Vancouver in the Summer
This week, our university friend Annie came to town to visit and we did a lot of things in Vancouver. She arrived on Yuki’s birthday and we went downtown in the evening for some good Cambodian chicken wings at Phnom Penh before relaxing around False Creek for the evening.
Vancouver’s been really hazy for a while due to the forest fires in the interior of BC. This caused low visibility but also deep yellow hues late in the evening, which make for different photographs. As well, the weather’s been really warm and humid lately.
We walked around Science World and made our way along the banks of False Creek to find a place to sit and relax. Frances joined us after work.
Our initial plan was to wait until dark to light some birthday fire sparklers, but we ended up leaving to get some drinks at Storm Crow Tavern on Commercial Drive. There, we played a few rounds of Exploding Kittens while the last of the sunset darkened the sky.
When it was sufficiently late, we drove up to SFU to light the sparklers and do some light painting. It took us a while to get the hang of lighting the sparklers as the matches and lighter didn’t always work, but by the end of it we had some cool photos.
These were small fires compared to the following night, when Yuki and I went downtown to watch the Honda Celebration of Light. This was UK’s representation.
We arrived early and found a good spot on the beach. The live music kept us entertained until the show started at 10pm. The show had good music but the fireworks weren’t very spectacular. They didn’t end with a big bang and you could tell that the spectators weren’t sure if the show was over when it finished. Fortunately, it was a weeknight and so not as many people were downtown for the fireworks — making transit home a breeze.
We also took a trip to UBC so that Annie could see what had changed since graduation. As well, we attended a Japanese Festival and dressed up as sushi for a photo opportunity.
Saturday was the third and last show for the Honda Celebration of Light. Annie tried to meet us for the UK performance on Wednesday but came too late and couldn’t get downtown in a car because the city had closed off the streets. This time she made it and saw Canada’s representation. There was an airshow beforehand and two CF-18 Air Force jets from Comox made a fly-by.
This fireworks show was much better because it had a story mixed into the first half. Then, the second half was sky-filling explosions.
Video of the airshow and the fireworks:
The last thing we did with Annie before she left was to go out and spend the day at Sasamat Lake. It is one of the warmest lakes in the Lower Mainland and a popular swimming spot. Fortunately, we arrived early and were able to spend the day with Veronyka and her parents.
This first week of not having to work reminds me a lot of university days. We have a lot of time, can stay out late without any responsibility for the next day, but are very concious of how much money we are spending. The good thing is that we’re having a lot of fun and getting outside a lot more.
