Arriving in Vancouver

Arriving in Vancouver

Yes, I did get to see the end of the movie. There was about 15 minutes left. We ended up leaving Auckland a bit later than planned and ended up flying out at sunset – about 8:36pm.

This time we were in a 777-200 for the 11,424km to Vancouver. We were given an evening meal. I had chicken casserole. I watched two movies, The Kite Runner and Mr Magorium’s Magic Emporium before tying to get some sleep. I think I managed to get about 3 – 4 hours before being woken for breakfast of pancakes.

We landed at about noon Vancouver time. There was snow everywhere at the airport except for the runways. I made my way through the airport and found the section for immigrants, students and workers to go through the Visa process. I had to wait about 20 minutes before presenting my “Letter of Introduction” and having the visa issued and stapled into my passport. I have been granted a visa until the end of January 2010 – just before the Winter Olympics start here in Vancouver.

I proceeded to the luggage carousels and found the one that was gradually filling up with bags of all colours and sizes. I tried to find mine, but they weren’t out yet. It was only about 10 minutes before I was loaded up with a trolley of bags and heading through customs. Straight through!

As I emerged from the secure area to the arrivals area I was wondering who would be picking me up and how I would find them. I pushed the trolley up the walkway looking at the names that people were holding up and then heard someone call out “Mark, Mark”. I looked up to where the voice was coming from and saw a lady holding a piece of paper with my name on it. She proceeded to introduce herself as Colleen – the principal of Eastview Elementary and then introduced me to her husband who works at the North Vancouver Outdoor School. He knows Patrick O’Callagan and said that he has had several discussions with him in the past.

They drove me around Vancouver, which they thought was the quickest way to het to Melodie’s house. They weren’t prepared to go through the city with the chance that there might be floods from the melting snow. It was amazing to see so much snow. Cars buried under it on the side of the roads, people trudging through the snow each step going down through the snow to their knees, groups of people with toboggans at the slightest incline, and the rooves of houses and carports under about 60 cm of snow. The amount of snow has apparently broken a record for the most snow since 1964??

At Melodies house everyone was busy. I was greeted warmly and introduced to everyone. They also had some friends over who were helping them pack and taking them to the airport. Bruce and Paddy Kiloh have a farm in Langley, which is down near the US border. He retired from Handsworth High School at the end of last year, and they have been on an exchange to Cambridge, England, in the 1990’s. We took a couple of photos and I was given a Kilkenny to toast the occasion. Chelsea was making a gingerbread house and Marco and Nick were helping and loading the truck. Melodie went through some basics about the school, and then Mario took me for a quick tour of the house. 3:00pm came quickly and there was a mad rush to get into the truck and head off to the airport. There was a quick handover of keys and they were gone. They also left a bag with some gifts for us and paid me some cash for the car they will pick up in Australia.

It was nice to meet them. I think you will get on well with them in Australia.