After recently spending a week’s vacation in Vancouver to visit family, I wonder why I waited 10 years to return for a visit. Vancouver is a wonderful city that offers parks, gardens, mountains, the ocean, a wide variety of food selections, and accessible public transportation. Even though a decade had passed since my last visit, it was all still familiar. To me, Vancouver is similar to the good ‘ol U.S. of A. except for a few differences. Below were a few of my observations (in no particular order)
- East and Southeast Asians make up the 2nd largest regional ethnic group in Vancouver. There are so many diverse ethnic backgrounds assimilated in Vancouver living, communicating, dining, dating, and shopping together. I think the city is a step ahead in genuinely welcoming and accepting the different backgrounds and cultures that make up its community. I never once worried about walking into a place and getting “the stares”, or double-takes that I sometimes experience here in the South.
- I am told I have a slight accent. It has to do with my pronunciation of long “a’s”. For example the words “Orlando, Vancouver, pants, Cambie” (a street name) all sound a little “funny” to my Canadian relatives. It must be that Southern twang!
- Canadians use different terms. If you find the need to relieve yourself, you will need to find or ask for the “washroom”. Sneakers are called “runners”. And yes, they do tend to say “Eh?” a lot.
- There are no dollar bills, only Loonies and Toonies which are dollar and two dollar coins.
- Malls and restaurants are busy any day of the week. You would think Christmas was around the corner!
- Shopping sprees are not favorable to your average American! Be ready to pay a GST and PST tax that equals about 14.5%. (Which, by the way, helps pay for their universal health care).
- The sun doesn’t completely set until about 10PM in the summer.
- Drivers actually do yield to pedestrians. I was a bit nervous crossing streets that didn’t have designated crosswalk signals. I’m used to Floridian drivers ignoring pedestrians’ right of way.
- I find the majority of Canadians to be very polite and courteous even in the most hectic/crowded moments, i.e. public transportation.
- And of course my favorite… Only Canada offers the abundance and deliciousness of novelty foods such as Poutine Fries and Japadogs!
Poutine Fries: a Canadian staple! French fries smothered in a beef-based gravy and cheese curds.
Japadog: Sold on random street corners, this one in particular is called the "Terimayo"! All beef hot dog on a sesame seed bun with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, grilled onions, topped with seaweed flakes. Awesome snack food!
