no one was talking about the Cup anymore. downtown Vancouver started rioting pretty much immediately after the game. fights broke out, cars lit on fire, store windows smashed and looted, and police in full riot control. it was (and still is) pretty disgusting for Vancouver.

i would have taken more pictures, but a few guys decided that they didn’t like me taking pictures and threw my camera to the ground and tore up my shirt. the camera actually doesn’t look too bad, but the frame inside is nicely twisted.
[more pictures after the jump]

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(1927 – 2011) he was known as Henry Tai Chuen Sheh in english or grandpa Sheh, but to me he was known more candidly as YehYeh. this is the man i owe the majority of my creativity to; i inherited it from him. before retiring and immigrating to Canada, he was an accomplished graphic designer in Hong Kong. my mom tells me that he would browse the grocery aisles and point out all of the logos he designed. i haven’t seen any pictures that he has taken, though i’m sure he had a fairly good eye. he was known to own several cameras, one of them a Canonet QL17 which i’ve had for a while now. had it serviced a few years ago, and works like a charm.

later in his life he was a man of few words, but definitely still had an appreciated eye. one of my favorite memories of my YehYeh was four years ago at his 80th birthday. as we were leaving the restaurant after dinner, he pipped up and started commenting on how much he like my coat. he hadn’t said much during dinner, but made sure everyone knew how nice my coat was. made me laugh.

a few years after i graduated, i was back in Toronto to visit. we were all visiting, my YehYeh came walking out from the hallway with a bag in hand. he sat down at the table and my dad motioned for me to join them. out of the bag he pulled a small stone container. he slid the lid open, and with pride and a big smile took out a Chinese stone seal. i was stunned. my YehYeh had taken the time and the effort to carve a family seal out for me! he made sure to show me how to properly set the seal in the red ink and how to make the best seal. i have cherished the seal ever since. it only comes out for very limited editions.

i took a short trip to Toronto this week to attend his funeral. he looked good, at peace. buried with his poor-boy hat, his cane and in a tweed double-breasted blazer. he always wore the poor-boy hat, made him look like Chinese mafia especially with his cane and a long pea-coat.

these pictures are from the last time i visited with him, my MaMa’s 80th birthday.

i’ll see you on the flip-side YehYeh. we’ll create something fantastic together.

my favorite postcard from today’s Sunday Secrets on PostSecret.com.

as of tomorrow a new decade will begin. it’s already been ten years since we all partied like it was 1999. 2009 was a very interesting year. packed up my life and moved to Vancouver. spent the last 10 months of the year cooking good food, hanging out at the beach, eating sushi in Seattle, knocking off a couple more of those 10,000 photography hours, and connecting with some amazing people. i will admit that i have reinvented myself and my art a couple times over since i’ve been in Vancouver. all for the better.

thank-you to everyone who has stopped by and read my blog. i am really excited to see what 2010 has to offer. you can guarantee that there will be more pictures, videos, and behind-the-scenes posts to come.

have a safe NYE. i’ll see you on the flip side.