Site Seeing in Vancouver.

While we were in Vancouver, we contacted my grandfather's sister and spent some time with her and her family. It was heaven for me with all the gifts, snacks and driving around. I could never forget how amazed I was when they took us to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. "The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The current bridge is 140 meters long and 70 meters above the river."
 I had no idea how that bridge was possible and I was scared to walk across. 
Here's a picture taken from a google search to show exactly what I'm talking about. 
                         

It was like nothing I had ever done at ten years old. There were lots of other people visiting that day and were walking across the bridge so it was pretty shaky and had me wide eyes as I walked. I was left speechless after walking across the bridge. We followed a path and walked down to the river's edge where the cold water gushed down. The picture below practically shows how much I was 'mind blown' at this beautiful piece of nature
                                                      
Within these minutes of being bewitched by nature, that spark began in my heart that there was much more to life than all I had experienced so far. I was so happy and felt carefree as I stared at the marvel in front of me.
                                         

 Later on that day we also visited Stanley Park. "Stanley Park is a 405-hectare public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada and is almost entirely surrounded by waters of Vancouver Harbour and English Bay." It is Vancouver's first and largest urban park. I was once more amazed by nature to see all the trees and the ocean.
                                 
In the picture above Totem Poles can be seen at Stanley Park. Totem poles are monuments created by First Nations of the Pacific Northwest to represent and commemorate ancestry, histories, people, or events. “First Nation” is a term used to describe Aboriginal peoples of Canada who are ethnically neither Métis nor Inuit. Inuit refers to specific groups of people generally living in the far north who are not considered "Indians" under Canadian law. The term Métis refers to a collective of cultures and ethnic identities that resulted from unions between Aboriginal and European people in what is now Canada.
I was eager to learn and I read all the signs with the information on what I was looking at. 
                                     
We took lots of photos and I had some fun being silly.
                                     
                                     
I forgot all about how much I missed my dad. I was so caught up with where I was that I would completely forget he was gone. I was so happy and full of life again. I wanted the holiday to never end.
                         

Exploring Delta

The first few days of being in Vancouver I learnt that the area we were staying in was Delta. My Aunt lived minutes away from the town's center point where there were supermarkets, drug stores, fast food restaurants etc. It wasn't snowing but it was extremely cold and I had to bundle up in many layers of clothing. The air felt different and I enjoyed seeing 'smoke' come out of my mouth as I spoke. My mother, my grandmother and I would walk around town everyday when my aunt was at work and everyday we would find a new store to check out.
                                             
The people were so different from the Trinidad attitude I was accustomed to. At the local supermarkets the employees would greet you with a smile. They would have common courtesy and say "Good morning dear" or "Hello there". I was very surprised considering how often in Trinidad that happens to you at the supermarket.  My eyes were wide with excitement at all the various pastries, bread and snacks I saw. I picked up a few of the numerous kinds of bread they had and inhaled deeply that fresh bread smell. I never knew there could be so many shapes sizes and various forms of bread.
                                                 

What most amazed me was the price difference and I remember when my mother spoke to me about the difference in their dollar to ours and the exchange rate. I specifically remembered that I bought Bubbalicious gum for about $0.55 CAN and I was so happy for that small treat. I really loved myself the night we bought pizza for around $8 CAN from the local shop called 'Panago Pizza'. It smelt divine and I opened my mouth as wide as I could and stuffed my tummy with as much slices as possible. 
In these moments I forgot that my dad was gone and it felt like he was back in Trinidad. The only time I was reminded of him were when my family spoke of him and when I did remember him I thought of where he must be. As a child I told myself that he must be in heaven with Jesus and he would bless my mother and I. 

My First International Trip

I was ten years old when I went on my first international trip. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep for the days leading up to our trip to Canada. My mother and grandmother were also going to visit my mother's sister in Vancouver, British Columbia. On Thursday 9th December 2004 our flight with Air Canada left Trinidad at approximately 4:50 pm. I was scared a bit because it was my first international trip and the both flights were about five hours long each. As the plane took off in Piarco I experienced that 'pop' feeling that you feel in your ears as the air pressure took effect. I closed my eyes and silently prayed asking my father to bless me with a safe trip. 
                              
The previous year I had my first encounter with death. My father passed away on Monday 7th July 2003. I remember everything about that night. My family and some neighbors were at our home talking as my cousins and I looked at the t.v show Smallville. The phone ran about 8:30 pm. My uncle answered and the expression on his face said it all. My mother took the phone and all hell broke loose. Her screams were heard throughout the neighborhood. I was 8 years old at the time and everyone kept looking at me and saying "Poor child so small to really know" but I understood it all.
                           
We landed in Toronto at 10:15 pm local time and it was a whole new world. The airport was huge and there were hundreds of people just hustling and going their way with their luggage. Our flight from Trinidad was delayed so we arrived in Toronto with barely enough time to catch our second flight to Vancouver. Lost and confused, I tried to read the signs and urge on my mother and grandmother to keep up with me. Clueless, we asked for help from a woman who was passing on something that looked like a golf cart. Upon reading our itinerary she excitedly told us to get on and she would take us to the gate or else we would miss our flight.
After scrambling at the gate and being one of the last few to find our seats, we settled in and once more prepared for the second flight. It was in the middle of the night with only a few glimpses of light throughout the flight. I thought a lot about my father and where he could be at that moment. We finally arrived in Vancouver at 11:25 their local time. Exhausted and sleepy we met with my aunt and made our way home. 
Later that night I stared around the strange room clutching my doll, one of the last things my father gave me before he became ill. I felt a mix of scared, excited, sad and wonder with dreams of what this holiday would hold as I drifted to sleep.