Vancouver, BC
1. Solly's Bagels and cinnamon buns
2 Great coffee shops for cozy winter gatherings with friends (and macbook huddles)
3 As many skating rinks as Starbucks locations
4 Long Summer nights (even though they were cold) those long pink sunsets were amazing
5 The weird and wonderful Commercial Drive and our little organic food haunts along there
6 Main St boutiques with local designers and Vintage clothing stores. Gravity Pope. Nuff said.
7 Those crazy Emily Carr trees along the rocky edges of the coast
8 Stanley Park. Still one of my most favorite inner city parks in the world
9 Driving up to a ski hill and playing in the snow in the afternoon and then having coffee by the beach in the evening
10 Vancouver Folk fest
Marin County and California
1 Hot dry Summer days and crisp cool evening breezes
2 Trails and the best cycling starting from our doorstep
3 Living in wine country
4 Organic produce from around the corner included oranges and lemons
5 Chefs in the Bay Area know how to do it right.
6 Being in a rural neighbourhod and still a five minute walk from 8 pubs and live music venues.
7 Small boutique shopping, locally made clothing, access to things by great designers
8 Running on the beach
9 Being inspired by all the self-starters around us making it in their respective industries.
10 Having all those art galleries and so many shows coming through town.
What we might miss from Singapore (one day)
1. Spicy Peranakan and Nonya food
2. Fresh coconuts
3. The heat, and knowing that there's only one season. Summer.
4. Cheap flights to Bali and around SE Asia
5. Taxi uncles. No. Probably not, but we'll probably still have stories we'll tell
6. Mysterious festivals and exotic celebrations going on pretty much all the time
7. Not bothering to turn on the hot water because the cold is over 22 degrees anyway
8. Monkeys
9. Never having to commute to drive anywhere
10. Monsoon rains and the crazy sounds tropical birds make right when the rains end
I yearn for pink sunsets that linger and running on broad shallow beaches. Don't really get that in Singapore, but I do love your Singapore list as well :) Reminds me I have to take more advantage of being in Asia. Sometimes you tend not to explore what's close like - like I have never been to Cambodia.
ReplyDeleteI think there were a ton of things we never did in Vancouver because we never realized they mattered - you know? I think I ran along the sea wall once and I hard ever took advantage of all the crazy cheap gyms, pilates and yoga places.
ReplyDeleteCould you define and describe "taxi uncle" for us non-travellers?
ReplyDeleteIn Singapore "uncle" is a casual title for any man old enough have grey hair. Locals called my mom Auntie when she was here. Taxi uncles are generally talkative and eccentric and nearly impossible to understand linguistically. They like to tell tall tales, give unwanted advice and usually drive straddling lanes. Of course if you're lucky you'll get the Karaoke Uncle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehMnXRQ7VxU&feature=related
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a "Things I won't miss about Singapore" list. So far, shitty customer service is number one.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. That and crap health insurance.
ReplyDelete