Feb
26
2010
Day “Off” Part Deux
Author: supsonI had to split that post into 2 parts, it was getting too unruly. I sure found a lot to write about for a day “off”.
After the VANOC TOC I headed downtown to meet Marin after work but came across this great “statue” in the foyer of Waterfront station. I’m not too proud to admit I kissed Quatchi.
Waiting for Martin I noticed this hilarious sign out front of the Vancouver Sun/Province building. Oh those accountants and their sense of humour!
Here’s a good “action” shot of Martin at work in the news room. It’s a pretty interesting place to walk around, especially since everything is cranked up to 11 for the Olympics in terms of staff, coverage, deadlines, etc.
Then onto the pinnacle of the evening, dinner at what is perhaps my favourite Vancouver restaurant -- Mongolian BBQ!
I know everyone is going to laugh but I love finding good “hole in the wall” places that under normal circumstances you probably wouldn’t set foot in. And when you’ve got all you can eat authentic Mongolian for under $15, this is one of those places! Unlike other Mongolian “franchises”, this place actually keeps all the meat slightly frozen, decreasing any health concerns…if that’s important to you.
And for the climactic performance, the grill guy works his magic. Yum!
After stuffing ourselves waaay too full (surprise, surprise) we decided to walk all the way down Robson from Stanley Park. One of the places we stopped to loosen our pants and digest was the Nike store, which had this awesome display of Team Canada jerseys. They also had the hockey jerseys of all the other countries, which was cool to see…but it’s no maple leaf.
Another Vancouver scene that I’ve been by a number of time is this massive Canadian flag that you’ve probably seen on TV. It’s actually a construction project that ran out of funding and is on hiatus, but it’s at such a critical intersection (Robson & Georgia) they decided to drape the eye-sore with this awesome flag, inadvertently turning it into a famous landmark.
Then as we closed out the night and tried to get home on the SkyTrain we collided with the mobs of people. I know I’ve done a lot of complaining about the crowds, but it really is crazy. Last rant, I promise. For those who have commuted in Toronto, the lines to get on the Sky Train remind me of the QEW in the morning where they use stop-lights on the on ramps to regulate the congestion. For the train, first there’s a big winding queue on the street that you wait in, only to get to another queue down below where the tickets are, then another one
at the SkyTrain platform before you get squished on like sardines in the car. At least it’s free, and there’s entertainment while you wait!
