Would You Like a Non-Fat Soy-Milk, No-Foam, Double Shot Latte?
Globe and Mail writer Laura Madokoro perfectly captures one slice of Vancouver, although like many people trying to describe a place, she wrongly assumes it is the whole pie.
But it is an interesting theory and one that I hadn’t thought of: a lot of what I don’t miss about my city of birth is all the people who moved there from Ontario. Oh, I know, it’s so easy to pick on Ontario, and I’ve met many, perfectly lovely people from the province. It’s just that the lovely ones didn’t move west.
Sure, the city has sushi and Starbucks and they are fairly significant parts of the landscape. But it’s the people who call that a lifestyle — as if fish and coffee and the Grouse Grind could complete the circle of life — who make me not want to live there.
Life should be lived, not styled.
Previously: Girls On Film
Subsequently: To Market, To Market
Comments
After my first visit to Vancouver last month, I have to say that most, if not all, of the people I met didn’t fit the SUV driving, soy-milk latte drinking cellphone set in the slightest. Go figure.
— Megan | Aug. 31, 2002 — 4 PM
The problem with Vancouver is that it really doesn’t have any sort of unique culture at all. Future anthropologists studying the city will describe Vancouverites as: “Basically no different than any other average group of North Americans except they seem to think of themselves as somewhat more healthy, outdoorsey and laid back. No objective evidence actually supports this, however. Apparently the scenery was very beautiful, though.”
Methinks Ms. Madokoro was merely trying to assert her own point. Makes for a tidy conclusion…
— Chris | Sep. 2, 2002 — 2 AM