My cousin just left for LA a few days ago, she was here for 6 days and I took her to all the ordinary places that a local would often take for granted. I hope she enjoyed her stay, I wish more friends and family would come visit me here. I don’t really enjoy going home to an empty home.
On her first day, we had dinner at this small Taiwanese noodle house in front of Metrotown, I’ve been looking for this one for the past how many months, I even thought it was closed already, my friend and I drove by a couple of times but couldn’t see it, but well apparently it’s still open and they serve really good iced milk tea =). After dinner we went to AuBAR for a dose of house music to satisfy the party girl in her – something she was really looking forward to. That was probably only the second time I’ve been to something like that here in Vancouver, the first time was two years ago and I distinctly remember my friend hurling at the side of the cab while on the way home ^^. This time there was nothing like that, I loved the effects of the lights and the way it feels like it’s pausing movements and slowing down time.
The next day we went to Church and I introduced her to people who are like my family here already. I remember my main purpose why I’m in this city – to work – but now that work is done, and I’ve lost touch with some of the people I used to hang out with at work, I am glad I have this Church community.
I showed my cousin how I lived my life here, we went downtown all bundled up in warm clothes, and I took her to some tourist landmarks like Gastown, Waterfront, and Stanley Park among others. We went to the healing rooms and got prayers, we watched a movie, shopped for souvenirs and gifts, ate sushi, cooked beef sinigang, went to a year end party, met up with a former workmate and talked nonstop till the wee hours of the morning about everything and nothing. I love my cousin, I love her eternal optimism and the way she brightens up even the most gloomy weather, It made me wish I had a sister.
I love this place, I really do, now if I can only take all the people that matters and ask them to take this empty seat beside me, then it wouldn’t be this lonely. For now, first things first, pack, leave, work, then come back when everything is better.