Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Tourist

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I met the most delightful tourist on the bus today. I don't often say these things about Americans.

He's come from California to learn about Smart cars. He used to sell Hondas before he retired, but now he wants to go back into business, maybe as the first dealer of Smart cars in the US. They don't have Smart cars in America? Well, apparently not.

He said he was surprised that the weather was so warm and pleasant here. He had packed a heavy coat in his bag and it hadn't come out yet. Was he really so surprised, I asked, since he probably knew how the weather was in Seattle? Well, of course he knew what it was like in Seattle, but Canada's supposed to be cold. We Americans don't think, you know. It's not something we're good at.

But he was enjoying his time here, yessir. Even just the plane ride in over the mountains was enough to tell him that he would like this city. They've got all this art and those waterfalls in the airport too. Very inviting.

His plans? He was going to go to the Museum of Anthropology. Did this bus go there? No, not really. I'd try the B-line if I were him. No matter, he had to drop some things off at his hotel. A friend offered to drive him, but he'd rather take the bus. You meet more people that way, you know. You see more things too, and then the people you meet tell you to see more things that you hadn't thought of.

Had he been to Grouse Mountain? Bus 28, I think, but don't quote me on that. Is it Gross as in g-r-o-s-s? Nope, grouse, like the bird. But maybe not tomorrow though. It's going to rain.

No matter. He's here to enjoy himself and he's going to do it. But yessir, he's going to get back into the business again. Spent some time reading Socrates, doing some introspection and now he's up and at her.

He had such a positive and endearing personality that I liked him right away. And just as he was getting off the bus, he thanked me for being so nice to him, leaving me to wonder why. Is it that he's heard that Vancouverites are naturally cold, aloof bastards, or was it that he was black? I will never know, but I wish him the best of luck.