VANCOUVER DAZE showcases and highlights the social life and scene of our beautiful city, covering all the misadventures and shenanigans at various cultural events, mixers, parties, meetups, and local happenings. We fiercely promote all the fun times the city has to offer along with the interesting people behind them. Follow more of my work/coverage over at RICKCHUNG.COM and on Twitter at @RICKCHUNG. You can pitch me HERE.

Volume 2: The first ever East Vancouver Tweetup at the Army Navy & Airforce Veterans Unit 298 Canteen, organized by Yelp Vancouver Community Manager Cyndi Hunter and Ajay Masala Puri on February 2, 2010. Hashtag: #EastVanLove. More photos available on Flickr.

East Vancouver is not my hood. As a kid, I spent weekends there often with my parents eating at pho and Vietnamese restaurants and shopping at Asian grocery stories, but not much else. Cyndi told me her and Ajay were determined to throw an East Van tweetup and celebrate their hood. They wanted to hold it at a veterans club and highlight the neighbourhood with its rich cultural diversity. I heard friends like Kris Krüg (above), Kemp Edmonds, Jason Baker, Canadian Kelli, and other would be there and it piqued my interest.

Above is 88-year-old Whistlin’ Smith, a blind veteran (standing with Cyndi and Ajay). He regaled us with tales of times past ad war Grandma Simpson style, but much more coherently. The canteen volunteers spoke of the purpose of a veterans club and its role in the community. They need new members and business to sustain themselves and offer services to vets.

The Taurus Club (aka the “Cop Club”), as its called, felt like such a random place full of interesting things. It’s one of those places you always pass by and seldom go in. The special members club is large and full pool tables, shuffleboard, and karaoke. A lot of other tweeps there wore their East Van pride, well proudly, especially espousing the Main Street area we were in.

As a photo/citizen journalist and social organizer, a very clean-shaven Kris spoke of community advocacy and giving back to foster creativity and sustainability. The evening also showcased the East Vancouver themed Mainly Main, a free, glossy, bit-sized magazine that I found impressive in its detailed production.

I love meeting new people and putting real faces to avatars. It was great meeting John Biehler, Monika Rola, K-dot, Greg Andrews, Liam Lahey, and many others IRL.

The night was definitely more fun times. What makes these meet ups and tweetups great are the people there. The collective social community of Vancouver that lives online is a small, distinct, friendly one. It is always a pleasure mingling amongst them. I enjoyed the East Van theme, meeting new people, and diversifying my surroundings.