Moving

Good luck on your move. I hope it goes smoothly.

I really like areas in Maple Ridge and Coquitlam (I’d wanted a place in Coquitlam before getting this place in Richmond).

House prices are hoorendous. I’m so glad, though, that I finally decided to stop wasting my money renting and buy a place (had resisted for years because I didn’t want to feel tied down — I’d thought we wouldn’t be staying for long in Greter Vancouver — wanted to go back to work in Japan or move to Australia particularly). Anyway, our place has increased in value by a third in the last two years, which isn’t that high compared to many other places. My parents bought a new place 3 years ago which has doubled in value.

Furthermore, we pay more taxes than Albertans due to your oil revenues. Seems most of our money gets swallowed up by taxes. [img]http://www.sadgeezer.com/html/modules/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img]

As for Timeless Destinations, I must admit that I haven’t attended it or any other SF conventions. I’ll probably meet up with some fellow SF fans (Lexxians) outside of it — take in the fireworks festival over English Bay.

With such conventions, cost is just one factor. For the money there probably are others things I’d rather do.

Sure there are people with similar tastes I’d like to hang out with (love to meet some sadgeezers), but I’d rather do it elsewhere than in the crowded rooms of a convention site.

There are also some SF writers I’d love to meet, and [i]really[/i] talk to, but that’s probably not going to happen there. Come to think of it, when faced with great minds in real life, I usually say little, and nod my head much anyway.

The biggest appeal would be the ‘lectures’, and I do go to events every now and then where some well-known figure is on stage (for instance the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu).

But I do prefer more intimate venues generally when going to meet people. I’ve been very fortunate to meet many fascinating individuals at parties and small venues (I’ll be the guy nodding his head).

But, since I haven’t gone to such cons, I can’t really say what they’re like. Maybe I’d love them. It would be very different experience for me no doubt, and I try to be open to new things.

I actually have been to a few conventions, work-related ones, but never to a SF convention.

Shame about having to a smaller place, and I’m sure it’ll be a difficult adjustment, but well, that’s one of the concessions many of us make to live here. What closet space I have is loaded to the brim. No matter how many space-saving organizers I have, it’s never enough. On second thought, maybe it’s all the organizers my wife buys that is filling the place up. 😉