Under the Misty Mountains

Above: Deep Cove at night. More photos here.

Two weeks ago, I moved from Vancouver proper to the District of North Vancouver, just below mount Seymour by Deep Cove. I'll describe my area briefly then give my impressions of Vancouver as a whole in the next post.

I wish I could live here forever. It is half an hour from downtown Vancouver, but it is in the midst of wilderness. (I've seen a coyote and two deer, and one of my roommates saw a bear.) Everywhere you look are lush plants, wild berries, and fragrant flowers. It is a rainforest, after all. Although I loved living in downtown Montreal, I felt oppressed by all the concrete and car exhaust. (I can't imagine living somewhere like LA.)

It is also old and prosperous enough to have good cultural facilities, and if I want something more, Vancouver and its boroughs are a short bus ride away. Mass transit is expensive--like every else here--but I can travel cheaply on evenings and weekends.

I live 3 blocks from an inlet, Indian Arm. On the waterfront, of course, there are many rich houses. The richest of all are in Deep Cove itself, which has a yacht club and a bunch of yuppie stores. Even the house I'm staying in is valued at about $2 million. (There are 6-10 tenants staying there, so the rent is affordable.)

I haven't met many people here or gotten involved in the community: I haven't found work, so I'm keep my expenses to a minimum. I spend my days looking for work, reading, hiking, and so on. I temporarily have a computer at home, so I can blog as well. I've been helping with the local Green Party election campaign as well, which is much better organized and financed than my 2006 campaign in Montreal.

This may turn out to be just an extended vacation. I calculated that I can afford to stay here until Christmas; if I can't find work here by then, I would move back to Ottawa with my parents until I got a job there. Or I may take a McJob and stay a few more months.

Also nearby:
Baden-Powell trail