Opinion

It's February 14 in Sochi. Happy Valentine's Day from a place where it's not easy to love the one you're with if that person is your same-sex lover.

The public hearings at city hall these past few weeks over the redevelopment proposal for the 25-acre Pearson-Dogwood site have been extraordinary for a number of reasons.

Re: “Poverty the primary factor of illness,” Feb. 5.

Re: “Court sides with B.C. Teachers’ Federation on bargaining,” Jan. 28.

The four-day TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference is on for Vancouver this March. If you don’t have tickets yet for this high-level gabfest, too bad. They went months ago to those willing to pony up $7,500 US each.

Before Christian Louboutin (the man known for his red soled shoes) was Manolo Blahnik. His classic craftsmanship paired with innovative designs pushed the envelope and has made him a legend in the shoe industry.

Last night (now two nights ago) I shared a few bottles of wine with friends. (The perogies saved me from a hangover. ) We were treated to the best live entertainment I'll likely see in Russia this winter. We were at a karaoke bar.

Apparently to the new generation, Valentine’s day is loosing the hype that it use to have for Vancouverites much like the Olympics in Socchi which forces people to get up at unruly times like 6am on a Saturday to catch the action.

Mayor Gregor Robertson is quite the multitasker. Last week, he caught a flight to South Africa for a conference, hung with former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and planted a tree in Soweto.