sentiment of the moment: better rain than cold

The snow ceased and although most of Vancouver was looking thawed and dry... my neighborhood of Point Grey, up on a hill, remained an icecap. Its almost ironic: the place you least want ice is on a hill... and yet its hills that retain it... c'est la vie. 

Just when the cold was about to drive me mad, the unusual spree of winter gave way to what I am informed is "normal Vancouver winter." I've never been so pleased with rain in all my life. I loved the bright clear sky and the crisp wintery air... but I struggled to be out in them for more than five minutes. So my heart was duly prepared to embrace rain as long as it meant a temperature increase. The rain has come and I have not been disappointed. Today temperatures leapt up over twenty degrees from last week, resulting in a balmy 47ºF afternoon. Despite the loss of sunshine, I am wildly pleased to not be cold for once! The rain is slowly melting my neighborhoods snow. Its the only place left in the city with whole yards still largely obscured by white! But today its starting to look like its getting with the program.

The umbrella is such a regular feature of Vancouver life that at Regent, there isn't room enough in the polite umbrella bins near the college doors for all the wet canopies rallying into the building. Hence, there is an unofficial umbrella drying ground behind a large staircase. It looked like an umbrella flashmob, or a modern art installation... anyhow, it amused me.

my day from dawn to dusk

Goodness, the days are short this time of year! Since last year, I had apparently forgotten that curious irregularity of north lying lands. So while the schedule isn't early, its still dark when I rise... and the day's program isn't long, but the sunset is coloring the hills and sky as I head home. 

 Arriving at the campus in the morning about 8:30am. This is taken from in front of Regent which is  positioned at the head of the UBC (University of British Columbia) campus' main pedestrian thoroughfare (just beyond the shiny letters in the center of the photo.)

The Atrium, Regent College's entry, hub, and seating area for its cafe, The Well.  The bookstore, chapel, and reception branch off from this central space. The second floor is offices and class rooms. The basement level houses the college's spacious and bright library; despite its location, its creative architectural features furnish it with natural light from outdoors (well, as much as Vancouver has available, anyway).

And at 4ish when I walked out to catch a bus, crunching on the uncleared (and seemingly endless) snow, the sky a cold washed out pink (but how about that glimpse of mountain!)...  and streetlights were on when I walked home from the bus stop where I disembarked a mere ten minutes later. 

While the cold is becoming a bit overwhelming (apparently this is a very unusual winter- typically Vancouver deals in rain, not snow/ice) and the daylight hours are short, I am grateful for the beauty. The fireplace smoke in the crisp morning air, the pastel skies, the humor of seagulls in the snow... it definitely has its charms:)

baklava on broadway

I spent Monday morning in a cafe on Broadway (a few bus stops down the road) reading texts for my upcoming classes. Afterward, i ventured into a variety of green grocers and small ethnic supermarkets scattered along the street. I was delighted to find a Greek/ish/etc. food market with olives and feta by weight, and lovely homemade baklava. 

This week I've been busy with Regent's orientation program- I can't imagine starting classes this coming Monday without having had time over the holidays to get situated here. I'm grateful for these last two and a half weeks (how has it been that long?!) to settle in, explore, and find my feet. Its a nice stable place (and a sweet one, thanks to the baklava) from which to launch into this season.