Vancouver: Beginnings

Well I arrived in Vancouver with an interesting start. I got off the plane in a HUGE airport complete with ponds and a waterfall between the escalators, which seems promising. Then I got to customs and foolishly decided to tell the truth. I was then informed of a competition clause in the working laws of beautiful Canada. Apparently even an unpaid internship can be taking away a job from a Canadian…so the customs girl told me I had to get a work visa. After freaking out for about 2 minutes she then decided to tell me that it was okay because I was a US citizen and could apply for one at the point of entry. Aka I didn’t have to go all the way back home that night.

After waiting 20 minutes for my bag because the baggage cart was broken I finally headed to ‘intense customs for bad people who can’t make it through normal people customs’. The guy working there asked for proof of my internship. Oops no I don’t have a printed letter, it is on my computer only. Oops my computer is out of battery because I let it die on the airplane because I was at a really good part of “Behind Enemy Lines.” Um well my charger is a replacement charger so it kind of freezes my computer when I plug it in……Sooo….10 awkward minutes later when my computer started the guy glanced at it said ‘OK, oh thanks, you’re fine, bye good luck w/ your internship’. Then I got out of there quick because why let them change their minds? (By the way those 10 minutes were passed by him searching my bag…w/ all my underwear thrown in on top because I packed it at the last minute…oh yea and my mint tea from CHRISTIAN, thanks for almost getting me arrested, which he thought was drugs for like 30 seconds until he smelled it. )

So work visa free I entered Canada land! I could smell the ocean as soon as I stepped outside, because the airport is on a little island off of Vancouver. My airport shuttle came right away and took me to the airport- and here I am! All in all after a brief bump, the summer is off to a great start!
Day 1:
I checked out of my hotel and went out to adventure in Canada-land. At 64 degrees and sunny I was pretty pumped to explore. I walked around for about 2 hours people watching and have made a list of things I like about Canada:
1.EVERYONE has a cute dog. Really, everyone it was disgusting. Sabelow, you would have hated the joy the puppies were bringing to everyone around.
2.There are lots of trees
3.People are terrible drivers but they yield to pedestrians
4.Ocean! Beaches!
5.Really good little walking trails
6.Lots of coffee places
7.Lots of different accents
8.People care about soccer
9.Great taste in music: when I was put on hold over the phone TLC ‘waterfalls’ was played. I have also heard RENT, Natural Woman, Death Cab, Sea of Love, Simon and Garfunkel, etc

After contemplating these niceities I realized @ 3pm that I had not eaten in 20 hours. So I walked some more and looked for food. I chose falafels for 4.25, what a deal. The guy proceeded to tell me he was going to go make me fresh falafels so I sat and watched the Toronto v New England soccer match for 15 minutes. The Revolution lost to Toronto for the first time ever. Big ouch on Memorial Day weekend, eh?

Then 2 old Turkish?/Armenian? guys who worked there started talking to me. First they asked me if I was Mexican. I professed my American-ness and they seemed happy… I said I was really liking Vancouver and they said “Well Vancouver likes you too. We like the Americans here.” Uh thanks… Then I had to tell them what had happened in the game and then they asked me what my background was… I said I was from the Midwest and had 2 brothers. They cleared up that they meant ethnicity. Aha, now I see why they were guessing Mexican, they were confused because every white person in this wilderness is blonde and pale. I said Greek and Irish (I like to hide the fact that I am descended from the evil German empire when I can) which seemed another right answer. Then I was admonished that I should speak Greek and that I should tell my father that he hadn’t been strict enough and that he should have made me go to Greek school because it’s a good language. Um. After declaring that I had a pretty name and that I had to come back throughtout the whole summer to see them and that they would give me a free falafel when I came back tomorrow, I left.

Well, Vancouver sure is hospitable... And that falafel was pretty good.