Chapter 183: Vancouver: Words

Vancouver

Another different shower. What happens when I turn this knob?  Water fills the bath. Perhaps if I turn it back this way the water will come out the shower. That’s good. Now how do I turn it in order to make the water hotter?

I start to shower. My feet are drowning. The plug is in the bath. How do I lift it?

Now to find some shampoo. These bottles all look the same. In large letter I see the words clarifying, refreshing and repairing. In small letters one of them says shampoo.

I have taken my glasses off in order to shower and now I need them. This writing is small. I will have to guess. What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing until I try and step out of the shower. I manage to avoid the shower curtain and hurdle the bath.

Job done. I have this shower for two nights. Just long enough for me to learn how to use it.

We spend an entire day in Vancouver as a tourist. Serendipity leads us to the aquarium. The tanks are superbly curated. A lady stands outside a butterfly house holding a sign saying “Please don’t touch the butterflies.”

In Stanley Park we see a bus disgorging tourists with a guide. Today that is not us. Today we are wandering around freely without a guide. Randomly turning this way then that.

Lunch time and we follow signs leading to Urban Eatery. It turns out to be a mall. Tables and chairs are surrounded by shops selling food. I eventually see the only vacant able and grab it and sit in its only chair. Lorna goes for food and I guard the table and wait for a chair to become vacant. 

Eventually one does and I place it at my table. Immediately a lady sees my vacant chair and comes to take it. I say the chair is already taken and she looks incredibly sad. She looks like she is about to cry. 

A nearby table becomes vacant and the chairs are quickly taken. Near us is a table without chairs.

Back to our room for a cup of tea. There is no kettle. Somehow we have to work out how to make cup of tea with this coffee machine. Perhaps if we turn it on, put water in it, don’t put coffee pods in, we will finish up with a cup full of hot water and then we can make a cup of tea.

At night we watch TV. The channels vary between USA and Canadian. We flick between the two countries.

TV is like the cars. There are no specific unique Canadian cars. I think there is little difference between cars in both countries.

The Canadians will quickly tell you of the differences. Canada didn’t fight in the Vietnam War and received a lot of American draft dodgers. Some of whom are still there. Canada didn’t follow the USA into the war in Iraq.  But Canada did fight in Afghanistan.

The national Hockey league contains teams from both countries. Most of the players maybe from Canada but the richest clubs are in the USA.

Canada plays a slightly different form of gridiron. They have thanksgiving holiday but on a different day.

Talk to a Canadian and they very quickly say: He/she is actually a Canadian. This is true for many musicians and actors. Basically if an actor/musician wants to make it they have to go to the USA. Very similar to crossing the ditch from NZ to Aus. 

Michelle is on the same theme. Because we are so close to the border Michelle talks about differences between Aus and Canada.

Michelle: By now you should have worked out how to use a shower and a toilet. I agree the coffee is better in Aus. In Aus you get this wonderful thing called long service leave. I wish we had that.

I ask her to talk about politics and political differences. She refuses and says: I’m not doing politics.

We arrive at the border. Queues of cars miles long. They don’t have routine procedures. They can decide at any time to do anything. The border guards stroll around in baggy uniforms and prominent guns. They have no interest in creating goodwill. In fact they prefer the opposite.  We wait passively and agree to everything asked. We are eager to be waved through.