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Published: December 12th 2008
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One week before Kristen's wedding to Todd's brother, Troy, I whisked her away to Vancouver for a girls' weekend with her future mother-in-law, Teresa, and sister-in-law, Tammy. This was to be my first visit to Canada and my first trip back to North America in over a year, so I was excited all around. My flight was actually connecting through Vancouver on the way to Seattle and our plan was to drive as a group up to Vancouver. However, the flight was delayed and I decided to break my connection and wait for everyone in Vancouver.
I took a shuttle to the Opus Hotel in Yalestown, where we had reserved a corner suite. This is a superb little boutique hotel, which I recommend to anyone visiting the city. It was cold and rainy when I arrived but I was desperate for shopping east of the Pacific, so I wandered the streets and made a few purchases. The ladies arrived in early evening and we all got ready for dinner at the Blue Water Cafe. We had drinks in our lobby bar beforehand, which was a disaster due to the fact that our waitress had an I.Q. of...well, zero. After 45
minutes of waiting for simple cocktails, Tammy rectified the situation and we headed across the street to dinner. We had oysters, steak and fabulous seafood, not to mention a few bottles of wine. We were the quintessential table of women, laughing and crying and gossiping for hours. The waitress overheard us discussing Kristen's wedding and made us a special dessert, which was annihilated in record time. We walked over to another little bar to wind down the night and then returned to our hotel. Teresa then revived the party by opening a bottle of vodka from our minibar and ordering room service.
Surprisingly, we all felt okay the next morning and decided to do brunch and shopping on Robson Street downtown. It was a gorgeous sunny day in a charming little area. I think Tammy did the most damage. Later, we took a cab across the water for some breathtaking views of the city. We ate fish and chips and washed em down with beer, looking out at Vancouver's famous skyline. By this point I was thoroughly impressed by the beauty of this place. The air is so fresh and clean and nature simply envelops you. It's an infectious
healthy feeling. It made me want to buy a juicer!
That afternoon, while everyone else was napping, I ventured out to get a haircut. I had been terrified to make an appointment back home in Korea since curly hair is a genetic anomaly in Asia and no one knows how to cut it properly. I found a salon down a cobblestone street near our hotel and was thrilled to be freshly shorn again! That evening we stopped in to Glowbal Grill, a trendy little restaurant with a cozy back bar, for some wine before our sushi dinner. The bartender was super friendly and accomodating, which would usually mean he wants a huge tip, but in Canada seems to be the natural disposition of its citizens. Our dinner was authentic Japanese and we sat on the floor. Teresa was very brave, never having eaten sushi. She listened to our recommendations and tried a little of everything. I'm not sure if we converted her, but the meal was a success.
Since it was raining, we chose to stay cozy in the lobby bar of our hotel after dinner. Teresa, Kristen and I closed the place down. Then Kristen and I
had wine and cheese in bed and probably kept Tammy and Teresa awake for hours. Oops.
We checked out the next morning and had a lovely breakfast at a local coffee shop. We piled in the car and drove on to White Rock, British Columbia. This quaint little town looks out on the Semiahmoo Bay near the U.S. Canadian border. We took some great photos near the pier and had lunch along the promenade of shops and restaurants.
While waiting in a long line at the border, I was dared to exit the vehicle and treat everyone to a cartwheel show on the patch of grass bearing the flags of both countries. I nearly ripped my jeans and realized that I probably hadn't done a cartwheel in fifteen years, but I complied. For the record, no one else would accept any of my dares, which included propositioning the border patrol.
Our arrival in Seattle officially ended girls' weekend. It was a blast to all be together again and celebrating such a special occasion. T-minus five days until the wedding!
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