Watawa life » Chinatown arch

Yup we’re moving. We’re not going far but we won’t be in Chinatown anymore. I’m going to miss the old neighbourhood — the smell of deep-fried egg rolls, the relentless traffic circling for takeout, the alt-rock bands at Raw Sugar, the big fan at Yangtze that never seems to stop. It’s going to be a lot quieter over in Centretown.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep this blog going every day for the next little while, but I’ll see you all on the flip side. Bye for now!

A year ago today:
Pic 941
102 Bell N.

October 21, 2010

Two years ago:
Pic 609
Supreme Court

October 21, 2009

Three years:
Pic 247
Dandy 2

October 21, 2008

Shopping carts

Robin Kelsey — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:01:51 +0000

They were at Zeller’s. Billings Bridge.

Chinatown arch

Bee

A year ago today:

Pic 859
Maximum 40

July 23, 2010

Two years ago:
Pic 522
Couple of guys with a dog

July 23, 2009

Three years:
Pic 174
Lake

July 23, 2008

Arch detail

Robin Kelsey — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:39:55 +0000

Chinatown arch, Somerset & Cambridge.

A year ago today:
Pic 667
Artguise & Olga’s

December 27, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 315
Alexandra Bridge

December 27, 2008

Chinatown arch

Robin Kelsey — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:44:02 +0000

Trying to find a new angle.

A year ago today:
Pic 641
Flock of geese

December 2, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 286
Silo

December 1, 2008

Pic 287
Mannequin

December 2, 2008

Lion

Robin Kelsey — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:15:37 +0000

Chinatown arch lion, taken out the window of Sushi 88.

Also see:
The stone lions

A year ago today:
Pic 605
Gazebo

October 17, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 242
Fallen leaf

October 17, 2008

Arch revealed

Robin Kelsey — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:48:58 +0000

They’ve taken down some of the scaffolding. Here’s a closeup of one of the gold dragons.

A year ago today:
Pic 573
Smart

September 14, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 217
Dead flower

September 14, 2008

What colour is it going to be?

Robin Kelsey — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:25:21 +0000

Every colour.

A year ago today:
Pic 548
Little sparrow

August 18, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 195
Infinity bridge

August 17, 2008

Pic 196
Women are Persons

August 18, 2008

Chinatown arch, etc.

Robin Kelsey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:49:04 +0000

Traffic is passing under the arch now. Next week: the painters.

I don’t know what these guys were doing. They were on the canal. Dragging for bodies maybe.

Bike light

Creepy mannequin

The moon

That’s all!

A year ago today:
Pic 527
Moth

July 28, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 178
War memorial

July 28, 2008

Chinatown arch

Robin Kelsey — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:30:30 +0000

I think it looks like it’s floating, as light as air.

A year ago today:
Pic 502
Minute Car Wash

July 2, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 158
Run away

July 2, 2008

Beetle on a flower

Robin Kelsey — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:15:58 +0000

Ornamental gardens at the Arboretum. Here are some Sweet Williams.

Chinatown arch

The topmost roof section is on now. This thing is massive.

A year ago today:
Pic 494
Brick wall

June 24, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 152
Rib fest

June 24, 2008

Raising the roof

Robin Kelsey — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:45:02 +0000

Chinatown arch, Somerset & Cambridge. The roof is going up today.

A year ago today:
Pic 488
541 Sussex

June 18, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 150
Fire equipment

June 18, 2008

Cowpunks

Robin Kelsey — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:10:45 +0000

This motley crew is becoming a famliar sight in downtown Ottawa. Sometimes they sound pretty good too.

I don’t know if they are a band with a name or not, and the personnel seems to change all the time, but I like seeing a bunch of punky kids who like the old time music. Here’s another picture of them:
Pic 758
String band

April 2, 2010

In other news, the Chinatown Arch is starting to take shape on Somerset.

Two years ago today:
Pic 141
Garrison

June 5, 2008

Bye bye baby Buddha

Robin Kelsey — Sun, 30 May 2010 15:51:16 +0000

I almost missed Buddha’s birthday again, but when we heard the drums we ran out with our cameras and caught the parade coming back.

Here is the Vesak parade passing by the site of the Chinatown Arch. I’m not sure why they have a lion in the parade, except that Asian people seem to like to put lions in everything.

I’m not the slightest bit religious, but Buddhism is my favourite religion. One of the things I like best about Buddhism is how happy Buddhists are on Buddha’s birthday. Judy took this picture.

I got some more pictures of the parade last year. Here they are:
Happy Buddha’s Birthday

The first phase of the Chinatown Arch project, casting the figures, is supposed to end sometime in June. Then the painters come in and put it together. Here are some of their lions, just chillin’ under wraps and keeping cool and waiting:

Just a tease

Some of the arch pieces are pagoda-like roof sections. These men are welding up the rebar on one of those.

In case you don’t know it already, Somerset is going to be closed for all of June and July from Bronson to Cambridge to get the arch built.

There goes the parade. Bye bye little baby Buddha, see you next year!

A year ago today:
Pic 473
Peace Tower hijinx

May 30, 2009

Man in a red hard hat

Robin Kelsey — Sun, 02 May 2010 16:14:42 +0000

Often seen taking pictures at the Chinatown Gateway Arch construction site.

A year ago today:
Pic 443
Bus stop

May 2, 2003

Where the lions are

Robin Kelsey — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:16:53 +0000

Lots of action on the Chinatown Arch today. First they dug up the sidewalk in front of Raw Sugar.

Then the lions arrived in containers all the way from China.

That’s my landlord driving the fork lift.

Stay tuned for more!

A year ago today:
Pic 432
The farm

April 21, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 110
Art fan

April 21, 2008

Chinatown arch

Robin Kelsey — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:52:12 +0000

They’re building a huge arch on Somerset St. as a gateway to Chinatown. Beijing is providing the materials and the workers to build it, using traditional methods. They’re doing this right across the street from my house, out back of Yangtze restaurant.

The workers are here now. According to my landlord (who knows everything) the workers are staying up above Yang Sheng, just over at Somerset and Bronson. They brought their own cook.

Here they are unloading the trucks and taking inventory of their stuff. The workers wear gray fatigues and bright red hard hats. They look like they’re having fun.

Man with three hats.

Quitting time. The traditional saw the man on the right is carrying looks exactly the same as saws that have been used in Europe and North America for hundreds of years, proving again that good ideas are ubiquitous.

The arch is going up right out in front of Raw Sugar, and it’s supposed to be finished in October. This CBC post has an artist’s conception of what it will look like:
Chinese artisans arrive to build arch over Somerset

I’m sure I’ll be posting some more pictures of the gateway project as the days go by.

A year ago today:
Pic 424
586 Rideau

April 14, 2009

Pic 425
Hog’s Back

April 14, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 104
War museum

April 14, 2008