I had a very curious (and short) conversation with McKay two days ago.
We had just gotten back to the hotel, McKay having fallen asleep in the car about 20 minutes before our arrival. I open the back door of the rental car and start to extract McKay when...
M: (out of a dead sleep) MUNCHIES!
D: ...what?
M: DADDY?
D: Yes?
M: What! Are! Munchies?!
D: Munchies?
M: YES!
D: Well, I wasn't expecting a sort of Spanish Inquisition...
Then he fell asleep again.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Crying Over Spilt Double Double
"Welcome to Canada."
I expected those words from the Immigration agent to make me get a bit misty, but they didn't.
I expected walking out into the Vancouver air, officially partially Canadian would, but it didn't, either.
Not even the jet lag that had us awake at 5:10 am on Sunday morning choked me up, although the concept does make me wince.
That first sip of Tim Horton's on an early Sunday morning, though, and I was officially verklempt. Hey, no one laughed about Proust and his madeleines; I had what I had.
Vancouver is pretty cool. This morning for breakfast I had scrambled eggs, bacon (not back) and a lemon-sugar crepe. Crepes are big here. We've already passed through the Granville Island market and sworn to return again soon. We tenatively have a place to live (we've agreed to rent it, but for the jiggery-pokery left with a security deposit and actually signing the lease), found close accommodations, restaurants, routes to work (I was laughing about a five block walk until I found out Raine might have a three block walk.), etc., etc., etc.
Tomorrow we head to the beach to take advantage of the "heat wave" currently hitting the city. People are looking at me funny when they tell me how hot it is here right now and I respond with the fact that it was 105 F (41 C; gotta get my metric legs again) in our driveway five days before we left.
Beach, mountains, good air, cool neighbourhoods, awesome weather.
Welcome to Vancouver.
Welcome to Canada.
I expected those words from the Immigration agent to make me get a bit misty, but they didn't.
I expected walking out into the Vancouver air, officially partially Canadian would, but it didn't, either.
Not even the jet lag that had us awake at 5:10 am on Sunday morning choked me up, although the concept does make me wince.
That first sip of Tim Horton's on an early Sunday morning, though, and I was officially verklempt. Hey, no one laughed about Proust and his madeleines; I had what I had.
Vancouver is pretty cool. This morning for breakfast I had scrambled eggs, bacon (not back) and a lemon-sugar crepe. Crepes are big here. We've already passed through the Granville Island market and sworn to return again soon. We tenatively have a place to live (we've agreed to rent it, but for the jiggery-pokery left with a security deposit and actually signing the lease), found close accommodations, restaurants, routes to work (I was laughing about a five block walk until I found out Raine might have a three block walk.), etc., etc., etc.
Tomorrow we head to the beach to take advantage of the "heat wave" currently hitting the city. People are looking at me funny when they tell me how hot it is here right now and I respond with the fact that it was 105 F (41 C; gotta get my metric legs again) in our driveway five days before we left.
Beach, mountains, good air, cool neighbourhoods, awesome weather.
Welcome to Vancouver.
Welcome to Canada.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
CANADA FAQ
Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website
Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow?(UK)
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.
Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA)
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto-can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to contact for a stuffed Beaver. (Italy)
A: Let's not touch this one.
Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada? (USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Canada? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Do you have perfume in Canada? (Germany)
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you sell it in Canada? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada? (USA)
A: Only at Thanksgiving.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round?(Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. (USA)
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.
Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow?(UK)
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.
Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA)
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto-can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to contact for a stuffed Beaver. (Italy)
A: Let's not touch this one.
Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada? (USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in Canada? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Do you have perfume in Canada? (Germany)
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you sell it in Canada? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada? (USA)
A: Only at Thanksgiving.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round?(Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. (USA)
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.
Friday, June 16, 2006
dollars and sense
- Sold Tercel...craig's list is our friend.
- Dan got his VISA, shiny and laminated in his passport
- Might have a place to live, it's just really small, but RIGHT where we want to live. The owners are worried about McKay and the stairs/roofdeck and want us to see it in person before we sign a lease. Despite other offers they'll hold it until our visit next week.
- Townhouse, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms on 2 floors. Additional rooftop deck. Unfurnished with all appliances. Beautiful view to downtown and mountains from large sunny living room and deck. Floor heating, fire place, alarm, 2 parking stalls. Ample storage. 2 mins walk to VGH and shopping areas, 1 minute walk to sea wall and parks. 10 minutes walk to Granville Island. Quiet neighbourhood.
- Our house has listed (since last Sunday) and we've already had TWO offers. Kind of bizarre. One we're currently still negotiating on; we want more money and a sooner close date, they want gutters and a later close date. We'll see.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
It's a bit jammy, and clangy.
After a great vacation (photos later) and a long flight back (who knew the Miami tarmac was SO beautiful) we're back at home.
Hiding out in the mailbox was the long waited yellow envelope labelled "Canadian Consulate General" requesting Dan's passport. This is the last step needed before he can legally enter the country. We'll send it off tomorrow and we should be done less than two weeks.
...and for those of you who care, this is where the post title comes from.
http://www.auntiemomo.com/cakeordeath/d2ktranscription.html#thegreatescape
Hiding out in the mailbox was the long waited yellow envelope labelled "Canadian Consulate General" requesting Dan's passport. This is the last step needed before he can legally enter the country. We'll send it off tomorrow and we should be done less than two weeks.
...and for those of you who care, this is where the post title comes from.
http://www.auntiemomo.com/cakeordeath/d2ktranscription.html#thegreatescape
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Raine
- Places We've called Home: Kingston ON Chicago IL Atlanta GA Vancouver BC