RETURN FROM A SHORT VACATION FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

My wife and I just got home from a short trip from British Columbia. We stayed at my Uncle's house in Surrey for few days and it was very nice to have stayed with them.

The house has a big solarium overlooking the snow peak mountains of Whistler Mountain, and the Black Mountain. I love sitting at the lunge chair early in the morning when the sun is up and I can see the many activities down below. The shipping lane could be seen being loaded with cargoes. The main export of the place is wood chips to make papers. I can see Kimberly Clark, the makers of Scott Tissue papers, down from the solarium windows.

We never stayed in the house for a long period of time. After breakfast, we immediately head out and explore the areas. We went to the shore line to watch some people catching crabs. This are not the small varities of crabs. These crabs are big. They even have a sizer for the catch. If it does not conform with the size of more than 10 inches in the crabs back shell, it has to be returned bak to the water. No female crabs has to be caught, only male crabs. Then we explored the shoreline where the fishing vessels are docked and shrimp trawlers. I love buying those fresh shrimp and the fresh fish, especially flounder. I was so amazed with the prize of fresh shrimp -- six pounds for Can$10.00 and of course the flounder, still alive cost Can$6.00 for 10 pounds. Nobody could beat those prices.

What I love most is the visit to the Chinese stores. They are selling fresh Rambutant, Fresh Santol, Fresh Lychees and Durian and of course they also have Mangoes. All of these fruits are being flown from Bangkok. I was eating the Lanzones, day and night. I bought the whole case for Can$100.00 and it was so sweet. I cannot bring home to the states fresh fruits. Bags are being checked at the Customs and Agriculture side in Canada of the U.S. inspectors. They are giving stiff penalty if they cathes anybody.

Another great thing is the visit to this chinese restaurant and bakeshop. Owned by a Pinoy chinese that sells Siopao just like how they do it in Manila Chinatown. These, I took home with me, at least 6 dozens of it that was frozen by my aunt two days before our departure.

We visited the strawberry and the berry plantations and all the vegetables patches being taken cared of by Chinese, Vietnamese and East Indian. It was so nice to come during this season of the year. When we were here, it was spring time, frist week of March. Now it is the start of summer and all the plants and the vegetables are ready to be harvested.

Vancouver is very busy now, prepairing for the 2010 Winter Olympics. They are building sky trains directly from the airport connected to the existing sky train. In Richmond, a city of Vancouver, they are now doing the foundations of the the sky train that will be connected to the indoor skating rink, that they have started building also. I was surprised to know, that the volunteers for the Winter Olympics in 2010 is already filled up.

The entire Vancouver BC area are very busy with all the constructions and buildings that is going on to cope with the demands on the upcoming winter olympics. There are snow makers already built on top of the mountains, in case there wont be enough snow to cover some of the mountain events.

So, Dear Auntie Pattie Koh -- it was a short,but exhilirating vacation for me and my wife. We will be going back again this fall, September. I want to go to the berry farm and see the harvest. My wife and myself had a short respite and we are both glad we did it.