VanAussie Daily

Less than three months

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

It’s now almost two months till we’re on an airplane and heading back to Australia. Permanently. How crazy is that?

Like I’ve said before, this brings mixed feelings, as there’s some things I’m looking forward to doing at home, but there’s others that I’m going to miss from Vancouver. So seeing as I haven’t really got anything big that we’re doing right now to write about, I thought I’d do a few quick little posts when it springs to mind about things that I am and am not going to miss about Vancouver.

First thing? Something I’ll miss: The Skytrain. Generally clean, reliable and with a good amount of stops, it really brings this city together, you know? Like a good rug. As a matter of fact, I’m on it now, and have been catching it regularly to work for about the last 8 months or so.

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Halloween

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

October 31 is a pretty fun time of year around these parts. Why? It’s Halloween!

The buildup to the actual day is pretty cool as well, as the City of Vancouver and most surrounding cities allow the sale of fireworks for the 6 or so days prior to Halloween. It’s quite amazing really, the random shops that pop up with MASSIVE white signs with red lettering advertising that they’re selling fireworks… obviously they’ve gotta make hay while the sun shines.

The random fireworks going off in that time around town combines with seeing more and more people tramping around town in their costumes the closer we get to the 31st. I mean, at any other time of year you would raise an eyebrow at Spartacus cruising around wearing a sword, shield, full face helmet and cape while carrying a Costco reusable shopping bag, right?

Apologies for the bad shot – iPhone shaky cam. That was taken two days before Halloween.

Then you start seeing strange things popping up out of the ground around trees…

It’s a very fun time of year, checking out everyones costumes. But the most fun part? Well, according to me, it’s this:

Hoo hoo hoo!! Family pack!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Well, it’s Thanksgiving once again here in Canada. Any folks from the US who stumble across this blog post will probably say something along these lines:

That’s because Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving about a month and half before those south of the 49th. Most Aussies probably have a pretty fuzzy recollection of what the hell Thanksgiving is all about, probably recollections containing elements of turkey, some pilgrims, and cranberry sauce.

It’s actually celebrated for a various reasons around the world, but in Canada it’s generally to give thanks at the end of the harvest season.

What does that mean for Aussies in Canada? Well, for me, it’s the last of a long series of public holidays we get here in BC. Pretty much one day a month through the summer months is a public holiday, and the long weekends you get out of it are fantastic.

Also, if you’re lucky enough then you might get invited to a Canadian Thanksgiving meal, they’re generally a sight to behold – pretty much the equivalent of Aussie Christmas tucker, but in October with no presents.

So here’s to a good harvest (it was good, right?). Cheers!

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Posted in Different things in Canada, Musings | 1 Comment »

Come and get it!

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

When you’re leaving a place that you have called home for a couple of years, the inevitable happens- you have to shed all the valuable possessions, whittling down your stuff till you can fit it all back into the two bags you came over with. Either that or pay through the nose for shipping.

So, it is with great regret that I must give away one of my most prized possessions, one of the pertinent reminders of my homeland. It can be yours too if:

A. Your Australian enough.
B. You can pick it up in Vancouver.

What is it? My preciousssss…

Yes, that’s right folks, you are looking at a larger-than-life size corflute Coopers bottle sign, and it makes the perfect addition to any Aussie flat in Vancouver – show off your Aussie pride!

If you want it, “git yer Ocker on” in the comments – post up your favourite Aussie sayings or whatever… I’m willing to bet there won’t be much competition, but points will be awarded for creativity

Hell, even if you don’t want it or you’re not in Vancouver or don’t want the sign then feel free to post up anyway! Just let me know you’re not serious… I’ll even kick it off – see below

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Posted in Downtown Vancouver, Musings, travel | 6 Comments »

Vancouver fire hydrants

Monday, September 13th, 2010

I said to Nat the other day that I’m pretty sure you could come up with a blog based entirely around Vancouver fire hydrants. I’m serious! Well, mostly, anyhoo.

They’re everywhere and some of them are in quite interesting spots and some look like little aliens come to take over our water supply.

You think I’m kidding?!

This guy likes the idea.

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Summer

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Ah, summer has finally hit Vancouver

Admittedly it is about a month late, but summer does tend to linger a while here. Well, in my mind at least I’ll keep on trying to wear shorts till December, but usually crack in about November or so and go back to jeans.

Anyway, here’s the current 7 day forecast, care of the local version of BOM:

When Vancouver hits this sort of swing you know that summer will be around for a while. Reliable blue sky days, temps close to 30 degrees, and the city just loves it!

We walked home from the skytrain along the seawall from the Yaletown station to our place near GM place and I think half the city was out on their bikes enjoying a trundle along in the sun, while the other half had decided that a picnic on the grass was a good idea. Not that it was crowded of course, there is more than enough seawall to go around.

Here’s a brief happy snap from the walk home, with Science World in the baground and the Athletes Village on the right:

Oh, and you know what made my day the other day? We were walking along the seawall to the left of the above shot, right in the heart of the city, and what did we see on the dock, fooling around and cleaning itself?

Okay, I tried to zoom in a little, but my phone only has a small lens…

Okay, it was a sea otter! One of the coolest animals known to man! They are absolute characters, and this one was fooling about, rolling around and having a grand old time. I was kinda excited… Shame we didn’t have the real camera though.

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Newspaper Highwaymen

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

In the early hours of the Vancouver weekday morning they wait. They watch. They lurk on the street corners, near Skytrain entrances and public thoroughfares.

Their prey is the Morning Commuter, typically identified by the freshly coifed hair, coffee in one hand, bag of work on their shoulder they didn’t do the night before, and a faint smell of sleep not quite forgotten.

The moment comes. Commuters pour from their chosen mode of transportation and the Newspaper Highwaymen pounce in a feeding frenzy, pushing their brand of free morning newspaper at anyone who will even glance infield direction. They’re not aggressive though, no, they choose the passive means of building their prey into taking the paper, fixing their target with a stare while invitingly proffering the rolled up paper in their general direction.

Commuters, stuck in that moment of confusion having just emerged from the dark halls of car parks and underground transit stations, blink and take the paper, plaintively trying to fit it into their hands between their overfull coffee cup and that heavy, heavy bag.

Success for the Highwaymen, once again, they retire to their hiding places, and wait for the next wave of confused Commuters.

The Commuters race on their way, feeling the bundle of slightly coffee stained paper under their arms with all that potentially interesting news. When they get a moment they open it up to see if the articles, ads and columns are at all interesting today.

Flick, flick, flick. Nothing.

The commuters find an opportune place to prop the paper, on seats, ledges, or any flat surface. Perhaps another of their kind will find it and the news will interest them? Paper is too valuable, after all, to just toss in the bin moments after it was gifted upon you.

…

While this may be an overly dramatic portrayal, it is pretty funny to watch the same story played out every morning. The daily rags Metro and 24 Hours are both printed 7 days a week, and these folks are employed to give as many as they can away to commuters. While there can be some reasonable content, they’re free for a reason! Still, we found them valuable when moving, as they also have boxes of the papers on street corners everywhere around the city… grab a handful and you’ve got some great packing material

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Posted in Downtown Vancouver, Musings, Shopping | 1 Comment »

Package from home

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

A package from home. When you get one of these in the mail, and before you open it, it always holds that promise and hint of home. Your mind runs though all the things it could be, and all the things you remember and hope someone has mailed to you… Allens snakes, huon pine shavings, books, gum trees, Mt Wellington, Milo?

Actually, this one is a little flat to be Milo…

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Dentist

Friday, June 4th, 2010

One of the things about settling down somewhere that you didn’t grow up in is that you have to find all the essential basic services again. You know, doctors, mechanics, coffee shops and dentists.

Now, with most of these things I’ll typically follow the same thought path (except coffee shops, they’re an A1 priority). I’ll put it off till I can no longer put it off, then get sick of putting it off and go to whoever is closest. After being screwed over by whoever was closest I’ll start asking around to find a good provider, find one, then end up giving them all my business.

I recently went through this process to find a dentist, except this time I got smart and asked friends for referrals. I ended up getting in to see my bosses dentist, after he told me that he went through the same process as above 15 years ago, and this guy was good.

I also learned that BC MSP doesn’t cover dental. At all. “Egads, how expensive will this be?” I thought, as all my front lower teeth were aching like bastards, and I was assuming the worst – take em all out and replace them with diamond tipped, titanium core incisors – “sorry sir, this is the cheapest we have” I could hear them sniggering as I lay awake at night, teeth hurting. It probably didn’t help that I hadn’t been to the dentist in at least 5 years.

Still, my teeth hurt, so I had to go to the dentist.

I rock into the appointment, prepared for the worst. I had actually queried how much I was in for before I booked the appointment, and they told me it would be $80 plus another $80 if I needed xrays. That sounded good. However, I don’t trust dentists, as (in my mind at least) they have a cheap first consultation price to lure you in, then you’re doomed to spend the next 10 years in their clutches doing reconstructive and preventative checkup after checkup.

I get ushered into the room with the chair. It’s comfy. It’s got this view:

How many dentists have you been to that have that sort of view?! I get my checkup by the dentist, who turns out to be nice as hell, then he leaves me alone with his techs for them to do an evaluation of previous work and xrays. While they’re away developing the xrays, someone hands me a set of high powered binoculars so I can “have a peep” at what’s happening on the lower mainland.

They’re done, then I wait for the dentist to come back to give me his analysis and prognosis. I check to see if anything interesting is going on in the apartments downtown with the binoculars.

The dentist comes in. Looks at the xrays. Tells me I’m going to have to come back. Yup, cos it’s been 5 years since the last check up, I’ve got a build up of crap in my gums and it’s making my teeth hurt. I only need a clean. No extra appointments, no unobtanium teeth straighteners, no pain. What?!

Cost of the appointment? $130.

No actual dental work needed? Priceless.

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