September 25, 2008
September 25, 2009
A Talon Times reporter shares her experiences during a trip to Vancouver Canada this fall
Pan handlers and crazy people begging for money are swarming everywhere and startle you as they Imagine you are riding along brazenly ask you for money for food. in the rental car with the windows Now for sight-seeing. rolled down and the wind blowing Stanley Park is a monumental in your face, the scent of flowers amount of space, about 1,000 all around you, emanating from square miles, filled with a the streets that positively overflow variety of interesting stops. with numerous potted plants. You have the Totem Park, the Fountains trickle on nearly Rose Garden, and the plentiful every street and architecture view points, beaches, and statuary of the strangest kind is that is scattered throughout. One found in every direction. interesting statue is The Girl in This was how I felt when Wetsuit. I first stepped outside of the She was placed on a rock 15 airport in Vancouver, Canada. feet high so that people would Trolley cars and various buses know when the tide was coming take over the already narrow lanes in. When high tide is at its peak, that Vancouver the tips seems to favor, “Granville Island is an open- of her making you air market filled with fingers nervous as you an intriguing mix of sights, will be thread your way in the sounds, and smells.” around them w a t e r, and into one of and at the roundabouts l o w that you thought only places tide you can walk all the way like Ireland made use of. around her rock and stay dry. All the while, the atmosphere Original Totem Poles can of this Canadian city is a be seen at the Museum of dramatic change of pace. Anthropology in downtown Mountains to the North provide Vancouver. Another popular a stunning backdrop as well. desitnation is Granville Island. Vancouver is also an impressive The island is an open-air mix of races. Combining the market filled with a mixture of history and culture of the sights, sounds, and smells. Fish Aboriginals (what Canadians and sweets galore sit side-byrefer to as their version of Native side with vendors selling jewelry Americans), the Asians, and the and other eye-catching products. French as well as the English. Crossing the Lion’s Gate Bridge, By Rebecca Nestor Staff Reporter
Maple syrup and bacon: Canada unmasked
A shot of the local marina at Vancouver Island, with the Canadian Parliament Building in the backdrop. the next stop is the Lighthouse Park. Guides lead groups up steep rocky slopes overlooking mammoth trees at least 150 years old. Grouse Mountain comes after. It sits just outside the city, and this is where one of the locations for the 2010 Olympics is being set up. Perhaps the most interesting thing in the Vancouver area is Butchart Gardens. Made out of an abandoned rock quarry, the gardens are a testament to the fact that beauty can be cultivated anywhere, if given enough time and attention. Fifty-five acres of public gardens spread out and encompass 26 green houses, a trial-growing area, and a shrub and tree nursery, plus more. Highlights of the Butchart Gardens include its gardens-bytheme: Italian, Japanese, Rose, Sunken, and Mediterranean. Colors seem to explode everywhere you look, and the scents from the flowers are heavy and relaxing. There are flowers on every possible surface, including the trash cans. Take a camera, snap a few pictures, and bid Vancouver, Canada adieu.
Photo by Rebecca Nestor
Apple: the new name in weight loss and fitness
Teacher Ben Kalb lost 94 pounds over the past year with help from technology devices and programs such as Lose It
my iPod Touch. The first one was called Lose It and it’s basically a calorie tracking program. Every piece of food I ate I put into my iPod before a meal,” said Kalb. From the early invention of the telephone to cassette For those who do want to lose weight tapes, to the internet and up to the iPhone today, with Apple, Lose It is just the program. technology has made many large strides in the fields of The program comes synced with your computer. communication, entertainment, and now weight loss. You enter in the amount of weight you want iTrainer, just one of many, offered on Apple iPods to lose, and the program calculates how many and iPhones, acts as a personal trainer by calories per day you should eat. keeping users motivated through high “The cool part of Lose It was “A lot of studies show energy and encouraging programs. that it tracks calories burnt Developed by a team of that calorie counting through different types of is one of the easiest exercise. I mainly did the elliptical personal trainers, iTrainer helps trainer, treadmill, spin classes users stay on track by monitoring ways to lose weight. and basketball,” said Kalb. progress, and reminding users Having [iPod Touch] in Many people like Kalb are of upcoming workout dates. my back pocket made looking to use both programs to Although it’s easy to be skeptical it really convenient.” achieve the results they want. with the Ben Kalb, Although Lose It m a n y social studies teacher helped Kalb reach his ideal weight weight, iFitness helped l o s s helped him with weight training. products and machines also we see advertised every “I’m looking to buy Lose It and iFitness day, Social Studies in the future, to help me get in shape for teacher Ben Kalb is all swimsuit season. Well, maybe not, but for the proof needed to college definitely,” said senior Sarah Steffen. measure the validity of Like Kalb, many are beginning to research and these new programs. test the waters with these new programs. “My total weight “I would recommend this to other people. A lot loss as of today is 94 of studies show that calorie counting is one of the pounds. I used a few easiest ways to lose weight. Having it in my back different programs on pocket made it really convenient,” Kalb said. By Chelsea Gallagher Features Editor
Ben Kalb, social studies teacher, lost 94 pounds with the help of programs on his iPod Touch such as a calorie counter. Using technology for fitness and weight loss is a growing tend in society. His before picture is to the right, and his after picture is above. photos submitted