We are having our first major dump of snow in years. It is rather nice, despite the cold, despite the traffic problems, despite the way everyone goes into major drama queen mode in this city over one little inch of snow. Okay, now it's more than that, details, details. Vancouver is a city of whiners.
Monday, when the first dump hit us, I had to wait almost an hour for my bus to work in the morning, then when almost an hour had passed I realized that I was going to have to cancel with my first client of the day. Then I listened as a café owner bitterly complained about how awful the snow was and he was so emphatic and upset about it that I basically humoured him. I didn't want him spitting in my Americano.
The buses were barely functioning. A driver was kind enough to pick me up after I'd angrily left the stop following another lengthy wait and flipping him the bird as he was driving past me. Of course I immediately apologized for the gesture, telling him it was meant not for him but for Translink. He exhorted me that it's really the weather that's at fault. Of course I didn't argue. I just said, you're absolutely right.
When I got off the bus a lady passed me with a huge radiant smile on her face and she announced, almost sang, that she loved the snow. I couldn't help but agree with her, since who could possibly want to argue with such a vivid and naked manifestation of joy?
Then we had three cold crystalline days of unabashed sunshine and blue skies. Despite the cold air it was just too beautiful to want to stay indoors. Meanwhile I was fighting with the idiots who are building the condo tower in my backyard. It is going to completely block my view of the sky. They have a fetish for blinding halogen lights that shine into my apartment and hurt my eyes and I have warned the project manager that if they don't start shutting it off then I am going to name her in my next blogpost.
Never piss off a blogger, Gentle Reader. Never!
I also informed her that it was I who called the cops on the building site when I noticed their crane moving material after eight pm. For now they are cooperating. I have also solicited the support of my building managers (here's a shout-out for you Candela managers and MTR manager!)
In one of my worksites I have sent an email to the manager to inform her that there might be something a little bit, er, tacky? about announcing to me in front of coworkers that I seem awfully quiet today. Especially when I'm already upset for being shunned by my coworkers (and her, by extension). No word, so far, on whether I'm fired.
Today, as the second dump of snow beautified my city and transformed everything into a white and shining wonder I was rudely spoken to by a coworker and struggled not only to maintain my composure but de-escalate her (she was the nurse in charge, I am the peer support worker and she was trying to use my lack of status as an excuse for venting her bile on me.) On the way home, instead of feeling sorry for myself in the snow, I gave a dollar coin to a beggar, and then a Filipina woman gave him some more money. On the Canada Line Skytrain I offered a lady near my age (sixty), my seat, then the young Filipina woman next to me not only offered her her seat but wouldn't take no for an answer so the lady had to accept. Meanwhile a group of four or five very young dumbass middle class or upper middle class males were swearing rather loudly behind me and mocking a passenger with developmental challenges for the childlike sounds he was making. I called the young dumbasses on their behaviour (I am, as I said, sixty years old), and no one on that train had the cojones to do anything about those sad wastes of DNA. They became verbally abusive towards me and I told them as I got off the train that they ought to be ashamed of themselves.
I understand that with under one inch of snow all private schools in this city have been closed. The public schools are still open. I would imagine that their rich mommies and daddies don't want their little boobums to slip on their way from the family limousine to the school building and bruise their delicate little heinies. I suspect that those young male losers mocking the fellow with developmental disabilities probably attend one of those schools. I remember once hearing about a rugby match between one of the elite private schools and a local public high school The public school won the game and the private school elite morons, in reply, chanted "That's alright, that's okay. You're going to work for us one day."
When I arrived in my building I saw an older Filipina tenant give a gift to another tenant, who has multiple disabilities and challenges and also happens, unfortunately, to have always hated my guts. She very warmly thanked our Filipina neighbour who joined me on the elevator and sweetly and warmly wished me a Merry Christmas.
This is a shout-out to Filipina women. Ladies, You Rock!
And I don't want to forget one moment that really brightened this day for me. I had just left my building, on my way to the local Mexican café for a coffee and some time to work on a drawing. There was a big man walking past, focussed on his phone, and his little three or four year old boy walking in front of him. I had my big umbrella with me, smiled at the man and said that it's doing double duty as a walking stick. He smiled and agreed I might need it walking in the snow and wished me a safe walk. Then his little boy looked up at me and just smiled with his entire being and I said hi to the little guy and mentioned that the snow is great, eh? His daddy also smiled and I was happy to see him paying attention again to his little son.
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