New accommodation in Vancouver Downtown, work experiences, and Queen Elizabeth Park

First things first: I haven't seen any raccoons.

May 25 - May 31, 2020

I start the week with Glenn. He injured his shoulder last week and it still hasn't improved. So he's going to see a doctor tomorrow. I work with him all day and together we complete many different tasks. At the end of the day, he gives me his key so that I can access my room the next morning.

I'm nervous because I don't know how it will be on Tuesday being completely alone. I receive my tasks from my German colleague on Tuesday. Everything goes well and the day is very diverse. But at the end of the day, I receive a message from Pristine saying that I did a good job on the construction site, but they won't need me anymore starting from the next day. I'm feeling really down and disappointed that none of the bosses informed me throughout the day. When I go upstairs with all my stuff that I usually leave at work, I want to give Glenn's key to the boss Tom. I tell him that today was my last working day and that I still have Glenn's key. However, Tom has no idea that I won't be coming from tomorrow! His coworker Stefan approaches us, thanks me for my work, and explains that it has nothing to do with my work that I won't be needed anymore, but because another employee will be coming from tomorrow. Tom is very surprised and a little annoyed since Glenn will be absent for at least this week and they need another employee! After a brief discussion, I'm allowed to stay and bring all my stuff back to my room. I'm really happy and relieved because I enjoy the work and I really like my colleagues! I guess I'm lucky after all. Since that day, I always feel a bit uneasy when I receive a message from Pristine outside of regular working hours.

The next day, I meet the new guy. He is the brother of an employee from the office and contrary to my expectations, he's not the handyman I thought he would be. I thought an experienced tradesperson would come to replace me and handle specific tasks. Unfortunately, the new guy doesn't even know how to hold a utility knife properly. I'm glad that my German colleague gives me a task that I can complete on my own, so I spend the day protecting a newly tiled room in front of the elevators first with cardboard and then with thin wooden boards.

When I enthusiastically explain my new task to Julian in the evening at the hostel, a fellow resident who has only been staying at the hostel since Monday approaches us: 'Oh, you're also German!' He sits down with us and tells us about his experiences in Canada. Since he has acquaintances in Yukon, he was able to enter despite the corona restrictions and complete his quarantine with them. He shows us many photos of the nature and animals he saw there. Because he doesn't want to stop talking about Yukon anymore, we start calling him the 'Yukon Guy' from that day on.

Friday is a very special day as many bars are reopening. We take advantage of our time off to sit in a bar for the first time in a long while. The weather is so nice that we can sit outside, and the 'scary' street in front of the hostel turns into a bar district where not only eerie figures roam. In the evening, I pack my backpack because we are moving out of the hostel the next day.

The next day, we move into an apartment that is only two streets away. There are still two roommates living here: a student and a nanny who will move out two days later.

The apartment is really nice and quiet. Unfortunately, the landlord is completely confused. He forgets to make a rental agreement with us. The rental agreements here look like receipts from a notepad. Unfortunately, we didn't think about it either because we lived in the hostel last month and paid the rent on a weekly basis. The student tells us that some previous tenants had issues with our landlord because they didn't get their deposit back. We spend the whole Saturday worrying about this and the fact that we don't have a rental agreement! Julian writes to him directly and he promises to come on Sunday because he wants to change the keys anyway.

Of course, he doesn't show up on Sunday, so our worries keep growing. Our roommate tells us that our room is illegal because it was originally a living room that was converted into a bedroom. The wall to the kitchen consists of assembled shelves and a few particle boards. The door is an IKEA cabinet door attached to a shelf side. Despite all of this, the room is better than the hostel since it's cheaper and we have a big bed and spacious room with a couch and two balconies and our own bathroom. We only have to share the kitchen with our roommate. Our apartment is on the sixth floor. There's a terrace on the 12th floor that everyone in the building can use.

We are really worried because of the missing rental agreement, and the mood is down.

June 1 - June 6, 2020

On Monday, Glenn is still at home because of his shoulder. Another colleague takes advantage of the situation and asks if I can help him today. Just pack a few trash bags into a box so that he can transport them to the container with a forklift. Sure, why not? All the construction site waste is stored on a parking deck and then regularly loaded into the container outside. However, since the road was closed, the waste from a whole week has accumulated, and it's not just a few bags. I work on the parking deck all day, and at the end of the day, the pile of trash is only half reduced. With each passing hour, my mood sinks further because it feels like a never-ending story. But the day has something good to offer: in the evening, the landlord finally brings the rental agreement.

The next day, I'm infinitely relieved when my German colleague gives me a different task, and I no longer have to deal with the trash. She also wants to talk to Glenn when I tell her that I almost got kicked out last week. She says that Glenn would be really angry if he comes back to work and I'm no longer there. Since she will quit the job in 14 days and go on a road trip, the construction site will need reinforcements anyway.

Throughout the week, I receive many different tasks and no longer just sweep like on the previous construction site. I've managed to get more and more equipment that I need for the tasks. I really enjoy the work, even though my whole body is in pain. My fingers especially hurt in the morning. When I ask Stefan if I can get a proper dust mask for sweeping, he tells me that he doesn't have any more and therefore doesn't need to sweep anymore, and if he does, he should find someone else to do the sweeping. 😃

This week, I also work on Saturday. It's quite relaxed because there aren't many workers on the construction site. According to a colleague, the construction site will probably be finished in September, so more and more rooms and materials will be cleared out gradually.

The boss approaches me and asks how long I will stay since my German colleague will leave soon. So I have a good feeling that I can stay there until the end of July. I tell him that I would really like to see raccoons, and he gives me the tip to go to Simon Fraser University. It's located on a hill and is surrounded by a huge park. The raccoons are said to have no fear of humans and even let people feed them. However, they are supposed to be very cheeky and aggressive. He tells a story about an encounter during a walk where he passed by a raccoon eating just a few meters away, and the raccoon hissed at him before continuing to eat. Maybe that's why I like these animals so much: I also don't like to share my food...🤔

Today, on Sunday, we first visit Kitsilano Beach Park and then Queen Elizabeth Park. The weather is very nice! The sun is shining, and I apply sunscreen before we start. However, it's quite windy outside, so we freeze until we warm up from walking. We walk to Kitsilano Beach Park in half an hour from our apartment via the Burrard Street Bridge. Once we arrive, we have our lunch on the grass and then continue walking to West 4th Avenue - a shopping street.

We also want to walk to Queen Elizabeth Park. However, we quickly realize that it will take us over an hour to get there on foot. So we decide to take the bus instead. Since June 1, you have to pay for bus rides again. Before that, the entire bus network could be used for free due to corona. When we get on the bus, we ask if we can pay with our debit card. The bus driver explains to us that we can only pay with exact change in cash or with a credit card. Since we don't have both, he lets us ride for free. We're really happy about that! And during the half-hour bus ride, I realize how relieved I am that we don't have to walk. It's a constant uphill climb for quite some time... And those who have read the previous reports know what that means...

The beginning of Queen Elizabeth Park is not so spectacular. Maybe it's because we got off the bus one stop too early. So we walk across a meadow to get to a walking path. But suddenly, we're in the middle of greenery: a real flower paradise opens up, and we explore the many winding paths. Unexpectedly, I lose Julian because I take a different path. But I find him quickly, and he tells me that he overheard a conversation while passing by that a raccoon was seen here. We continue walking through the park and cross a bridge that leads us to an overlook that provides a view of Vancouver. Many photographers are out and about here, doing personal photoshoots. We see a couple having a photoshoot with their dog and a bridal couple who got married today. Then, as we walk further to a rose garden, we find the rest of the wedding party. The rose garden is not fenced, so we walk through the beds with various types of roses. The roses smell because of the warm weather. The Queen Elizabeth Park was definitely worth a visit! On the way back to the apartment, we get a coffee from Tim Horten's and walk the entire way back on foot. We walk across the Cambie Bridge. So now we have used all three bridges to Downtown.

Finally, I want to list all the animals I have seen so far:

* Canadian geese on the meadow in front of work, using the pedestrian crossing to switch sides of the road

* Hummingbirds: I was initially surprised because I expected to see them in Canada, rather in tropical areas

* a bald eagle being chased by seagulls when it was in the seagull territory (=harbor)

* a pigeon in one of the penthouse apartments that came in through the open balcony door

* a baby raven that was adopted by a homeless person by carrying it on their shoulder and walking down the street with it

* a raven 'brawl' on a street, with the sounds of the ravens resembling a horde of pigs

I think that's an impressive list!