Everybody that knows Vancouver knows it has a major drug problem. Heroin, crack, cocaine, weed, ecstasy and LSD are all openly traded and consumed on the streets. Special prescription pharmaceutical items one may desire can easily be obtained provided one has the right connections. This has resulted in colleges, high schools, and even elementary schools [...]

The locals in France laugh with disbelief when I tell them that Sushi restaurants in Vancouver are abundant, and that a standard 10 dollar sushi plate in Vancouver is the equivalent of a 50 euro plate in France. Disgusted by the high costs, folks in these parts don’t typically eat sushi, rather they opt out [...]

The benefits of a good public transportation system are numerous. It’s better for the environment, reduces energy dependence, and is a lot less stressful than driving during the rush hour commute. Several studies have concluded that people who take public transit are healthier than those who don’t; they walk much more between bus stops, metro [...]

The weather here in Bordeaux has been cold and wet the last couple of days, and the flat I am staying in isn’t much better. It’s tiny, damp, dusty, doesn’t have a television and half the room’s ceiling is less than 4 feet in height (it’s kinda like the office in Being John Malkovich). Other [...]

You may have heard of the North Pacific Gyre. According to Wikipedia, “the North Pacific Gyre (also known as North Pacific Subtropical Gyre) is a clockwise-swirling vortex of ocean currents comprising most of the northern Pacific Ocean. It is located between the equator and 50º N latitude and occupies an area of approximately ten million [...]