Prairie Child in the City: 2011-03-06

The west coast was an amazing time. The only problem, one I was afraid might happen is my now transition back to Montreal. When I got back to the apartment, Annick had it all so perfect and cozy and scented candle'y for me which was awesome. But after a delicious week of being with Casey in the warm weather, life without him in a city buried in grey snow just sucks. The day I got back, there was an ice pellet storm mixed with rain and heavy snow. I arrived to a job at the other end of the city after three total wipe outs and a good, sweaty, slippery 45 minute trek, drenched.

The sky has been grey since I arrived and I feel pretty lost. I guess 'lost' is the best word to describe it. Having traveled out and then back to a place that still, isn't really home has my insides and subconscious all confused.

Also after watching my brother's CreComm IPP presentation over Skype I began to miss Winnipeg a lot. After my family and close friends, the best thing about Winnipeg is all-the-other-people-I-know. Many of whom from the great 'crecomm mafia'. Winnipeg has the best people in Canada. Well the best out of Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto I think. I haven't really been to the other places. Maybe the maritimers have us beat. But the unique blend of old-school, blue-collar values and open-spirited artsy intellect that is young Winnipeggers right now is something I miss. The Quebecois are not my people. They have made that QUITE clear (a long, drawn-out blog entry on this subject is to come). Vancouver is filled with nice people, I like them but a lot of abnoxious hoity-toity and piles of stinky hippy.

Anyways, I knew this would happen. Missing Casey, missing family, missing Winnipeg. I've been expecting it, although I thought it would come sooner. I think I got cocky and stopped being mentally prepared for it and now here it is. Here it is and 'it' really is a big part of the reason I've come here. So I am soaking and processing 'it' in as deeply as I can so I never forget 'it'...get it? got it? good.

BUT the sun will shine again and soon it will be spring time here, things will be better. I am making sure to love and appreciate every minute of this experience because in the long run I'm only here for a very short time...

So, Vancouver photos..

Moi pis mon tsi namie

Drinks and lunch at the Sandbar. My new favorite restaurant in Van on Granville Island. This is the patio section, right over the water, kept warm by heat lamps and fireplaces. So much fun.

View from Domi and Derrick's place. Incredible. Almost as incredible: this is March in Vancouver.

Gastown

Dinner at Sarah and Derrick's: a food magazine photoshoot experience

2 cups of water to 3 cups of quinoa so 4cups to 1cup of.......

End of the night: Jenga and Wine-Face emerge

Entrance to a Yale Town grocery store. Bosco would do well here. They're everywhere!

Taking the water taxi to the restaurant..This is what driving around Vancouver looks like.

Back at the sandbar for a late night meal. Live pianist just behind that lamp, beautiful view of the city and the water all around.

Check out Casey's cool-guy grin

Just a plain old regular walk home, no big deal.

Cool night, wearing casey's jacket. What a gentleman. Gentle man. haha... "j'aime cette place!!"

oh yeah-this is when we went to Ikea in Seattle. Dream kitchen: all the women will be sitting drinking wine around the white-top island while I cook a delicious meal, the Oscars are on in the background. Casey bartending for the guys at the larger, high-top marble countertop at the left. You'd be amazed at how little this entire kitchen actually costs.
I'm buying it.

My girl on her new chair in Seattle.

After a month in Montreal and 6 weeks away from Casey I decided to fly out to the west coast for a week before pesky things like, yknow, jobs got in the way of good timing. It was amazing to see Casey at the airport in Vancouver on Wednesday night. "Me and Casey was like peas and carrots again" (forest gump). We had a wonderful time with Dominique and Derrick in their incredible apartment, took a walk along the seawall, went for a delicious lunch in the daytime and had a lot of drinks in the nighttime. Also got to have breakfast with Sarah the following morning (Vancouver photos to come).

I love Vancouver even more than I remember. The weather is too good, the streets are pristine and manicured and the smell of the ocean is just exquisite. There are luscious plants everywhere, everything is shiny new and sparkly colorful and the salmon is to die for.

What could be better? Actually, Seattle.

Seattle is better. Vancouver is beautiful, fancy, high-tech and Canadian (sortof) but Seattle has grit, character and rich culture. Like this man we saw singing in one of Seattle's hidden back alleys. This man encapsulates Seattle's "Diamond in the Rough" feel. I love this.

Click on the photo to see the video of this singing angel.

Its very "pacific northwest". It has a more genuine feel. It's a fisherman's town and an artistic mecca all at once. Its a lot of beards, Birkenstocks and alternative hats and not so much tiny dogs in Louis Vuitton bags (well, some Louis Vuitton bags here). The salty smell of the ocean is blended with the smell of Seattle's famously fresh coffee and there are flowers everywhere. It's definitely high-tech what with all the Microsoft billionaires who live here but still, the feel of old time logging and fishing industry still hangs thick in the air.

I have never known of two cities so geographically close and so characteristically far apart. Both are great. I think I just happen to personally love Seattle more.

Which is why we drove down on Friday morning to spend the weekend. It's about a 2.5 hour drive but with traffic it took us 4.