And my neighbour is industriously creative
Earnest conversation...
It is time for a bit of shopping and to perhaps catch a movie at the Cinematheque in Howe Street.
One of the big attractions about Vancouver is the excellent public transport, the buses are small but regular and quite reasonable cost. It is $1.75 for unlimited travel in one and a half hours.
This morning after my coffee/pastry breakfast, not too fortifying, I checked out the Oyster Bar where I am meeting D and girlfriend tomorrow. It looks excellent, is close by, and I look in to see if I can cloak my bags there while we eat. A young waiter comes up with a smile, wearing a rather confronting black T-shirt with large lettering - 'Suck me off'. They don't mince words in Vancouver, but the oysters looked succulent!
On to visit the close-by Positive Living Centre which is offering a yoga class tonight at six. It is very friendly, and I am shown around and am duly impressed with all they have to offer their clients. Free medication, lots of free services, and a friendly volunteer staff, one of whom offered me a chocolate brownie to take away with me. I have just eaten it at the Starbucks cafe with my Chai Latte,very mediocre, but I have no expectations at Starbucks, just a convenient and nostalgic memory of meeting Burcu in Taksim Square in Istanbul two years ago. I take some information away from the Centre, and hear they have to relocate in November as the building is being demolished and rebuilt, during three years. I feel for them as many will be dislocated.
Next stop is a shoe shop, to buy perhaps some nice pumps for my big speech at Te Papa. Have to be well-dressed and all my shoes are old so I will be throwing some out on my return. I look in at one shop, too expensive, find another and am served by a charming Polish sales woman and we have a nice chat. The ones on sale are too small, but the Florsheims on the shelf are very comfy and I decide to buy them, if only because of her excellent service. The other saleswomen overhear our conversation and come over and I do an impromptu Scottish dance with one of them who says she loves to dance but is too old. I leave with a 'See you when you come back' and the Polish lady kindly gives me a complimentary shoehorn to take with me!
I next go to find the Aussie pub, the Moose Downunder, and immediately see it at my feet, below ground and looking quite enticing. I leave my name with the very Aussie speaking girl and say I am with Rory who has booked for eight people. It may be a roaring night but the footy game is the attraction for me. It's so long since I've seen a game of Aussie rules.
Check out the Cinematheque but it is closed till six o'clock so I take a break at Starbucks until my yoga at six. My week has fast disappeared but I have still a weekend in the country in Surrey, with Duncan, which is sure to be interesting. Some Swiss chocolates for Margaret and the local Scottish Dance Magazine for Duncan is my offering there. I feel they will be super hospitable. Did I mention Duncan is the doppelgänger of my French friend Jean-Louis? I could not believe the resemblance when I first saw him at the class on Tuesday night. An eerie one, that! I hope his wife is as nice as he is.
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