72 Hours in Vancouver

I am always looking for a good excuse to visit my parents in Vancouver -- beautiful city, home-cooked meals, great dim sum, fresh seafood! Ok, ok, so I do not actually need an excuse to visit my parents, but I do need one to hop on a flight for 6 hours. So, when I looked at my calendar a little while ago and saw the upcoming concert in Seattle, I quickly booked myself on a flight into Vancouver instead of Seattle. I could use the extra few days to adjust to the time change anyhow!

So, I have spent the past few days with my parents. I feel as if I've been eating a lot of great food, but one of the highlights was last night's dinner:

Absolutely the best, fresh (plucked live out of the restaurant's seafood tank) Alaskan king crab, steamed in garlic and scallions. Pretty amazing stuff.

I also found some delicious little guavas at a local supermarket, rarely seen in New York City:




My parents' house is very close to the 2010 Winter Olympic venue for speed skating, named the Richmond Olympic Oval. This impressive structure is pretty close to completion, and it is already open for testing prior to the Games. I unfortunately did not have time to stop in for a tour, but my father has already used the facility for some badminton fun. (Yes, they have dry floor activities as well.) I snapped a quick picture as we drove by.



While I was packing tonight for my journey to Seattle tomorrow, I got sidetracked by the contents of my sister's closet. I dug out many nostalgic items of clothing, but this really took me back:

Very appropriate for Easter, no? However, I don't believe I ever wore this for any Easter occasion -- this was the beginning of my concert wardrobe!