Back in Vancouver II

Arrived back "home" two days ago . . . How nice it is to be in a multicultural city again!

Haven't been doing anything particularly exciting - just absorbing everything that makes us want to move here on a permanent basis: Long walks around the seawall in Stanley Park, evenings on English Bay Beach, dining in local ethnic restaurants and enjoying the activities of the West End. Ahhh, "Life is Good" in Vancouver!!

The "Other Half" of our family - excluding the Baby JoJo - will join me in about 10 days. We will get to share the world fireworks competition (Celebration of Lights which this year includes: Italy, China, Czech Republic and Mexico) and Gay Pride week together. It's a wonderful time of the year to be up here, although we are experiencing abnormally warm weather - no doubt due to global warming although some people (wonder who???) continue to deny the existence of the problem . . .
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Last night our next door neighbor invited me to join her for an outing with a group she socializes with. It was a "potluck" patio dinner in a fantastic home in West Vancouver overlooking Burrard Inlet, Lion's Gate Bridge and the city skyline . . . Incredible setting, and I was glad to have been included. One of the best parts of the evening was the discussion during dinner. Out of ten people I think only three were native Canadians. Folks from Germany, Italy, Australia, Great Britain, and Venezuela-by-way-of-Hungary were in attendance. When the talk turned to politics and the current Israel/Lebanon situation, it was comforting to find out that all except one were: Adamantly anti-bush, thoroughly disenchanted with mr. harper, opposed to the US letting Israel do it's "dirty work" in the Middle East only to facilitate future US interference, etc., etc., etc. It is a refreshing change from the part of the world we currently reside in. Just being around rational, thoughtful people is a welcome change and I look forward to it being a permanent situation.