This Week's Highlight Reel

A New Type of Learning

I wasn’t a kid who went to Montessori school. If had been, my first voice lesson in Vancouver probably would’ve been less jarring. After the standard warm-ups and getting-to-know-you chatter I was asked, “So, what do you want to sing?” … I had no idea. I’d never been asked that question before.  I’ve been singing in a formal setting since I was 11 years old and I’d never had input into my repertoire. Or, I realized, I’d never asked for it. This poor instructor… my eyes darted between him and the computer for a solid minute and I still had no answer.  He eventually coaxed a few song suggestions out of me. Two didn’t work with my range & voice, one did. My ‘homework’ is to pick a few songs, learn them as best I can, and we’ll teak them in the lessons. This is a brand new experience for me and a good lesson in self-motivation. Which, I realized, fits this entire journey quite well.

Hiking in Lighthouse Park

A drive through the upscale neighborhood of West Vancouver is enjoyable enough, but if you continue through the town and up the coast a little you’ll hit Lighthouse Park. (Aptly named for its lighthouse!) I ventured through two of its many hiking trails and was again reminded that my legs muscles are still those of a flatlander and not of someone living in terrain that involves frequent elevation changes. …something to work on. I’ll happily do it, though, when this is the view. 

Parking Area

Main Trail

The Trees are THIS Big!

Tree's History

Trail to the lookout 

In case you're worried you're not on the trail anymore, just keep an eye out for railings.

Beauty of hiking in a rainforest

I sat and enjoyed the view for about 10 minutes. It still didn't feel long enough.

Poutine & Packers

Friday night I made friends at a sports bar while watching the Canucks get their butts kicked by the Avalanche. (The game was pathetic, be glad you missed it.) The Vancouverite in the group convinced the two visiting Australians and I to try Poutine, a much-loved dish from the Quebec area. If you’ve never had it, it sounds promising. It’s potato (French fries, in our case) covered in gravy, cheese curds, and your choice of other toppings.  A cross between potato skins and some ‘loaded’ fries, right? Dear God, no. The two Australians ate much of theirs – one chose the Mexican toppings and the other chose mushrooms. I went with the ‘classic,’ figuring I should try the traditional dish first.

Not my Favorite Food

What I enjoyed most about our visit was the restaurant’s owner. His name is Dave and he’s a Green Bay Packers fan. Because apparently no matter where you are, if you sell cheese curds you automatically become a cheese head.

This week's other highlights included dinner at Burgoo with someone I used to work with - she's as wonderful a person as ever. I took a Haunted Vancouver Trolley Tour, complete with a visit to the old morgue which is now the Police Museum. And yes, we saw the ACTUAL former morgue, complete with drawers and equipment. Eek.

All in all, I think it was a good week. Without a full-time job I still feel unproductive half the time, but that's part of the point. And that self-motivation thing that I need to work on. Happy weekend, all!