It's Just Like Toronto.. Except It's Not Toronto!

I spent the last two nights at the Richmond Night Market with my friends whom I'm staying with, because they have a booth set up there to sell mops. After watching the soccer game on Thursday, my friend took me out for a driving tour of Vancouver. We drove through UBC (the campus is much, much nicer than what I'm used to), downtown Vancouver, and parts of East Vancouver. Afterwards we headed to the Night Market for setting up.

This night market reminds me of shopping on streets of Hong Kong. Small booths, selling things that you don't need. Oh and there is a lot of food stands also! I ate so much of those little snack food - fish balls, bubble tea, dumpling, etc.

Later on that night, my friend Emmy took me out to a club because it was her friend's birthday (and quite honestly, the night market got a little too boring after several hours). We first went to The Plaza, but because it was a Thursday night (disregarding the fact that it was Canada Day), it was pretty dead. Then we went to this club called Caprice. During the whole time, her friend seemed to know each and every single bouncer in the city as we could walk into clubs, bypassing the queues outside, and not having to pay cover. Suddenly I feel like a VIP! Hehehe..

On Saturday, my other friend took me on a tour to West Vancouver and North Vancouver. The contrast is definitely apparent. It looked more working-class in East Vancouver, whereas in West Vancouver, they have garages the size of houses back home. Of course, it also overlooks Vancouver and Richmond, and it has an extremely beautiful sea view from the top of the mountain. Only if I could afford a house here! (they run upwards to a few million dollars)

There are still a few places that I would like to visit in Vancouver before I leave. One thing stuck out as I was driven around yesterday.. that this city is just like Toronto, minus the smog and the heavy traffic jams in the middle of the day. Maybe it's not such a bad idea to move here after all..