Update and Musings

It has been over a week since my last post, and I think it is time for an update.

In the past week I have found an apartment which I am moving into today. Its a small two room which I am sharing with another guy. For now its just a four month lease, at which point I will evaluate whether or not I wish to stay in Vancouver, or this apartment.

I also have a job interview tomorrow. Its with a company which make systems for optimizing sawing up lumber. Its the first job I've ever found for which I am actually perfectly qualified for.

When I arrived in Vancouver, my cousins at Trinity Western University found me a temporarily empty dorm room at their residence which I could stay in. I accepted gratefully. The first day there, I ran into two people I did a French program with last summer, quite accidentally (I did the French program on purpose, I had no idea that these individuals went to Trinity). They graciously offered me lodging in their rooms for a few extra days. This weekend my friend from Victoria was in Vancouver and I decided to go visit him for a few days whilst I waited for my apartment and job interview.

The generosity and hospitality I have encountered over the past few weeks has absolutely blown me away. I am very grateful for all the people who let me sleep on their couches, in their guest rooms, and even in their own beds. I have met many of my friend's parents along the way and have been welcomed into their family as they open up their homes. Even people I barely know have shown me great hospitality. All of it has meant a lot to me.

I have done a little bit more than just look for a job and an apartment. For instance, just yesterday after I picked my friend up from work, we went to a local marina, and fed some random wild seals. They ate right out of our hands.

Seals are a lot like dogs. They look like them, act like them, smell like them, only difference is they live in water.

The day before yesterday, I took a leisurely hike up mount Douglas, which is right in Victoria. The wind was absolutely ridiculous. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was blowing at 35 or 40 knots, and that I was in danger of being blown over.

Another panorama. This is from the top of Mt. Doug. I'm not sure why it doesn't actually go all the way around...

An important lesson which I learned the easy way (luckily), is that a flashing green light in BC does not mean the same thing as a flashing green light in Ontario. In Ontario it means that everyone else has a red light, and you may turn any which way you like. In BC it means that the light will only change to red if a pedestrian presses the crosswalk button, therefore look out for pedestrians. Turning left on a flashing green without looking for oncoming traffic will get you in an accident pretty quickly.

BCers love their green space. To me “green space” in Ottawa means “dog park” or “a few gardens, a few trees, and a lot of grass”. To someone in BC it means “Rain forest”. There are a few parks right in the middle of Vancouver, where it is literally a city block worth of rain forest! I love it.

Just another walk in the park