Not quite according to plan

View over False Creek from Yaletown.

I had made a decision earlier this week that I was going to keep - something I should have done six months ago. I finally went and took my driving license knowledge test. Even in the morning I was still a bit dubious - I was afraid that I'd fail and ruin my whole day (yes, yes, I know!). But after waiting at the ICBC office for an hour or so, the test was over in ten minutes and I passed with flying colours!

But then came the bad news - or news I hadn't expected. I need to pass a proper driving test too - I'm sure I read from somewhere that the knowledge test was the only thing that I needed, but looks like I was wrong. And the lady who gave me my results was quite abrupt bordering on rude - and I didn't take the learner license she was offering me: I didn't realise at that point I needed another test and she wasn't forthcoming in explaining the system to me. So the end result is that I have no valid driver's license, so I can't even take the road test.

Well done, you.

After panicking about this for a while I came to the conclusion that it must be possible for me to just go back to the office and ask for the learner license - at least then I'll be legal to drive the car I take my road test in (wherever I get that then, I have no idea yet... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it). So back to the queue on Monday and cross my fingers.

After the ordeal was over I walked to Yaletown, the yuppie part of downtown, because I wanted to find the ferry to Granville Island. Yaletown is weird - it's still partly under construction, and they are building huge glass apartment buildings there that will cost arm and a leg. I believe it started just before Hong Kong was given back to China - wealthy people from Hong Kong (Hong Kongians?) invested heavily in Vancouver (and properties in Yaletown) at the time because they were afraid that Chinese goverment was after their assets. Nothing of the sort happened, but now we have a new trend in Yaletown.

I walked across a pretty park surrounded by building works, and found a pair of Canada geese nesting on the top of the stair pillars. The Mr just stood there looking important while the Mrs was sitting on the nest - and somebody had brought her a large cup of water or food so she wouldn't have to leave. I find something totally Vancouver in that photo: the blue sky, building works, skyscrapers and nature.

I spent the whole day in my tanktop - as a cautious Finn I never leave my jacket home but this time it wasn't necessary. After I got back from Granville Island to Sunset Beach, I found that I wasn't the only one enjoying the good weather: the whole beach and the seawalk was full of people, mostly just sitting outside reading or enjoying the sun, but there were some picnics and even swimmers about. And when I got to the Inuk Shuk statue there was even a couple taking their wedding photos - I followed while the maid of honour tried her best to get the bride on the beach safely, as they had chosen the part of the beach where there was no sand just pebbles, and the poor bride was really strugling to stay upright in her high heels and huge skirt. But she was so beautiful, and it took me back to our wedding day again.