Vancouver & Seattle Highlights

Finally! Home at last. Memorable moments and revelations from my trip:

• First trip to Canada. I was only in the country for a total of 24 hours, but it still counts. My first encounter with the country's inhabitants came as I was walking with my friend Sohko across the street discussing my lack of Canadian coinage to pay for the bus--a Canadian guy overheard our conversation, stops us on the other side of the street, and hands me the $2.25CAN I need. And he walks off before I can even really thank him. Conclusion: Canadians are officially the friendliest people in the world.
• On the bus ride up to Vancouver, I became friends with two Japanese girls who looked so lost that I abandoned any thought of improving their English by pretending to be American. You should've seen the looks on their faces when I busted out the tongue of the motherland--it would've made a winning MastercCard commercial.) I gave them my email address and they wrote me today! We're going to hang out once I'm settled in Seattle. Yatta!
• Re-entering the U.S. from Canada, our crossing was delayed by border control who insisted on questioning and checking the bags of the only woman carrying a Mexican passport. This was after she was fingerprinted and photographed in a thoroughly unkind fashion. As the rest of us look on, I hear a woman with a heavy Southern accent say, "I don't care what they have to do, as long as they keep us safe." This comment was almost enough to make me ditch the bus and stay in Canada.
• Walked around the Capitol Hill area in Seattle (for the first time!) with Josh. I've now located two specific areas I want to live in the city, and the northern end of Broadway on Capitol HIll is definitely one of them. The independent bookstore we visited was especially awesome. The coffee shops also look very promising. Now, if I can find a swanky studio up there for under $900...
• Seattle is awesome. Proof of this statement is the jazz club Josh took Mark and I to the last night I was in town. It was Monday and they were hosting a sort of open mic night. Anyone could just sign up and be accompanied by an amazing trio of jazz musicians on bass, piano, and drums. Makes me want to practice My Favorite Things all over again, just so I can join them! (Shout out to any ASIJ Vocal Jazz '02 folks reading this.) Tula'sboth had it for dinner before starting their shift. As a former waitress, I know that's the best endorsement a dish can have. also has amazing food at pretty reasonable prices--I highly recommend the spaghetti bolognese. The nice waiter recommended it by saying he and the manager
• My cab driver from downtown to the SeaTac airport started lecturing me about the virtues of arranged marraige after learning about my currently-unmarried status. After a while I pointed at the open window and mouthed, "I can't hear you! Sorry!" This does not bode well for the Seattle taxi scene--the last time I was in a cab (with fellow McK BA Class of '06 Jon McClain!) in Seattle, we got in an accident on the highway. I'm not saying it was our driver's fault, but the trend is disturbing...
• V for Vendetta kicks ass. Go see it before it leaves the theaters. But under no circumstances should you imdb or google this film before then. The mystery man is much more sexy if you don't know his identity or what he actually looks like. Believe me.
• The flight from Seattle to Tokyo is only 9.5 hours! Woot!!!!

And now, time for some rice and fermented soy bean and raw egg for brekkie.