Momentous Event
I was walking down Thurlow in my new beloved city, and I heard someone shout out, "Hey Matt!" I assumed it was probably meant for one of the millions of people in the world with my name, but turned around anyway, and who did I see but my new coworker Jin-Hwee. He had a bundle of clothes and was headed out to track down a coin laundry.
Even though I'd seen him only a few hours before at the office, I still stayed around to talk to him on the sidewalk for a few minutes. It was a good feeling. Some little bits of loneliness had started to gnaw at me earlier today, so having someone recognize me on the street was just what I needed.
I bought a TransLink monthly pass tonight. It's good for unlimited bus and SkyTrain rides anywhere in zone 1 (which covers downtown and into Burnaby all the way up to my train stop at the office). It's only a little cheaper, but it saves me the twice daily interchange with the automated ticket machine (in case I ever showed up without $2 on me), not to mention making me feel more settled. I think I've only seen three or four other people ever buying a ticket from the machine, so maybe it was peer pressure. Okay, fine.
I also bought some tea, because the hotel tea sucks (well, it's not too bad, actually, but they only give me one of them per day, and when I've forgotten to ask on my way into the hotel, I'm never in the mood later to get dressed all over again and go ask for another). Also, apparently according to the Canadian government tea is good for healthy breasts. I'm not exactly sure how they figure that, but if anyone needs an extra tester, I'm up for the position. Another bit of tea trivia, in BC, the Tetley tea is "Sir Tetley" tea. I'm not sure if he got knighted up here, or de-nobilized upon entry into the US, but it's an interesting difference.
I also tried some TimBits donut holes, for which I got a special Remembrance Poppy commemorative quarter (for Remembrance Day on Nov 11). It's not the coolest thing ever, but it's still pretty cool. Coincidentally enough, in the same handful of change I also received a special year 2000 quarter with a rocket on it. I'm not sure if all the 2000 quarters have it, but it's the first time I've seen it.
I turned off my old cell phone for good. The service will stay active until January (it was cheaper to just ride out my contract), but I left a new voicemail greeting with the new number on it, and turned off the phone. No sense even being tempted to answer it anymore, and the new greeting will prevent anyone's messages from being lost in the abyss. Actually, it won't do that, to be really specific about it, but the only people whose messages will be lost in the abyss are those who ignore my warning and leave a message on that phone anyway, and for people like that I don't have a terribly great deal of sympathy.
I did get a message from my banker person. She didn't say what she wanted, but I'm sure it could be any number of things: 1) When are you actually going to put some money in your account (no, you don't actually have to have an initial deposit to open an account anymore — at least not here), 2) when will you have an address, and subsequently 3) would you like to actually order some checks?
Number 1 will have to wait until next time I'm downtown around banking hours, which will probably be on Saturday. Rumor has it there are some branches open until 8pm, but I don't know if they're within sprinting distance. Okay, according to my bank's website there's a branch at Davie and Bidwell which is open until 8pm. That's about 1.3 miles, according to MapQuest, but it's doable, especially if I find a bus that'll get me most of the way there. I haven't explored that part of the WEst End much yet anyway.
Alright, well, it's 11pm, and I have a 7:30am meeting (it got moved earlier because of a conflict with an 8:30am meeting — this job is determined to turn me into a morning person), so I'm going to hit the hay.
I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see who won the election.
Be sure to wear your poppy this week.
Even though I'd seen him only a few hours before at the office, I still stayed around to talk to him on the sidewalk for a few minutes. It was a good feeling. Some little bits of loneliness had started to gnaw at me earlier today, so having someone recognize me on the street was just what I needed.
I bought a TransLink monthly pass tonight. It's good for unlimited bus and SkyTrain rides anywhere in zone 1 (which covers downtown and into Burnaby all the way up to my train stop at the office). It's only a little cheaper, but it saves me the twice daily interchange with the automated ticket machine (in case I ever showed up without $2 on me), not to mention making me feel more settled. I think I've only seen three or four other people ever buying a ticket from the machine, so maybe it was peer pressure. Okay, fine.
I also bought some tea, because the hotel tea sucks (well, it's not too bad, actually, but they only give me one of them per day, and when I've forgotten to ask on my way into the hotel, I'm never in the mood later to get dressed all over again and go ask for another). Also, apparently according to the Canadian government tea is good for healthy breasts. I'm not exactly sure how they figure that, but if anyone needs an extra tester, I'm up for the position. Another bit of tea trivia, in BC, the Tetley tea is "Sir Tetley" tea. I'm not sure if he got knighted up here, or de-nobilized upon entry into the US, but it's an interesting difference.
I also tried some TimBits donut holes, for which I got a special Remembrance Poppy commemorative quarter (for Remembrance Day on Nov 11). It's not the coolest thing ever, but it's still pretty cool. Coincidentally enough, in the same handful of change I also received a special year 2000 quarter with a rocket on it. I'm not sure if all the 2000 quarters have it, but it's the first time I've seen it.
I turned off my old cell phone for good. The service will stay active until January (it was cheaper to just ride out my contract), but I left a new voicemail greeting with the new number on it, and turned off the phone. No sense even being tempted to answer it anymore, and the new greeting will prevent anyone's messages from being lost in the abyss. Actually, it won't do that, to be really specific about it, but the only people whose messages will be lost in the abyss are those who ignore my warning and leave a message on that phone anyway, and for people like that I don't have a terribly great deal of sympathy.
I did get a message from my banker person. She didn't say what she wanted, but I'm sure it could be any number of things: 1) When are you actually going to put some money in your account (no, you don't actually have to have an initial deposit to open an account anymore — at least not here), 2) when will you have an address, and subsequently 3) would you like to actually order some checks?
Number 1 will have to wait until next time I'm downtown around banking hours, which will probably be on Saturday. Rumor has it there are some branches open until 8pm, but I don't know if they're within sprinting distance. Okay, according to my bank's website there's a branch at Davie and Bidwell which is open until 8pm. That's about 1.3 miles, according to MapQuest, but it's doable, especially if I find a bus that'll get me most of the way there. I haven't explored that part of the WEst End much yet anyway.
Alright, well, it's 11pm, and I have a 7:30am meeting (it got moved earlier because of a conflict with an 8:30am meeting — this job is determined to turn me into a morning person), so I'm going to hit the hay.
I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see who won the election.
Be sure to wear your poppy this week.