This awesome little video popped up on my Google Reader via Miss 604 and I thought I’d share it with you!

In Canada we have a long weekend this weekend, for Victoria’s Day, also known as May Two-Four, where in high school that meant going away to some cottage and getting wasted all weekend (which I never did), and in college it meant the same thing, which I never did either and instead went to clubs that were completely deserted because everyone way ‘away’. I never went away, I didn’t have a cottage, nor did I want to brave freezing temperatures to go camping in the middle of May…

Yes, I live in Canada. Yes, it’s normally warm up here. During May 24 weekend? Freezing – every single year. No matter what the weather is beforehand – it was 20 degrees celsius (68 farenheit) last weekend, gorgeous and balmy – and this weekend the weather for tomorrow is 8 degrees celsius (46 farenheit) and rainy. What the hell mother nature?

And next weekend is hot again. Bleh. Anyway, regardless of the weather I am finally ‘going away’ for the long weekend! Something I have never done before – and also, staying at a bed and breakfast (which I always say/type BREAD and BEKFAST and then have to correct myself) and that’s something I have never done before either. If I had those on my life list I could check them off as done and done! Except I didn’t have them on my life list…….

Regardless – Mister & I & the princess are heading out to Bowen Island to bask in the freezing weather, fly some kites, blow some bubbles and hopefully by Monday play on the beach with all the sand toys I just bought – if the weather actually cooperates!  The island is about 35 minutes away from where we live now in downtown Vancouver, but it feels like you’re miles away! Everything is even greener and lusher and it feels like you’re on a campground everywhere you go.

And there are deers in people’s front yards. Seriously, it is so beautiful and amazing!

I’ll have some pix up from this weekend in the next couple of days, and I want to thank all of you for contributing to my reader survey! Your comments were great! Haven’t done it yet? Check it out here! Thanks a lot lovelies!

xoxo

Fab Brunette

ps. Have an amazing weekend, no matter what country you’re in!

Autumn in Vancouver

Since moving to Vancouver last October, I have experienced a lot of things. From the amazing autumn where the sun shined high all through October, flowers still bloomed and the air was warm with promises of things to come. November turned into three weeks of stormy, grey weather. Rain, rain and more rain. I took it as an excuse to buy rain boots!

December and January flew by, but not without note – we skied in Whistler/Blackcomb and Cypress, and checked out the beauty that is Grouse Mountain a couple of times. Hanging out in Whistler Village, sitting on the heated patios while it’s snowing outside is so worth the trip!

February was a blur of Olympic madness – the city turned on its head and became this busy, toxic, tourist filled place – it brought with it many cool events and tons of fun times though! And then, March came and went so quickly I didn’t even notice it – it rained buckets though and it’s continuing into April!

Through all these months people often ask me what is so different between Vancouver and Toronto? How are things on the West Coast? Well, they’re doing really fine. More than fine. This city is beautiful and has so much to offer. Let me start you with a few things:

People who live here LOVE their city. And they will defend it with all their honour. If you try to say one negative thing about the city (other than the obvious constant rain and the ‘bad area’) they will tear you up and throw Toronto down the incinerator. They defend their food, their shops, their nature, the people – and they’ll make fun of you for coming from “Onterrible”. (That’s Ontario to non-Vancouver-ites.)

Restaurants Are NOT Amazing. One of the biggest things I miss about Toronto is the food. Of course, now that I’m dieting, it’s not that big of a deal right now. But I miss places like: Terroni, Pizzeria Libretto, Nyood, Brassai, Wild Wing, Buddha Dog, School, Table 17, Yellow Griffin Pub, 7 West, Les 3 Brasseurs, 5 Doors North, Ki, Ultra Supper Club – should I even go on? The point is that anywhere you turn in Toronto, you can find an absolutely amazing restaurant that you can brag to your friends about and know they’ll have a great time. I have found one restaurant like that in Vancouver. In my neighborhood alone, I’ve tried about 10 different restaurants, many of them have ‘rave’ reviews, but many of them are okay but they’re not memorable or amazing. Sorry Vancouver, but Toronto really knows its food, cheap or expensive.

Everything is more Relaxed here. There is only one bank in Vancouver with extended hours, and until the last couple of years banks weren’t even open on Saturdays. My mail seems to take a long time to get here, I have a feeling the mailmen have something to do with it. I went to the post office the other day at 9:30 and the man slept in, when he got there at 9:45 (his shift started at 9!) he didn’t apologize for being late. Seriously. In traffic, when people are stuck behind the stupid person making an illegal left turn and holding up traffic – they don’t get out of the lane half the time – it’s like they have all day to wait for someone to make a turn! Hello? This is all so foreign to me.

Toronto is rush, rush, rush, rush, rush – a place where having a child with you is like an annoyance to the person who had to be somewhere 5 minutes ago. In Vancouver, people adore children and stop to take the time to say hi to them, talk to them when they look bored or when I’m on the phone. People hold doors open for you, bag your groceries and ask if you’d like help with them to the car. They’re understanding. No one’s stepping on your toes or butting in line to get onto the train.

Maybe they’re just being polite. But it definitely is a breath of fresh air when you can have a conversation with a stranger at Starbucks and not fear looking crazy. In Toronto most people wouldn’t have the time of day to chatter with another person.

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These are just my observations and shouldn’t be offensive to anyone, just my experiences in both Vancouver & Toronto – and if you live in Toronto, check out any of those restaurants, you will not be disappointed!

xoxo

Fab Brunette