#blenz

[missguomeiyun]

Iced Americano @ Blenz Coffee~

When I was a student, this 'spot' was occupied by Starbucks. A few years ago, Starbucks closed & Blenz Coffee took over. First time here & the interior is all the same. Same layout, some furniture, some counter etc. But just diff branding, obviously.

This spot, in particular, was the spot I usually tried for haha due to presence of outlet for charging :P it is also a small circular table for 1 (max 2 ppl), located in the corner.

I recently watched a video on cafes in Korea - surprise surprise lol but it was more like a news/docu type of video. It talked about cafe owners struggling with their business & it also went into cafe culture in Korea a little bit. Long story short, the 'issue' was: customers would plant themselves at a spot & occupy the table for HOURS. Like we are talking over 4-5hrs. These are mostly students & they only order 1 or 2 drinks. Some of these customers are singular ones, occupying group tables. & of course, they're also charging their things (some even bring a mini extension cord!). Some leave their belongings (like study materials) & go for lunch & then return. Therefore, cafe owners were displeased due to the lower turn-around of customers. To 'fight back', they've been locking some of the outlets - as a way to 'force' customers to go after a certain length of time OR prevent those who plan to stay for hours from staying for lengthy period of time (ie: provide less service). Totally understandable!

On the other hand, some are siding with the customers. There's no 'rule' in place as to how long one can occupy a table for. They're also not staying without purchasing anything, which is true but. .. you know? When interviewed, the students said they're in cafes (instead of libraries or even their homes) bcos the atmosphere is less tense / more comfortable. They think owners locking outlets is petty. Not all customers stay for HOURS so it should be accessible in its full amount if the cafe is open.

What do you think??

[lorene1voice]

Honey oat matcha latte with honey from #Vernon #planetbee @blenzcoffee #blenz #centralsurrey #SurreyBC Light smooth taste. I would buy again. (at Central City) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqvC9Jv0zI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[yeoandmoon]

i found the cure to growing older (and you're the only place that feels like home) ( hongjoong x fem!reader )

you're destined to follow park seonghwa. that's how it's been your whole life, and you'd prefer to keep it that way - thank you very much. it doesn't really come as a surprise to anyone when you follow him across the country to seoul to join the lucrative music industry, but perhaps the real surprise comes in the form of seonghwa's 5'8, pink-haired leader - kim hongjoong - and the late night studio visits that he's prone to.

smut, idolverse, producer!reader, friends with benefits, childhood bestie!seonghwa, a lot of music references (both joong and reader are little music snobs), implied seongjoong x reader (if u squint), studio sex, come eating, fingering, clit play, praise kink, bratty hongjoong, marking kink, implied dacryaphilia, wc is 3.1k

note: :) hiiiiiiiii (louder than anyone else) it has been a while! ngl here - this might be a little rusty! but i hope you all still enjoy it :) title is from i slept with someone in fall out boy, and all i got was this stupid song written about me by fall out boy! (ps. shoutout to the girl at blenz who watched me down a peppermint matcha and then go crazy writing the second part of this)

You owed a lot to Park Seonghwa.

You owed him far more than the cheap soju and street side corn dogs you bought him on nights out, despite listening to him whine that he had the idol money and could easily buy for both of you.

Seonghwa had gotten you the job at KQ Entertainment after a drunken night of you musing to him that no one in all of Seoul was hiring musicians, and you were about ready to pack up and move back with your grandma (who had been, in fact, right about moving to the big city) in the countryside. He helped you settle in the small studio full of instruments and sheet music, and he spent time with you around his busy schedules & hectic idol life.

(“It’s like you’re deliberately trying to keep me by your side, Hwa.”

“I did promise your grandmother I’d make sure Seoul didn’t chew you up and spit you back out, didn’t I?”)

He pushed you hard on quiet days, and would sit on the dingy little loveseat on the far side of your studio while he filled you in on random idol drama and rumors that filled the music show halls. Seonghwa would sometimes patiently watch you record instrumentals for songs, and go through demos the company would send you. He’d laugh at the jokes you’d crack about the bad demos, and sometimes you two would produce silly little raps & songs for the demos - seeing if you could somehow save the tone deaf beats & loud guitars that filled the GarageBand app.

Those were the days you longed for; the days you missed with your sweet best friend.

You understood the high school days once filled with old Fall Out Boy songs and pepero sticks were long gone, but you still tried to cling to the remnants that remained in your life.

Perhaps then, it would only make sense that Seonghwa would be the one to introduce you to Hongjoong - KQ’s Golden Boy and his closest friend within the idol world. In Seonghwa’s mind, this was a logical friendship. You two were ‘similar’ and ‘weirdly into music’, Seonghwa would tell you while on early morning coffee runs. He would grin at you when you raised an eyebrow at him.

“‘Weirdly into music?’ You’re the one with your face plastered onto subway cars, Mister Global Idol.”

(The small quips didn’t stop Seonghwa’s mission, though.

“I want you to meet someone.” He had told you, stalking into your cluttered studio one day.

A familiar figure followed Seonghwa through the door, his small stature dwarfed by your best friend. Kim Hongjoong was a colourful man. His hair was a vibrant blue, and his nails were painted a hot pink. He wore a backwards dad hat with the picture of a pastel coloured bass on it and a corny saying that you couldn’t quite catch before he looked up at you with bright eyes.

“So, you’re the one who produced the One Direction and Fix On remix?”)

After all, Seonghwa knew you better than anyone else. He knew all your deep secrets, and happy moments; he knew the things that made you tick and the things that brought you joy. So - maybe that was why you didn’t find yourself surprised when, none other than Seonghwa’s pick himself, Kim Hongjoong showed up outside your studio at 3 in the morning a mere few nights after being introduced; maybe that’s why it didn’t entirely baffle you when he placed a pile of cds ranging from newly released hip hop to eighties new wave, & everything in between, and asked your opinion on each and every cd in the pile. You soon found yourself arguing over the cultural shift you felt ‘Jolene’ brought, and cackling over Hongjoong’s Matty Healy impressions. 

Maybe that was why you weren’t surprised when he reached over and kissed you hard while a Shinee song played from your old MacBook and drowned out the soft moans that soon filled the small studio space.

Perhaps it was the late nights that followed the ‘Shinee Incident’; or, perhaps it was the fact you were both workaholics. You knew you should talk to Hongjoong outside of the oasis you felt you two had built yourselves within the rooms of KQ Entertainment, but sometimes you found the quietness of your late night rendezvous and stolen daytime kisses in the empty practice rooms was easier than the loud bustle of the Seoul streets and the distractions that came with Hongjoong leading a loud group of 20-something year old men.

You could also think of a hundred more reasons why you and Hongjoong kept meeting like this, but you were also content with just ignoring it and accepting whatever was going on until it was over.

[ from: hongjoong :) ] are you around??? [ from: hongjoong :) ] i can hear you playing with the piano. lol

Just like clockwork, you thought when your phone lit up. 

The bright little clock on your phone reads 03:19, and the piano you were working on was nearly finished. You were tired and craving your own bed; your ass hurt from the hard bench you had been sitting on for hours at that point. Despite that, you still found yourself reaching for your phone.

[ to: hongjoong :) ] yea im next door [ to: hongjoong :) ] :-)

Maybe you were craving something else too; maybe part of you was desperate for human affection, and you knew Hongjoong could give you that.

[ from: hongjoong :) ] :-)

(One could only take so much of the vibrator tucked away in their nightstand, of course.)

There was a shuffling in the hallway before the outline of Hongjoong appeared in the stained glass of the instrumental studio’s door. You watched the doorknob slowly turn before Hongjoong peeked his head into the room, a dark green beanie covering his faded pink hair. He smiled, and you swore his eyes always brightened at the sight of you.

“Hi.” You say, wincing at the exhaustion evident in your voice.

Hongjoong stepped into the studio, his eyes glancing around at the array of instruments surrounding you both before stopping back to where you sat on the piano stool.

“Hi.” He echos, stepping further into the room.

He’s wearing a tan hoodie that has little purple butterflies flying up the sleeve - and for a brief moment - you think it’s so sweet and so Hongjoong that you almost don’t want him to take it off. Then, he takes another step towards you and you see how his eyes darken as they take in the way your own hoodie is falling off your shoulder, exposing the lace black camisole and deep purple bra strap underneath. Something in his look stirs you, and you feel your cheeks begin to heat up as you look at the man in front of you.

“How’s the comeback going?” Your words crack, and you know your cheeks must be burning.

“It’s good,” Hongjoong says, his tone confident while he keeps his eyes on you, and pulls the hoodie over his head. A dark brown t-shirt is revealed, stretching across his chest and riding up enough to reveal to you the boxer band peeking from under his jeans. He throws the hoodie in the general direction of your computer chair and a smile plays at his lips, “Hwa and I are recording part of the rap tomorrow.”

He takes a step forward as he speaks, and you can hear the way his own words crack as he speaks so casually about your shared friend.

You know he needs this as much as you do - if the thick bulge in his jeans says anything about Hongjoong’s current state of mind.

You force yourself to pull away from blatantly checking him out and look up at him, “Did you happen to get that song I sent you?”

Hongjoong takes another step forward. “The Counting Crows one?”

“‘A Long December,’” you move to get up from the piano bench.

Hongjoong is suddenly on you with a sense of urgency, and the small talk portion of your evening is abruptly finished. “Don’t get up,” he tells you, pushing you back onto the bench. 

You see then how affected he really is; his pupils half blown, and his cheeks beginning to match the peach in his hair. “Cute.” The compliment falls from your lips before you can stop yourself, and your hand comes up to cup his cheek.

It delights you the way Hongjoong’s cheek burn at the simple word, and he moves to his knees in front of you, “‘Want you to stay there for me, yeah?” One of his hands moves to rest against your hand on his cheek.

You swallow and nod, not taking your eyes off the man who had managed to pry your legs apart, and was getting comfortable on the floor between them. You’re suddenly aware of your body’s reaction to Hongjoong - how sticky your panties were becoming & how heated your body was beginning to get.

Despite how common this occurrence was becoming, you never seemed to get used to how overwhelming his presence was; how much Hongjoong overtook your senses in every way possible. His hands moved to your waist, and he glances at you again before moving to the waistband of your leggings. His fingers gently slip under the waistband, and he nods to you - a request to move forward.

His fingertips are cool against your skin. They feel nice, you think as you nod to him.

Like most things with Hongjoong, he begins to move with urgency after he receives your consent. He leans up to pull you into a heated kiss as he tugs at your leggings and panties, urging you to shimmy out of them so he can get his hands on your thick thighs and the soaked core that’s between them.

Once exposed to him, one of his hands is immediately between your legs - his thumb pressing into your clit while two of his fingers gently run through your folds, gathering the wetness that lays there and sending your brain into a frenzy of Kim Hongjoong. 

You moan into the kiss, and your hands move up to tangle in his hair and pull him closer to you in an attempt to deepen the kiss. He smiles into it, and you just know that if you weren’t too busy kissing the smile away, it would be that impish, cocky smirk he gets every time he succeeds and wins; it’s the same smile he holds every time Ateez wins a music show, and it's the same smile he holds every time he makes you cum. One of his fingers gently breaches your sopping entrance, and you let out another moan against his lips.

“That feel good, love?” Hongjoong laughs against your lips before stealing another kiss.

Before you have a chance to answer, Hongjoong knocks your legs further apart and presses his thumb harder into your clit. His finger pushes into you and all you can do is swear, “Fuck! Hongjoong!”

Hongjoong releases another breathy laugh from his spot below you before pressing kisses down your neck. You feel his other hand begin to crawl up your tummy from its spot on your waist before stopping just as his fingertips hit the wire of your bra - it rests on your soft skin, and he hums against your skin before softly biting down. The sudden sting makes you gasp and your hand in his hair tightens on the strands you were holding, making Hongjoong hiss against you.

“Take it off.” He tells you, his hand coming up over the bra and tugging at the top of the cup to free your tit. His voice is lined with a growl, and his hand on your thigh tightens.

You know there’s bruises forming under Hongjoong’s fingers - adding to the collection of bruises he’s already left along your neck, tummy and anywhere else Hongjoong could possibly mark you. The possibility of them excites you; fills you with a pleasure, and rush of arousal.

His fingers immediately pinch at your nipple and you bite back a particularly loud whine, your hips bucking up against Hongjoong’s fingers. You begin to peel the hoodie off, letting it fall to the floor in front of the piano, while Hongjoong wastes no time to move his hand from your chest and tug the camisole over your head. It quickly joins the hoodie on the floor, and you’re left in only a lacy black bralette for Hongjoong’s hungry eyes.

“Take your shirt off.” You say, locking eyes with him and reaching for the brown fabric, “I wanna see you too.”

The light blush returns to Hongjoong’s cheeks, and you feel a sense of accomplishment rush through your veins. He leans back onto his legs and looks up at you - in the low & warm LED pink lights of your studio, Hongjoong looks pretty. His eyes are dark, and his hair is tousled from your pulling & tugging on it.

“Okay, love,” Hongjoong replies, “just gotta clean up first.”

There’s a small smile playing at Hongjoong’s lips as he moves his hand from your core, and keeps his eyes on you as he brings his hand to his mouth. His eyes flutter shut as he begins to lick his fingers clean, and all you can do is watch in pure pleasure as he licks your juices off his hand. He lets out a small moan, and your eyes widen as another rush of arousal surges through your body.

You tighten your thighs and try - & fail - to conceal the whimper that falls from your lips, and Hongjoong tilts his head in faux confusion. He moves his hand from his mouth, “What’s the matter, sweetie? I just wanted to taste you.”

You’re utterly, and completely, speechless and all Hongjoong can do is giggle from his spot below you. 

He leans up to kiss you again, with his (now “clean”) hand coming up and cupping the back of your neck to pull you closer. You kiss him back and part of you revels in the faint taste of yourself on his tongue. Your hands move to the bottom hem of his shirt, and you break the kiss to pull Hongjoong’s shirt over his head.

It’s added to the ever-growing pile of clothes that are gathering at the bottom of the piano.

“You’re gorgeous.” You say, and you can’t help as your eyes rake down Hongjoong’s newly exposed body and the piercing that glints in the light on his left nipple.

Hongjoong’s eyes flash, and his other hand tightens on your thigh again, “Do ya’ think flattery will get you somewhere, sweetie?”

You play along with Hongjoong’s games. You pretend you don’t see the way he gets flustered & bothered when you compliment him, and he pretends not to notice that you like making him feel like that. You couldn’t deny the absolute rush it gave you every time he whined your name at the smallest praise.

You take a deep breath before nodding, “Will you let me cum?” You ask, giving him a pout.

Hongjoong’s cocky smirk is back, and your hands grip the edge of the bench. They’ve become so tight against the wood that you’re sure your knuckles are white; it was your turn to become flustered. Your mind was beginning to fray at the edges with every second that passes of Hongjoong’s intense stare and the way his hands slowly began to move up your thighs again. 

He pushes your thighs apart again, and promptly takes his spot back between your legs. He gives you a cheeky smile while you gasp at the cold air against your soaking core; before he pushes you back against the piano and pushes his two fingers back into your hole, chuckling when you let out a cry of his name. The piano keys sound out throughout the room, but Hongjoong ignores it as he drives his fingers harder into you.

If Hongjoong wasn’t so determined to fuck you stupid, perhaps you’d think he was trying to see what notes he could produce every time your back bounces against the keys. Perhaps, just maybe - you’d even suggest turning the microphone on, and recording the notes and moans that’d be produced.

You open your mouth to say something - possibly to beg, possibly to cry for Hongjoong but all thoughts are abandoned when Hongjoong leans forward and takes your clit in his mouth. He sucks on the little nub and you swear your brain goes blank.

You cry out in pleasure, and your hands go down to find purchase in Hongjoong’s hair. He groans against you, one of his hands coming up to hold you waist as you gently rock your hips up against his face.

“Joong…” You plea, “Hongjoong, I’m so close. You feel so good, Joong.”

He adds another finger into you, heightening your pleasure and beginning to scissor them to stretch you out as you gasp, “You’re gonna take my cock after this, right sweetie?”

You nod. It’s all you can really bring yourself to do - although you know you’d do anything for Hongjoong at this moment. You’d probably allow Seonghwa to see you like this, if he wanted you to.

Hell, you’d allow Seonghwa to join in, if Hongjoong asked you too right now. 

“Hongjoong, please…”

Hongjoong kisses your cheek, and you flutter your eyes open to find him level with you, “Go on, love. Let it out for me.”

The simple words were all it took for you to come. The overwhelming euphoria of Kim Hongjoong took over your psyche, and you cried his name as you gripped his arms. 

You ride out your orgasm while you chant Hongjoong’s name, and he kisses your cheek & jaw. He now stands over you, his hand gently running through your hair as you slowly recover, resting your head on his tummy and reveling in the feeling of his hand in your hair.

It takes a moment to look up at Hongjoong. You’re still panting, and you feel tears on your cheeks begin to settle. He smiles sweetly at you, before leaning down to kiss you - softer than any other point during the night.

“Do you want to keep going?” Hongjoong asks, his hand coming to rest on the back of your neck.

You begin to pull away as your hands come up to undo his belt, “I gotta keep my word, don’t I?” You bite your lip to stop the smile beginning to grow on your face.

[idogmini]

had an ungodly sweet frappe thing at blenz today

[kronize]

iced matcha latte アイス抹茶ラテ | matcha latte 抹茶ラテ | matchachillo 抹茶シェイク

Blenz Coffee

[korrektheiten]

Leserbriefe zu „Berlin – Hauptstadt des kaputten Mietmarktes und der Obdachlosigkeit“

NachDenkSeiten: »In diesem Zwischenruf vertritt Frank Blenz die These, dass aus dem Brettspiel Monopoly Ernst geworden sei. Exemplarisch für die Bundesrepublik stehe „unsere Hauptstadt Berlin, wo vielleicht am gierigsten um die Ware Haus und Wohnen rücksichtslos Kasse gemacht“ werde. Der soziale Frieden sei nicht nur gefährdet, sondern aufgekündigt. Die Interessen und Rechte der Mieter, derWeiterlesen http://dlvr.it/TFGcmF «

[me-me-me-me-me-always-me]

Jul. 21 2024

Rachel at McArthur Glen. Gift cards day - went to Blenz, Under Armour and tried to figure out the VISA gift card. We walked the south spit at Iona - around 3km out. Not much to see but some cool graffiti, and a ton of herons. Bad smelling bathroom. Will walk the north one next!

She also joined for some volleyball with the Hopcon gang.

[marketinsight1234]

Espresso Excellence: Trends and Opportunities in Canada's Coffee Sector

Canada Coffee Market Size Was Valued at USD 23.56 Billion in 2022, and is Projected to Reach USD 32.74 Billion by 2030, Growing at a CAGR of 4.2% From 2023-2030.

Canada has a strong coffee culture, which has contributed to the country's continuous growth in the coffee market. Coffee tastes vary among Canadians; they favor both fancy espresso-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos and classic drip coffee.

Prominent players in the market include large coffee shop chains including Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Second Cup, and McDonald's McCafé. Specialty coffee shops and artisanal roasters have arisen alongside them to satisfy the growing demand for high-quality coffee that is sourced ethically.

The market is largely driven by retail sales of coffee items, such as single-serve pods, ground coffee, and beans. There is a growing market for Fair-Trade and certified organic coffee due to consumers' concerns about ethics and sustainability. Beverage firms are expanding their product lines in the face of competition in order to meet the changing needs of consumers who value convenience and distinctive coffee experiences.

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Brief Introduction to the research report.

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Top players in the market

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Leading players involved in the Canada Coffee Market include:

Starbucks (USA), McDonald's McCafé (USA), Second Cup (Canada), Blenz Coffee (Canada), Tim Hortons (Canada), Costa Coffee (UK), Dunkin' (USA), Fratello Coffee Roasters (Canada) Detour Coffee Roasters (Canada), Bows x Arrows Coffee Roasters (Canada), Gloria Jean's Coffees (USA), Caffè Artigiano (Canada), Caffe Nero (UK), Blenz Coffee (Canada), JJ Bean Coffee Roasters (Canada), 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters (Canada), Hale Coffee Company (Canada), Propeller Coffee Co. (Canada), Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters (Canada), Reunion Island Coffee (Canada) and Other Major Players 

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Segmentation of Canada Coffee Market:

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Whole Coffee Beans

Ground Coffee

Instant Coffee

Coffee Pods & Capsules

Espresso

Others

By Source

Arabica

Robusta

By Speciality Coffee

Single-Origin Coffee

Micro-Lot Coffee

Organic Coffee

Direct Trade Coffee

Cold Brew & Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Others

By Process

Caffeinated

Decaffeinated

By Flavors

Vanilla

Caramel

Hazelnut

Mocha

Cinnamon

Others

By Distribution Channel

On-trade

Off-trade

By End-Users

Individual Coffee Drinkers

Coffee Shop Patrons

Office & Workplace Consumers

Catering & Hospitality Industry

Bakeries & Dessert Shops Others

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[canadianjobbank]

Apply now: https://canadianjobbank.org/barista-7/

[happypoststarfish]

Der Prinz der Intoleranz | Frank Blenz | NDS-Podcast

[my-life-fm]

03.05.2023 +++ Frank Blenz kommentiert die Gastgeberrolle Deutschlands für das größte militärische Luftmanöver seit Gründung der NATO; hier die einleitenden Worte der NachDenkSeiten:

Deutschland ist im Juni Gastgeber des größten militärischen Luftmanövers seit Gründung der NATO. Das ist kein Grund zur Freude, sondern zum Protest. Warum? Die Freunde des Militarismus jubeln in diesen Wochen Tag für Tag. Die Rüstung brummt, die verbale Wehrertüchtigung und Wehrwerbung, die Feindbildpflege und die Mobilmachung von Körper und Geist werden immer lauter. Wer sich dagegen wehrt, Einspruch erhebt, Bedenken äußert, wird als „kriegsmüde“ diffamiert. Doch der Einspruch, der Protest der Kriegsmüden gegen die Müdigkeit der Fanatiker, der Profiteure und der atemlosen, gedankenlosen Mitmacher der bedrohlichen Entwicklung gegen unsere zivile, friedliche Gesellschaft ist notwendige Bürgerpflicht. Ein Kommentar von Frank Blenz.

: https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=97174

[joergius]

„Die Leute werden nur verrückt gemacht“ – Von wegen | Frank Blenz | NDS-... #nachdenkseiten #bargeld #geld #baresistwahres #nurbaresistwahres #euro #digitalereuro #eeuro #bargeldistfreihiet #bargeldverbot  

[greenbagjosh]

April 2002 weekend in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Hi everyone, bonjour a tout le monde!

I almost forgot to write about my first visit to Canada in April 2002.  I had been to Mexico a few times, but never Canada.  I found a good price for a round trip economy fare between San Francisco, Sea-Tac and Vancouver's YVR airport near Richmond, British Columbia.  

On Friday the 19th April 2002 about 3:10 PM, I took a line bus from my apartment to a bus stop near the Hillsdale Inn on Hillsdale Blvd and Saratoga Drive, and transferred to the KX bus, now the line 398 to SFO.  At the time, domestic United Airlines flights departed from Terminal 3.  I boarded my flight to Seattle about 5:00 PM.  The flight took off about 5:40 PM and arrived in Seattle about 8:10 PM at the "northern satellite".  I would have to transfer to a smaller plane, namely an Embraer E120 propellor plane.  Those were very small.  I took a 9:35 PM plane to Vancouver, the flight was just over an hour long.  I arrived about 10:45 PM at Vancouver, and it was not noticeable that the border had been crossed until the plane touched down.  About 10:55 PM I reached the gate, went through customs and picked up my black checked bag, as it would still be a few months until I would buy my first wheeled bag.  Canadian customs asked questions that seemed a bit unnecessary, but I did fine.  I was able to change money and buy a bus ticket for CA$ 2.00 to downtown Vancouver on the former B-99 line.  A transfer would be free.

The B-99 bus ran most of the length of BC route 99, from Richmond, BC, past Granville Island, to Davie Street.  From there I took a bus 6 to Thurlow Street and waked to Burnaby Street where the Youth Hostel was located.  I had booked a shared bedroom on the third floor.  I went to my room and went to sleep as I was very tired.

Saturday the 20th April 2002 I woke up and went downstairs to ask about a good restaurant nearby.  The front desk recommended Hamburger Mary's, which has since been renamed to Mary's on Davie, which was located on Davie and Bute Streets.  I walked to the restaurant, and it was in the middle of a very eclectic district.  The waiter greeted me and asked me if I wanted to eat inside or "oatside", when he meant outside.  I chose inside.  I had eggs with regular American bacon and a waffle with maple syrup.  

After breakfast I walked back to the hostel, and bought a bus pass for CA $8.00 for the day, and took the B-99 to Broadway in South Granville, then I transferred to the B-98 going to UBC, University of British Columbia through Greektown.  In particular, I wanted to see the Museum of Anthropology.  The museum had many totem poles that were so interesting.  Some had whales, bears, birds of prey, and many other animal forms.  I must have spent about an hour or so there.  Then I took the B-98 to Broadway, and the B-99 to the Granville Skytrain station.  At the time, Burrard and Granville stations as well as others, had free access as long as passengers had their tickets available.  In later years, fare gates were added.  Burrard and Granville station for the Expo and Millenium lines were one platform on top of the other.  Eastbound is below the Westbound platform.  The stations kind of look like those in Milan, Italy, particularly between Turati and Missori.  I took the westbound train to Waterfront.  Waterfront was in a kind of semi-open cut but you could find a place where the train would turn around to head east.  

Some of you may remember the building used for the 1986 Expo.  It is now called Canada Place.  At the time I was there, the building was not opened.  I could only admire the building and contemplate how it looks so much like the Sydney Symphony Hall and was built to resemble a cruise ship.  There was a ferry that went to North Vancouver, and the ferry price was included in the day pass that I had.  The ferry took about fifteen minutes to go from Canada Place to Lonsdale Quay.  Lonsdale Quay had some interesting shops, including a used CD store.  I remember buying a Glass Tiger and Genesis CD, both used, for a good price.  Later that evening I would buy a French-language CD by Céline Dion.

About an hour later, I took the ferry back to Canada Place, boarded the Skytrain eastbound to Braid.  At the time, Braid was the easternmost terminus, and there was no section to Renfrew yet.  I took the Skytrain back to Granville, I took a couple of busses to the Davie and Bute Street area.  I must have eaten a Donair, which is the Canadian equivalent of a Gyro.  Then I went to Cows Ice Cream down Davie Street, for some ice cream and souvenirs.  Although there are Cows ice cream locations in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and three other provinces across Canada, the Vancouver location has since closed, and the only one in British Columbia is in Whistler.  I am not sure why the Vancouver location closed down, but I saw signs that it was about to close for good.  So I am glad I went when I could.  Then I went back to the hostel and went to sleep.  I think it was around 10 PM.

Sunday 21st April 2002, I woke up about 8 AM and went downstairs to buy a bus ticket.  I went downtown to a Blenz coffee shop.  Blenz was at the time the Canadian answer to Starbuck's.  At the time of writing, there exist 59 locations, the majority of which are around Vancouver, some are in Nanaimo, Victoria, Whistler, and Kelowna.  I was unable to find any outside British Columbia, even in neighboring Alberta.

I went back to my room at the hostel, took a shower, packed up and took a bus to the airport.  The B-99 went down to Richmond and the airport.  I was able to check into my flight.  One peculiar thing about Vancouver airport, is that when you check in prior to security, you get your updated ticket, but the staff do not take your suitcase.  You have to put it in the security x-ray machine before passing through the United States customs.  There is a checked bag dropoff only after that.  Vancouver at the time was one of the few airports where United States Customs was located outside of the USA.  

Prior to boarding my flight to the USA, I went to the gift shop.  I had found some nice sockeye salmon and maple syrup.  The salmon was in a vacuum pack, and was perfectly acceptable to import to the USA.  I boarded my 1 PM plane to Seattle.  I would have a longer layover going back.  When the plane landed in Seattle, there was no passport inspection as that was already done in Vancouver.  I am not certain if that is what is done now, but my subsequent visit in April 2003, that was the official policy.

As I had landed in Seattle, and had a long layover until I was to return to San Francisco, I took a ride on the Satellite transport system.  It was fully underground, and operated similar to that of the Vancouver Skytrain.  The main terminal was much larger than the northern satellite.  I returned back as the flight to San Francisco would leave about 3:30 PM.  The flight lasted about two hours and I arrived about 5:30 PM.  I waited for my checked bag but it did not arrive.  I had to make a claim for United Airlines to check.  I took the KX bus back to San Mateo and a line 250 bus to Hillsdale and Norfolk, and walked the rest of the way.  It was okay because I only had my backpack with me.  I would likely have the black bag delivered the next day or so.

Monday 22nd April 2002, as expected, when I was home, United Airlines had delivered the black checked bag.  They also offered me a $250 discount on my next flight.  

So that was my weekend in Canada, which was my first visit.  I would visit Canada again in April 2003, but I would have a rental car.  My next flight would be with American Airlines from San Francisco to Chicago and farther on to Madrid and Sevilla, and back by Miami.  It would be my first visit to Spain since November 1978 so I missed the entire 1980s and 1990s of experiencing Spain.  Spain was not one of the countries that I frequently visited.  

Anyway I hope you enjoyed my personal account of twenty years since my first visit to Canada.  Until next time!  (25th May 2002)

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