First day in Vancouver – Sunday 16

Okay so I wake up in a hotel in the not quite least desirable part of town. I am jet

lagged and have just spend $139 on a room because the rental house isn’t

finished. Even though I have my work permit ‐ I am not happy.

However while it is grey (gray) outside in Vancouver it is dry and mild. I walk up

to the Skytrain to sit in a coffee shop in Commercial Drive near the house to think

things through.

A 10 minute easy journey back has me sitting in Waves Coffee with a steaming

non‐fat latte and a parfait (I now know what they are –Shrek reference). The

world comes into focus. I am ready to go back to the house…Back inside the first floor doesn’ look too bad, the basement still looks like a

prison complex though. I decide that perhaps I need to put some stuff in the

cupboards so cross the road to the Mercatel store (24 hours and 10‐10 on

Sunday!). It’ not cheap, $110 fills four bags but I have the essentials now. But I

also need lots of ‘omewares’so go up to the Kitchen Corner which is a weird

hardware store with grungy/punky music playing in the background. Another

$100 and I have a pillow pans, cutlery and assorted other stud –Ikea it ain’.

Back in the house I am thinking that maybe the upper floor could work with

Theo in one room the front room being a sitting room/guest bedroom and us in

the larger bedroom (which now has a bed with the world’ thinnest mattress on

it and green silk sheets _ guess they were on special somewhere –Everett the

landlord is Mr Thrifty). Downstairs in the Gulag I wonder if with substantial

homey touches it might be possible that Evie couldf have one room, the den next

to it and the dogs in with the evil looking old brown sofa which sits brooding in

the corner. They could all share the industrial furnace which is down there too.

We will all have to suffer the third world bathroom :o(

With some stuff in the cupboards at least I can make some lunch and things look

up a bit. I even smile about it and remember a short period in a bedsit in

Wimbledon as a comparison. I decide to go out again and build up my bike.

Revelation –I roll down the hill and find a bikeway called Mosaic which in turn

hooks up with Adanac and Seaside in a lovely ride right to Stanley Park. Now I

remember why we are moving half way around the world –it is simply beautiful

–mountains, ocean, clean air. Two raccoons cross the bike path and I stop to

stare at them while locals stop and stare at me staring at the raccoons. What a

great idea it was to go out on my bike –two hours and I don’ care how hard the

bed is or how crap the bathroom (well maybe that will take a few more rides).

Anyway back on Commercial and it is buzzing with cool, unpretentious young

people –packed coffee stops and strange shops.

Back at the house and the light is fading, this is the test –I need to cook and

eventually hit the (hardwood) hay. Everett comes around with another odd

jobbing ‘riend’who has the longest and skuzziest shower curtain I have ever

seen. Luckily too long for the bath so Everett goes out to buy (scavenge) another.

He also hands me a second hand pan and some cups (gee thanks!).

I can’ wait for tomorrow and my first day at work –hope my back benefits from

this hard bed…Photos –Good bits

Stanley Park –view to Burrard Bridge (stunning)

Less good but okay

Kitchen (okay for 1957 and badly lit)

Not good..

This is the bathroom (from hell) –it has been re‐tiled but by a blind idiot…It is

also tiny, so at least the ugliness is confined to a small area :o)

1) Look at the craftsmanship on these stairs –planks! See also American

standard mahoosive washer and dryer I think –haven’ tried them yet.

2) Two shots of the cells as I have nicknamed the cosy ‘en’(ho ho) and

basement rooms. <>

4) Notice here the motif for downstairs of barred windows (yes on every

window) and the manky sofa –I thought the dogs could live in here –nothing to

damage…That is a bag in the corner –not mine though, maybe there’ a body in

it. I don’ want to look.