Adventures and Interviews!

Siwash Rock!

Recently we've quietened down on the whole tourist thing and gone low scale, choosing to do cheap and cheerful activities, and things which are a little more off the beaten track.

Last Tuesday we took another opportunity to tackle Stanley Park. The first time we went a month or so ago we walked a portion of the sea wall and then cut through the middle, and with me in my crappy cheap trainers which I brought back in the UK, was a sorry mess by the end of it. Good shoes are a must, and quite frankly I was in agony by the end of that day. This time I was more prepared. I have purchased some ridiculously comfortable shoes (thank you Payless Shoesource!) and armed with those and a crap load of water we were off. This time we walked down Davie street, past English Bay and went clockwise around Stanley Park. Along the way we came across Siwash Rock, a beautiful rock formation which we had to clamber across a rocky beach to get to and sat on for a considerable amount of time, taking in the gorgeous views and watching the boats drift by. A very memorable and beautiful experience.

View of the sea wall - taken while sitting on Siwash Rock!

I'm in the Hollow Tree!

We continued further along the wall, going under the Lion Gate Bridge and then cut into the Park to take in some of the stunning trails available. After a considerable amount of walking (and for a portion of it going round and round in circles as I'd forgotten my map) we eventually stumbled across the Hollow Tree, a huge Western Red Cedar stump, estimated to be about 700-800 years old. The stump was almost removed in 2006 after it was damaged in a storm, but locals formed a society to save the tree, and thus it still stands.

All in all, we had a great day, and were both knackered and fulfilled by the end of it. Stanley Park is such a beautiful location and one that just keeps on giving. There's so much of it to see.

This weekend we dived back into Chinatown again, I think it's fast becoming one of our favourite areas. With the Chinese Market taking place every weekend, I can't get enough of the place, and this was my third visit (so far!) We were there for Chinatown's second Outdoor Film event for this year, where we watched Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Again we came prepared with pillows and snacks, but we couldn't help feasting on Chinese food from the vendors. I snacked on my favourite - sweet and sour pork and then some delicious stir fried rice rolls from the Dim Sum Express stall, which where incredibly filling and I would highly recommend. The film experience itself was brilliant (if a little dark to begin with, but they fixed the contrast eventually!) and if they had more films planned, I would definitely go. Next up for Outdoor films is Raiders of the Lost Ark, however this one takes place at Second Beach, so I realise it's going to be very busy and a different experience entirely.

For some reason it makes me look rather small!

On Sunday evening we had a lovely meal out with another couple - our first 'double date' in 3 years, which was great fun, we had a meal at The Templeton (yes again, we really love that place) and then one evening this week Ian and I hit up our local pub again. It was the day before I had a big session of job interviews, to help steady the nerves of course!

The last few days have been a blur of job interviews for me, things have finally started to come to fruition so I have high hopes something will appear very soon. I've had a real mix of opportunities crop up suddenly, including one for a bakery, one for a hostel and one for a contact lens company. Once I nab that elusive job I'll make sure to post about my job hunting experience.

This afternoon I had another job interview, one I'm rather excited about getting as it's in a pretty cool location, and I'm very enthusiastic about. Fingers crossed I get a call back from them for a second interview!

I've also been rather busy with Birthday plans, as it's my better halves birthday this coming Tuesday. I have a surprise lined up for him which I'm really looking forward to, I think it's pretty awesome and I can't wait for him to find out what it is! I hope he likes it! More on that later!

Moving to Downtown Vancouver.

The last few days have again been hectic, but everything is progressing perfectly!

Thursday was a day of job hunting for me, and a day of dragging poor Ian around all day and boring him senseless. But I got my Resume out there, and it's all a good step in the right direction. At the end of the day we were both too tired to go back and cook, so we indulged in what is quickly becoming our favorite haunt, The Templeton on Granville Street - the chicken burgers there are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Yesterday we had the most incredible day. We hotfooted it to Oakridge and bought naughty snacks, then got a Jugo Juice drink each for breakfast. The most delicious and filling protein shake I and I think Ian might agree, we, have ever had. This was all planned to give us energy for our long awaited trip to the beautiful Stanley Park. The weather was scheduled to be great that day, so we'd waited to go and see it in all its glory and we really weren't disappointed. We walked half way around the sea wall, taking millions of photos as we went. Ian gallantly climbed down onto a section of the beach to get me shells (which I kept, I think I have a slight hoarding tendency.) We got half way round and started to tire (its a long old walk!) and I also wanted to get into the middle to experience the full effect of the trees. So we went down one of the trails, past the stunningly photogenic Beaver Lake, then across to the other side. We we're walking for a good 6 hours minimum, and with not great shoes either, so by the end we were absolutely exhausted. As this is our last weekend of non working and being together we went out for a meal at the Flying Pig restaurant in Gastown. I highly recommend!

Then we crashed in anticipation of an early morning today...

It's surprising...the amount of 'stuff' you can accumulate over a short period of time is really quite something. Today we moved into our new place in Downtown Vancouver, on Howe/Davie Street. We checked it out a few weeks ago after we found it on Craigslist, but now we've got a real feel for the place, and love it.

And now we're here, tucked up in bed with the blinds wide open and I can't stop looking outside!

Can you blame me, with views like this... (and to be quite honest this doesn't do it justice)

Anyway. We're settling in. We share an apartment with a Japanese couple who seem friendly and a Canadian guy who seems to keep to himself. We're in a great location, rent is comparably cheap for the area and I'm just really chuffed at the moment. The agenda tomorrow is to relax and take it easy I think, then Ian starts work on Monday, and I'll plow on with the job hunt!

10 Days in Vancouver!

So we've been here a grand total of 10 days, and I already feel like this city is kinda home. So much has happened, we've been darting around the city in all directions, and everything is just so easy!

Here's the highlights of our last week or so in Vancouver! Early last week we took a chilled few days to relax a bit after our hectic first few days and weekend, we did barely anything, transferring our UK money over to our new Canadian accounts was about the most energetic thing we did. Tuesday was spent at the cinema to see the new Star Trek film (great film by the way) and then we spent an evening in the Lamplighter pub in Gastown. We were invited by the lovely Natalie and Nick of ourcanadianadventure to join them and a whole bunch of fellow Brits and IECers for a quiz night. We also came 2nd in the quiz, which apparently is the teams best score to date.

Around Wednesday we decided to crack on with the job hunting, so we tracked down one of the many branches of Vancouver Public Library, our first stop was the Oakridge branch, but later we also discovered the Downtown one, and it's immensely HUGE! I was in heaven :D So we spent a few days wandering the city and handing out our resumes. In Coal Harbour I found some luck, I enquired into a chocolate shop, and they asked me to pop back in on Monday for a chat with the manager... more on that later!

Friday we took a tourist day, and revisited Coal Harbour, and made our first foray onto Granville Island. We loved this area, and will definitely be going back. Tonnes of little goslings running around the area, and very protective parents.

Rather cute goslings running around.

Granvile Island with Downtown in the background.

Saturday we needed to do a food shop...a job I loathe to hell and back, so Ian and I have struck up a deal. He does the weekly food shop thing, I do the laundry, which he hates! It's a fair swap, one I'm ridiculously chuffed about, no more trudging round supermarkets! Woohoo! So while Ian happily went round Safeway, I spent the time wandering the mall, and splashed out on myself. It also means I eat really well, Ian has us on a $5 a day each budget so I'm eating so low cal, I'm losing weight like a mad woman, and loving how lean I feel. That night we'd been invited out to Chinatown with some of the people we met earlier in the week, and discovered Chinatown is actually really cool. In our first few days in Vancouver we made the mistake of going done East Hastings and on finding it to be rough as hell had avoided that whole area like the plague. But Chinatown is actually pretty awesome looking, and I'm keen to go back and visit the night market which runs till September, and the Jimi Hendrix shrine, which was developed at his grandmother's house where he stayed during the summer and apparently learnt to play the guitar!

Today I had my meeting with the chocolate shop, and Ian had an interview with the coffee company Blenz. I didn't have much luck, the guy wanted me to do a load of research and come up with recipe ideas for a high tea concept he wanted me to bring into the shop, which really isn't my forte to start with, and then asked me to do a whole load of research then come back to meet with someone else to discuss my ideas. I just want a job dude. Ian had more luck! We met up a few hours later and he has a full-time job at Blenz, starting Sunday/Monday!

Exciting stuff! Lots of things to be doing, I have another interview tomorrow, and we're hitting up a gallery, which I'm excited for! Still loving Vancouver, even today's constant downpour hasn't dampened my spirits. Oh yes, despite the photos, we have discovered the rain here too. We definitely need to buy an umbrella...