It's nice to have a vacation once in a while, but I suppose you get what you pay for. I'm in
Victoria, BC right now, a million miles away from my simple home in not so quiet
Richmond. I needed this break from the everyday hustle bustle of the
rat race but it's not what I bargained for.
I came here last Friday, seeking tranquility in a somewhat crowded existence at that moment. I didn't have the particular funds to go to an extravagant place to enjoy myself but I thought that going with my friends would simply make it an overall nicer experience anyways. While I was correct in some aspects, I wasn't correct in all of them, but I never really expected to think that it was all going to be play and no work.
It was a different place, filled with different people. While I do believe that
familiarity breeds contempt, change is quite a shocking thing in its own right to have to deal with. Here, in this seemingly foreign land, I'm part of the
minority, being Chinese in a place where Chinese food is cooked by mostly caucasians. Mind you, I never mean any offense in any way, it's still a different change from the normal life in Richmond. More and more lately, I find myself emersed in knowing more and more about my heritage. I wanted to read
Yell-oh to see what the viewpoints of other
ABC's or
CBC's, even though its from the viewpoint of a lady.
Melodrame's place is not extravagant, yet cozy. It isn't a mansion nor is the most beautiful place in the world but his
hospitality made all the difference. The freedom to choose what we do and when to do it was a little different because it simply wasn't my home but it was definitely appreciated. I didn't want to spend more money and having to be able to stay with my friends and save money is a nice aspect.
Dawadeving, Kevin and
MrFurious made it a fun experience if to say the least interesting.
We slept on the floor, as there simply enough accomodations to allow us to sleep on king size beds (after all, this isn't the
Hilton) but at least it was enough. My right shoulder was sore the first day because my right
trapezius got pinched while I rolled over. I didn't really mind simply it was a small discomfort for the amount of money and potential memories lost. What made me feel real bad was the amount of attention placed on my
snoring. I'm not particularly the most healthy guy and I do snore occasionally (but I do believe it's only around males and family...don't ask why...I don't know either). They made light of it, comparing it to a
sonic boom or sound wave
resonance and I didn't particularly take it personally but since they are my friends, I did not want to discomfort them, intentionally or unintentionally. Right now, its 3AM, and we just finished playing cards. They didn't get much sleep because of the ruckus I caused last night so I plan to stay up as long as I can to allow them the highest quality of sleep for the longest quantity of time, even though I won't get as much sleep. It may seem like
martyring myself but think of it like this: If you can't sacrifice for your friends or family, who would you sacrifice for? I can't wait to come back to the mainland, to sleep on my comfortable bed for about 15 hours of recovery sleep.
Kevin and
MrFurious both brought digital cameras with them. It made it cheaper and easier to transport around. We took pictures liberally, and thought that it would be the cornerstone of the memories made here. While upset that Mike could not make it, one part of me believes that he truly had homework and the other believes that he didn't go simply because he wanted to hang around the
apple of his eye. But it was his loss. He missed out on a second sighting of places that gave us our first memories of Victoria. But it still doesn't change the fact that I wish he would have been there to share in our fun.
I find it funny that I ran away here to run away, at least temporarily, from the responsibilities I have at home. But the first thing I get here, I want to call my friends to see how they are doing. I want to be able to go run to my
mother and give her a hug or make fun of her that she's short (inside joke). I'm starting to wonder whether I should simply had just told people to give me some time alone. This vacation, while physically relaxing, isn't particularly
what the doctor ordered to help me mentally. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm happier when I get home. Being here though has given me a better focus. Maybe its enough to get me to talk more and more to that really intriguing girl in my Business Management class. Maybe. Doubtful but maybe.
I know that when I come back, I'll sleep first, then talk to the people that I talked to before I left. Two days, two nights may not seem like much, but it seems like a
novel experience simply because it's so different. Different, but not bad. Now the only problem I have is trying to figure out trying to hide that I didn't sleep very much last night. My sacrifice means nothing if they really know and feel guilty. I'll deal with it later. I would like to think that I'm a clever guy. Maybe I'll just listen to more
S.E.S.....