First impressions

Since I went to bed right after arriving at the hostel yesterday, I couldn't really get a comprehensive first impression. However, at the airport and on the way to the hostel, I did get the impression that there are really a lot of asian people living and working here. Also, after leaving the airport (it took me about 3 hours until I had all of my bags and my visa), I was really surprised about how warm it was outside.
After sleeping more or less through the night (I mean I went to bed at 7 pm, so it was predictable that I would wake up in the middle of the night again), I used the day to get to know my surroundings.

Just like yesterday, it was a beautiful day - some people only wore a T-Shirt or even a dress and I felt comfortably warm just with a T-Shirt and a sweater. There was no cloud to be seen in the sky, the sun shone brightly the whole day long. It was so warm that I could even walk barefoot in the sand of one of the beaches here.
The air here in Vancouver is a bit more humid than what I am used to and what is more, it feels kind of 'thinner' than the air in Germany.
All in all, Vancouver is really beautiful - you have mountains, the sea, several little parks and several beaches (although the sand on the beach here is unusually dark; in fact it is more or less grey). The Downtown area, where my hostel is located, consists of many skyscrapers, shopping centers and restaurants.
The combination of these things - the humid air, the warm weather, the sea, the mountains and the skyscrapers - makes this city feel unreal. Apart from the skyscrapers, you could think that you are in some kind of summer paradise. But considering that we are in Canada, it seems unfathomable that there is such a summerlike climate in March/April.

What surprised me in a bad way about Canada (or Vancouver in particular ?) were the prices for food. I went to the supermarket and was just shocked. For a few simple cookies, you already pay around 4 CAD. The same price goes for tea, bread and most soft drinks. The worst are meat and dairy products. I paid 8 CAD for some cheese with herbs! And you don't really get any fast food/ food to go for less than 7 CAD.
Today, I tried a very traditional canadian dish: Poutine. Poutine are fries with cheese and some brown sauce. I think that it doesn't look very tasty, nevertheless, it tastes quite well. Moreover, a medium portion is a lot more satiating than one might expect.

Now let my end this entry with a mix of pictures.