A year ago exactly, I arrived in Vancouver. I had minimal luggage, big hopes, bigger dreams and even bigger worries. Turns out some of the worries were justified, others weren’t. And here I am. Almost a Vancouverite, still homeless in my heart which is a drag because home is where the heart is. And by homeless I mean the absence of a port of call rather than that of a roof, which I have the luxury of enjoying tonight as the outside effective temperatures drop below -15º C.

Vancouver has turned out to be a remarkable place, just as I’d imagined. In fact it is such an amazing city that it seems the locals have never quite gotten over the unique extremeness of it. In their minds and hearts, Vancouver always is the best, the worse and nothing in between. So since I rooted myself here, I have witnessed a year-long series of records and firsts, and lasts, and always’s too.

December and January gave us a record uninterrupted number of rainy days, and that’s saying a lot in the land of eternal rain. Then the spring cherry blossoms were quoted by some as the earliest and most beautiful in years. A extraordinary summer followed, setting records for the number of sunny days, and plain and simple heat. Then there were those amazing fall colors, nothing like the past years for sure. And then the torrential downpour of November which caused water turbidity levels to skyrocket to an unprecedented record high and resulted in a never-seen city-wide boil water advisory.

And now it’s bloody snowing like if the gods had forgotten we are actually located west of the Rockies. The forecast calls for another 10-20 cm (Environment Canada) or even 35-45cm (Weather Network) and I’m sure we will set new records of this and that. According to the local blogs, Vancouverites can’t drive in snow and the city shuts down when white. Power was out in many places, and, and... Ok. Enough... It all happens elsewhere, and usually much worse, and much better. Except everywhere else, it’s just another day. Here it’s breaking news, it’s something to talk about. Why not. I guess that’s what blogs were invented for.

After all, for many to BLOG is to Bitch, Laugh at, Offend and Gossip. But I don’t remember reading much about the beauty of it all, and the luck in it for us, and the gratefulness for not having a boring routine (and may those of you very much worth reading forgive me; you know who you are, I hope.)

So yes, Vancouver rocks. No, it’s not the only place that does. Yes, it’s a love and hate relationship. No, I’m not considering divorce, and neither are most. And maybe, just maybe, we could make it better. Starting with putting a roof over each and every head - And awarding each citizen a free snow shovel.

French version - Ah vous chantiez, j’en suis fort aise. Et bien pelletez, maintenant.

English version - That’s a lot of snow, eh?

2006-11-29 01:18 • Posted in On the road: & Vancouver: