Searching for Tao, 7573 Kilometres from Home

April 20, 2007 14:00 +0000 | Self Reflection 11

I had an interesting experience last night.

I called and talked to my old friend Annie to work out the details surrounding her upcoming wedding. I needed to know which days I should be in town, so I could properly book my flights to Edmonton and then to Europe. It was lovely to hear from her and we figured everything out rather quickly; after which we chatted about what we're doing in our own corners of the continent and just basically caught up.

It wasn't until after I hung up, finished working on my inbox and closed the laptop that I realised it: I'm becoming Torontonian.

I recognised a pace in my transaction with Annie to be the same tone and speed I'd seen in the few Toronto natives who'd come to visit Vancouver. It's fast, unemotional and very to the point... and it was all over my conversation.

I know that before I came out East, I'd always been a fast-paced, no bullshit kind of person, but it's as though I can feel that Vancouver-ness, that laid-back, friendly side of me is going away. ...and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it back when I go home. Is it possible that people back home will refer to me as "the guy from Toronto"?

Comments

Andrea
21 Apr 2007, 6:39 p.m. |

the minute you moved out here - you became the guy from Toronto!! But really what does it matter, you are who you are and that's the way it is

noreen
22 Apr 2007, 3:09 a.m. |

nah, you'll get out of that mode soon enough when you return - or i'll slug you. and then you'll be fine. :D

honestly though, i didn't notice that from you whenever we visited. i noticed it in others that lived in toronto (dave, jeff, etc) but not you.

Melanie
22 Apr 2007, 1:06 p.m. |

I'm a little offended that you're so frightened by this prospect.

Daniel
22 Apr 2007, 3 p.m. |

Don't be. I make no apologies for my position that Toronto could learn a few things from Vancouver, but in no way to I claim that there's anything inherently bad with the city. I love Toronto.

It's just that Torontonians have earned a reputation for being a little too hardcore. They work to hard, and don't play enough. Vancouver, by comparison is the polar opposite and could learn a lot from it's older brother.

If Montreal is the sex-addicted alcoholic, and Toronto is the accountant, does that make Vancouver the pothead slacker? ;-)

Lara
23 Apr 2007, 7:52 p.m. |

DUDE YOU TOTALLY STOLE THAT FROM ME. I said if Montreal was the womanizing alcoholic and Toronto was the accountant, that makes Vancouver the underachieving younger brother who lives in his parents' basement smoking pot and playing video games all day.

We will ignore the fact that houses in Vancouver don't have basements.

Daniel
23 Apr 2007, 8:08 p.m. |

Actually, I stole the accountant/womaniser bit from a stand up comic I heard years ago. The pothead bit though was on the spot though I swear :-) ...either that, or I forgot that you used it before.

Lara
24 Apr 2007, 4:07 p.m. |

Yeah, the accountant/womanizing alcoholic was from a comedian and I added the last bit, but dude it was so miiiiiiiiiine. Serves me right for never writing it down. :P

Annie
26 Apr 2007, 1:16 a.m. |

Hum... funny, I did notice the faster pace of the conversation, but then again I thought it was because you were tired and busy.
Give it a bit of time and you'll revert back to some form of your old Vancouver self. Even after living in Montreal for 6 years and totally changing my "style" moving back to Vancouver had the effect of mellowing me back out.

Lara
26 Apr 2007, 3:58 p.m. |

Dan, just promise me that when I visit you in Vancouver you won't have turned into some slowtalking potheaded slacker type. I get impatient waiting for those people to finish their sentences. I'll take an accountant or a womanizing alcoholic over that any day. ;)