The little things

You really don't notice certain things such as selection of foods or options in cell phone plans until you move somewhere (and then move back).

In Canada (well at least Vancouver):
- most juices comes in rectangular containers (which fit into the door of the fridge really well)
- you can't find Campbell's vegetable soup (there's always some kind of meat in it)
- fruits and veggies are cheaper at the local and plentiful produce shops (there seems to be at least two on every block of Broadway)
- you can walk everywhere (we drove less than 1,000 miles in a year)
- there's no Target (and Canadian Tire doesn't come close)
- there's no Macy's (and the Bay doesn't compare)
- there are no outlets (although there is an Aldo outlet on Granville, probably the only exception)
- but you can still find Sears, Gap, Game Stop, the occasional Old Navy, Levi's, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Safeway and Blockbuster (don't worry Starbucks is there too)
- places to check out Jacob (a mix between Gap and Ann Taylor), RW, M&M Meat shops, and the loads of independent places on Broadway, 4th Street and south Granville.
- when dialing you enter the area code even when it is the same as the one you're calling from
- the silly blinking green street lights (indicating that its a pedestrian controlled intersection)
- there's very few places that have a green arrow for left turns
- car insurance is run through one company (ICBC)
- the local news rarely has violent crime to report on
- people like to sit in their parked cars (whether talking on the phone, reading the paper or maybe just thinking... we saw this quite often)
- there are dedicated streets for bike riders rather then having them ride on the major streets
- the houses are colorful and cute to walk by
- a common drink to order is a Caesar (vodka, clamato (a blend of tomato juice and clam broth), Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce (The legal drinking age in Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba is 18, while the rest of the country is 19)
- And lastly, the iced tea. It's not brewed iced tea... it's Nestea... out of a can, yuck.

A day out in Kitsilano and Granville Island

With the sun shining many people were out at Kitsilano beach. Some playing Frisbee, others volleyball, all the tennis courts were busy while other found the sun tan lotion and reclined on the cement stage soaking in the rays. However, with the thermometer only reaching 53, we were less inclined to sun bath and headed around the beach to Granville Island.

Granville Island is home to the Emily Carr Institute (a renown art school), galleries, restaurants, small theaters, shops and a huge public market. Almost any goody, produce, meat, whatever you can think of - you can find it here. I saw prickly pears and dragon fruit, now when was last time your local supermarket produce had dragon fruit?

The Public Market is definite to-do item for any visiting tourist and is a top choice for many locals. Just like the Edible British Colombia says "The centerpiece of the island experience is the Granville Island Public Market."

Some of the highlights of the market beyond the amazing produce are the bakeries, the coffee shops, the variety of fresh fish and meat as well as local artists. Flavors from around the world can be tasted at the eateries and enjoyed while listening to live music. Many performers play in front of the the public market on the boardwalk.

Ahh... homemade. Yes, fresh bread, fresh vegetables from local BC farmers and fresh gingerbread men. So yummy.

One thing is for sure, here in Vancouver, local sustainable farming is a priority. I just read about a non-profit, Farm Folk/City Folk, who's focused on protecting farmland, supporting (local) farmers and food producers and connecting farmers to educate city officials and children about how food is grown and produced.

Further, UBC houses The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems which runs the UBC farm, a "24 hectares of cultivated fields, teaching gardens, orchard plantings and hedgerows, the Farm is a unique place for learning, research and community education."

It's fascinating to see people who want to know where food comes from; how it gets from the ground to your table and they want to make sure that what they grow and how they grow is the best method with the least impact for the community.

I feeling inspired to create my own garden, how about you?

We made it! Oh, Canada, eh!

First day in our new city, our new home, our new neighborhood in a new country.

Many people have said to me, "Well, it's not like your moving to a new country," but it is. And there's so much to learn about. Banking, insurance, phone companies, credit cards, where to shop, where to eat, and so on.

So as we learn about this country and discover new things, we'll share them with you.

To start: The market

After unloading the car we decided to head to the grocery store. Safeway, a familiar place to us California natives.

Things we learned:
1. have a quarter in hand to get a cart - and when you return it you get your money back
2. fruit and vegetables are sold by the pound but meats and cheese are by the gram
- it was a good thing that for our first time at the deli counter there was a girl in front of us who was ordering, so we could see how it was done.
3. just because you have a Safeway Select card in the US doesn't mean that it will work in Canada (yes, we got a new Blockbuster card too and it has a red maple leaf on it.)

Well, when you're shopping and have no toaster, pots, pans or any baking sheets -- the list of items to buy is short. Can't wait for the moving van. It should be here in about a week to 10 days... guess that will give us some time to try out a few local restaurants. Bon Appetit.