On Vancouver, Having Been Here Two Years -please read

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Thread started 05/29/10 6:45pm

meow85

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On Vancouver, Having Been Here Two Years -please read

Soon enough it'll be the 2nd anniversary of my move from the Okanagan to Vancouver, so I thought I'd put a little piece together for the occasion. Just a few thoughts and observances on The City of Glass, more or less in the style of Esquire's "What I've Learned".

There's no narrative, and there's no particular order. I'm probably not even finished. More likely than not I'll be returning to add more as it comes to me.

Here we go:

May 29, 2010
What I've Learned-in' It

I'm still surprised by the ubiquity of coffee shops. Not just Starbucks, but everything. From other chain cafes like Blenz and Waves to independently owned caffeine spots. The main drag in my neighbourhood has 37 places to bean up in a 20 block stretch, and that's not including the convenience store or McDonalds' brews a less-choosy body can select.

Nowhere is this province's economic meltdown more obvious than here. This city is home to the country's poorest postal code, and has a staggering rate of unemployment. It's no longer unusual to go to a house party and find out everyone in attendance is out of work. And if you can find a job? It's likely to be one far below your skill or education level. I happen to know for a fact the girl who served me my morning coffee today has a Masters' degree, and it's sure as shit not in latte art.

And the rain. People always bitch about the weather here, especially out-of-towners, but it's such a blessing. That sounds hokey, and I tried to think of a less purple-prose-ish way to describe it, but it really is. The rain keeps our greens green and the air is always fresh and clean for it -a rare thing in a big city. Who else in an urban centre has the luxury of breathing deep and not getting a lungful of crap for their trouble?

Everyone smokes, and no one drives. We're a generation with strong, muscled legs and wheezy breath.

My dears, if anyone ever tries to tell you that punk is dead or that the hippie movement fizzled out when the Peace & Love generation grew up and sold out, they'd be wrong. The counter cultures never died, at least not here. They just shifted a little. You can still find barefoot flower children and snarling anarchists roaming around. It's just that these days a rebel is just as likely to wear a suit as she is love beads or spikes. I suspect even our Mayor would be out singing Kumbaya at the protests if his political aspirations hadn't demanded he be an Upstanding Citizen.

No one here can bear to be uncool. Not a soul will admit to love for Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys or any other dorky pop act. And yet they regularly sell out stadium shows. Make of that what you will.

We have a very peculiar approach to race. We're a city of tremendous ethnic diversity. We fancy ourselves part of an inclusive cozy cultural quilt or tasty mixed salad. But, as always, the reality doesn't match the myth. There are "asian" stores and "brown" nightclubs and "black" bars and, and, and. I attended a college that offered courses on race and ethnic relations in Canada, with cleaning staff comprised entirely of non-white immigrants. Natives are put on a pedestal by government and Olympic officials as a Revered People -but go down to the Downtown Eastside and a solid bulk of the people on the streets there are Indigenous. So much for reverence. We crow about our tolerance and open-mindedness all the while it being a poorly-kept secret that certain whites avoid buying or renting in suburbs with too many South Asian people. There's no such thing as a city without racism, but we cling to our myth of inclusivity the way few other places do.

"A Watcher scoffs at gravity!"

missmad	great read hun. And it is unfortunate that the girl who has a master's is serving you coffee but at least it is something you know. Not sure what people r complaining about I looooove the rain.
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missmad	meow85 said: missmad said: great read hun. And it is unfortunate that the girl who has a master's is serving you coffee but at least it is something you know. Not sure what people r complaining about I looooove the rain. Thank you. no problem.
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ZombieKitten	what's the story with immigrants and employment over there? I got a couple of friends, young, early 20s who want to finish their studies and get jobs (IT) and are having trouble getting permanent residency here. They think moving to Canada is going to help them. She is from Mauritius and he is from Colombia.
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CarrieLee	I want to go to Vancouver soooooooooooooooo bad. It looks absolutely gorgeous there.
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