The best times in life come when you least expect them!

I went downtown to renew my passport today.  When I got up, I didn't really want to go.  On Thursday, it had taken me over 1.5 hours to get home from UGM, due to the large amount of traffic all the way along Hastings Street.  But alas, I had told a friend that I'd meet him for lunch.  More importantly, I had to renew my passport because it expired at the end of the January.  So, I decided to get off my bum and brave the public transit system again.  Besides, it was turning out to be a beautiful, sunny day.

I met my friend at the Burrard Skytrain Station.  He had family visiting for the past while so we have been missing his presence for the past few weeks.  We walked down to Pender, took the bus about 10 blocks west, then walked back up to Robson for some delicious Ramen.  After lunch, we  took a nice walk up Robson in the sun, and to Bentall Centre to pick up my passport photos (which turned out to be way better than the first, extremely unflattering ones I took, haha), then parted ways.  At Sinclair Centre, the line up for the application wasn't long, contrary to all the bad experiences I've had at passport offices (i.e. I am traveling in a week and I haven't got a passport!  Mostly my fault!).  Then, I rode the Granville 10 back to the mainland.  When I got home, I felt refreshed but tired, so a little nap was in order ;) 

As many of you know, today we are right smack in the middle of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.  Downtown was filled with a frenzy of people dressed up in their 'Olympic' gear.  Everywhere I looked, people had on their Team Canada Jerseys, jackets, toques, hoodies.  Families decked out in red, with Canadian flags painted on the kids' faces, walked about the streets excited, their eyes scanning around the city streets alive with the Olympic Spirit.  A few wore colours from their countries as well.  All this is draped against the glittering water of the inlet and the snow-capped mountains of the North Shore.  Just like Ryan Seacrest said (and I cannot believe I am quoting Seacrest on my blog!), this cit is "Stunning".  

Moving along the streets with everybody else, I couldn't help but take in the excitement of the Games.  And as I watched from the bus the sea of people in red/white/black, amongst other colours, gathered all along Robson Street, I couldn't help but feel lucky to be living in Vancouver.  Here I was, just running an errand, and I ended up enjoying things that are not only once in a life time, but most people in the world don't necessary have (not just talking about the Olympics, but simply good food, friendship, safe & clean city streets, good public transportation, good government systems, etc).  God has blessed me with much indeed!