This blog posting covers the whole day of July 25th, 2022. Once we’ve returned to Vancouver mainland (from Victoria) I chose to visit Metrotown to see their version of Oomomo and Daiso. Not before waking up to messages of gunshots and killings in Langely. My Mexican friend (Rally) was the only one to check up on me seeing if I’m fine and what it was about. It was also a brutally hot day (I made sure to sunscreen), my coworker texted me wondering when I can work again, and just making the most of weird situations in life in the various parts of Vancouver.
Trip Index:
[Prelude/Prologue] – [Day 1] – [Day 2] – [Day 3] – [Day 4] – [Day 5] – [Day 6] – [Day 7] – [Day 8] – [Day 9] – [Day 10]
“Prologue”:
Before I went on my way to Metrotown I had a few things to deal with that day. I woke up to the following messages on my screen causing me to worry for my friend. I was alarmed. My friend was working over in Langely at the time making me worry for him after reading these messages. I even checked Google Maps to see where he was.
Nothing to really eat in the morning, I ventured to a bus stop. Waited….. Not being familiar of the area I could have simply walked to a nearby Safeway. On and off the bus I briefly browsed Safeway studying the layout and curious about any quick foods to eat. I even missed my bus. While waiting I randomly heard a guy go – “AAAAaaaAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” – for some weird reason causing my friend to joke (in text) his scream being appropriate to life’s struggles. It was random, if amusing.
I messed up in the morning leading to more frustration. My friend suggested I go the other way, I should have.
I needed to strongly salvage this situation. As with the rest of Vancouver I wish this area obtained a revamp to obtain a bus lane as the 321 bus on the southern side of Surrey. Vancouver focuses more on faux-politics than it does on real world issues, such as this nonsense I had to experience in the Northbound highway 91A area. I say this this way after seeing faux-political advertisements posted at Skytrain stations. Less political nonsense, more infrastructure focus.
When I vent against Trans people I only hate the fake clout-chasing ones found in VRChat, Ottawa, and British Columbia; Those type of fake people. Attention seeking ones. The attention they seek could have been better spent instead complaining about improvements to Vancouver, Ottawa, etc. Improvements for more bus lanes, deeper Skytrain routes for Richmond, Langely, Surrey, etc. Places that actually need it! If you’re real Trans I’ll defend your right to live, just not the fakers chasing for clout.
I was genuinely baffled and confused. I didn’t know where the actual entrance was with others leading to side-stores, and confusion. I’m sure people will laugh at me for not finding the official entry into a mall, I genuinely struggled. I had to consult my friend and Google maps playing the guessing game.
An alarm was blaring of an incident before, during, and after my visit of ‘Artbox’ in Metrotown. Apparently, according to Artbox, this is a common occurrence with messages being roughly 20 minutes to an hour apart of one another.
I visited numerous gift shop stores with Anime goodies it made me happy. It felt closer to what I desired, my personality, and just nicer. I even told some people I came from Ottawa visiting for a bit with them wishing me the best time. Thanks!
A few Walmart’s, Best Buy, T&T, and other stores later, I stumbled across Daiso opening up soon. Nice! I’m glad. I wish I could live in Vancouver so I can tap into more Japanese goodness. For constantly being denied I want to spoil myself relating to this. For having been betrayed by a fair number of people I’m glad my trip there from July 14th to August 3rd allowed me to experience both Vancouver & Japan at the very same time.
A few moments of my friend getting mislead into a Walmart parking lot, trying to find me on Bonsor, and heading to a Japanese restaurant later……..
Thankful to my friend I’m glad I was able to do things I was unable to, or not allowed to do, in Vancouver. I’m always shunned or banned from doing things in Ottawa with Vancouver having allowed me to do things I’ve always desired or wanted to do. Granted, there are similar restrictions and limitations, Vancouver is a larger area with more opportunities. I’m thankful and grateful. Again, I’ve ventured to Vancouver to get closer to Japan, it even allowed me to connect to more Canadian elements and personal side of things. I’m happy. My friends and coworkers are happy for me for having been rewarded the way I had.
Heading off to White Rock. Friend wanted to show me this place for the longest time.
A part of me was paranoid about being made fun of as I had decades ago for being “slow”. There used to be a Go Karting race track south of Ottawa (maybe even south of Kanata) allowing people to go Go Karting. People made fun of me for going slow, looked at me weird.
Here? I made sure to go fast. Let out all my anger and frustration out for people treating me like shit back in Ottawa years ago. I had fun thanks to letting my true feelings out. I wanted an encore in racing. I want people to race with more often, sadly people are of the “ghosting” and “no fun allowed” types.
I wish this Go Karting lasted longer, was more accessible, and people were more willing to go to these more often. I hate how people ghost one another in this era. I’m still struggling to find people who want to do things, don’t shun people, and just invite others for a more down to earth human type of thing. No favoritism, more free VRChat 2017 era type fun. More friendly traditional European vibes of just having fun. Vancouver & Ottawa both have lessons to learn in being normal human beings, or so I was informed in how people enjoy ghosting each other even in Vancouver.
Other than that, I had a great time. I survived a shooting in a township nearby. My friend is safe, thank god. I ventured safely to Metrotown coming back alive (thank god), and I enjoyed my Ramen. For that one day in my life (years later) I was finally full again. I felt properly full. I’m always hungry or not eating as much as I should, as noted during my boat ride having a proper meal 48 hours later.
And lastly, I’m thankful for my friend taking me to both White Rock and Go Karting. I genuinely want to go Go Karting some more! I felt the rush, the Go Kart’s power, and the smell of fuel after all that. And, realistically speaking, I made it third place, not 5th.
With not much time left to do things on my own I had to do what I can while I can. I had to explore places of my own free will before my friend’s planning took effect in the last few days of my trip. I had to visit what I can while I can, hence this Metrotown visit.