Vancouver Vibes

📖 Note: This post is from the archives. It may reflect outdated views or a previous name.

I moved to Langley in February of 2014, coming from a small town out in the Fraser Valley named Chilliwack. Chilliwack is roughly two hours away from Downtown Vancouver; so before my move, the only time I would receive the opportunity to go downtown was when I had sleepovers over at my grandparents house. My cousins and I would come along for the adventure, travelling downtown using the SkyTrain and crossing the harbour via SeaBus to eat fish and chips. I have been living in Langley for just over a year and have studied, worked and explored most of the surrounding metropolitan areas.

I have been introduced to many people while working at startups, studying at public schools and attending different conferences and meetups. I found that a lot of the inhabitants of Vancouver are conservatives, with the exception for a few really awesome people. I was doing some digging and came across an article from 2012 which reads:

Recently, Vancouver Magazine published an article with the title “Vancouver Men Suck.” I won’t get into the details of the article, but basically it suggested that men in this city are lazy, poorly dressed, unambitious goons who have lost the art of chivalry. Not surprisingly, Vancouver men responded in droves, claiming that Vancouver women are the ones who suck because they are pretentious, shallow, unfriendly gold diggers” — @thiscitylife

As this snippet is quite revealing, showing that Vancouver is a cold, harsh place to meet new people; I would have to agree. Many of the residents may be polite, but that does not mean that they are friendly. Vancouverites are very traditional, and barely ever go for the offbeat path. I was reading through comments from foreigners, one gentleman’s remarks got my attention.

“It is very hard to meet people as they are very reserved or they believe that they are some kind of special entity of this planet, so nobody is good enough for them. Worst of it all is that it is just a head game of their own, because a lot of them look very lonely and unhappy.” — @Gtiransty

I wholeheartedly agree, as I have noticed while travelling on public transit that the average Vancouverite has headphones in, displeasing facial expressions on and exuding their discomforting vibe.

All-in-all, I am itching to leave Vancouver. Yes, it’s quite safe and has awesome food, but the majority of people living here are conservative, unhappy individuals who are agitated by the world. I am looking for a more upbeat, individualistic and happy community that embraces diversity, innovation and change.