I’m writing today’s update with a sleepy greyhound next to me, yippie! Having just re-read last weeks update I’ve just realised how much we have got sorted over the last week, which is satisfying!
1. Road tripping “Come back tomorrow and I promise I’ll have a car with a BC plate which you can hire”. Ha! Unsurprisingly, we found ourselves driving to Vancouver in the dreaded California plate SUV after this promise turned out to be as hollow as a Easter egg. Aside from the occasional frowns we had no trouble on our journey down the Cariboo Highway to Vancouver. We choose the less scenic, faster route, but it was still stunning. The small towns you pass through, with names such as 150 Mile House, bring to mind images of the gold rush which occurred in this region. On our return journey, mercilessly in a BC plate car after a swift swap at the airport, we decided to take a more scenic route through a section of the Rocky Mountains. The weather was really overcast, obscuring the most spectacular views, including Mount Robson. But we did see some snow topped peaks, a glacier (Jacob was delighted!) and I spotted a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post. Having never experienced a journey like this before even the sight of the long straight road stretching out endlessly before us, lined with evergreens was something to behold.
2. Bally arrives Nine and a half hours after leaving Prince George, we arrived in Vancouver on the Thursday evening ready to collect Bally on the Friday afternoon. During the whole process of moving to Canada: delays due to Covid, finally arriving and being approved by immigration, emerging from quarantine, the procedure of getting Bally here has been the only point at which I’ve got really emotional. Thankfully, Jacob’s cousin Briony lives in Vancouver and so we spent a lovely morning with her, sipping tea in her downtown apartment and wandering to Stanley Park to distract us from worrying about Bally. When the time came the business of collecting ‘Live Cargo’ from Vancouver airport was as arduous as you might expect. I shall explain in more detail in a blog sometime but suffice to say no one seemed to know where we needed to go and at one point we were in the same building as him but still had to wait a further bureaucracy-filled hour and a half to see his dazed face. It’s been four days since our road trip back from Vancouver and Bally has been enjoying the new bear smells on his walks, making friends with the neighbouring dogs and, of course, snoozing!
3. Settling in Following the failures of last week, we’re been a bit more successful with those joyless admin tasks that come with moving abroad. We secured ourselves some British Columbia ID’s, which mean we had adequate ID for a Canadian phone contract. I popped back into the bank and signed the forgotten form, so I now have access to my own money. Our bums road tested everything on offer in City Furniture and Appliances LTD and we have bought a sofa! We’ve even entertained at our new table! We had the couple who own our house (and live in the basement) over for dinner to thank them for their endless advice on all matters Canadian and help while we were in quarantine.
What’s Bothering Babs?
Babs’ questions: Are you able to start work now?
I just need a car, then I’m good to go! A Supply Teacher isn’t much use if they can’t get all over the city, so that’s the final thing on our to do list!
Bears in the playground eh?
We’ve all seen American films where someone gets stopped for speeding by a Policeman who then strolls over to the driver’s window and nonchalantly asks “Are you aware of what speed your were doing?”. Well I can confirm that it literally happens just like that! I won’t say who was driving at the time and which of us was giggling in the passenger seat saying “I think you have to stay in the car and they will come over, that’s what happens in the movies”. So there is today’s Canadianism: the difference between seeing the speed camera flash, swearing to yourself and then waiting four days for the dreaded letter or having a police car flash you, follow you with sirens on and stroll up to your window for the in-person reprimand and ticket giving. I know which I prefer!
West Country Wandering 