Tuesday, November 5, 2013

A Tour-cation Stop in Vancouver

One of the most useful skills I have learned (and still continue to hone) is the ability to remain positive and calm in moments of potential chaos and frustration.

Such a moment presented itself when I learned that the Yeezus Tour would be indefinitely postponed. A crucial part of the set was damaged in transit to Vancouver, and instead of compromising the quality of the show West opted to halt future performances until the part could be fixed. You can read more about it here.

But rather than sitting in my hotel room and sulking about our misfortunes I decided to consider my trip to Vancouver a vacation. And thus, the adventuring began.

Those of you who have followed my journeys over the years might have notice that they always include at least one of the following: yoga, vegan food, thrift shops, or jogs through town. My exploration of Vancouver was no exception.

My favorite jog route through the pristine city was along the water into Stanley Park, a 1,001 acre green oasis:






Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Chinatown was also not too far away:




Hanging with the man himself
I searched around for a vegan restaurant, and the only one that was walking distance from our hotel was Gorilla Food on Richmond Street:

Coconut Curry Bowl
After chatting with the waitress about my love for vegan fare and thrifting she suggested I check out Commercial Drive. So I did.

The unique neighborhood is easily accessible via the Skytrain, and is overflowing with natural food stores and quaint cafes. The walls are covered in street art, and it reminded me of a street in San Francisco or Silverlake:



I spent a majority of my time at Mintage, and ate a delicious raw sandwich at Eternal Abundance:




I was initially very upset about the Vancouver show cancellation and the tour postponement; there were many unanswered questions and I felt uneasy about the future of the tour. But even though I didn't get a chance to perform in Vancouver, the trip was still very fruitful. Seeing new sights, tasting new foods, and exploring new places fed my heart and nourished my soul.

So in the words of Bobby McFerrin, "Don't worry, be happy."

2 comments :

  1. Wow! Sounds like you're making the most of an exciting adventure =) Didn't realize there was a Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall in Vancouver, Taiwan pride! =D

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    1. Haha, I was so surprised too. I didn't know there was such a large Asian/Chinese presence in Vancouver, pretty awesome!

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