Douglas Coupland published a book ….I just looked it up to see the publication date…in 2000 …(!!!???!!) titled City of Glass.
I bought it when it came out…and…. come on….25 years ago??
OK, while I am digesting that it was that long ago…..
The book is a series of photos and short essays that focus on the city of Vancouver. Coupland is from here and his inspiration for writing the book is written inside the cover:
“I get lots of visitors every year, and they always seem to ask the same questions about Vancouver … “Why is the number 8 everywhere?” “What’s the deal with pot?” “And what, exactly, is the deal with BC Ferries?” And so on. People want to know what Vancouver feels like to somebody who lives here – from the inside out. So this book arises from both love and laziness: love, because I spent my twenties scouring the globe thinking there had to be a better city out there, until it dawned on me that Vancouver is the best one going; and laziness, because I thought I was going to go mental explaining dim sum, the sulphur pits and Kitsilano for the umpteen-hundredth time.”
But the city really is a magnificent scene of glass towers that reflect the light in a myriad of ways.
Since I came home late last night and was dead tired, I didn’t have the energy to return the government vehicle to the office until today. I’d checked the calendar and since no one had it booked for anything today, I just extended my booking until noon and dropped it off then. I grabbed a drink with a co-worker I’d not seen in person for some time and we made it a working late lunch. Then I met up with Kirk as he got off work early, and we wandered up to a favourite spot for happy hour and an early snack/dinner.
Looking across the street at the building, a bit of late day light was hitting the windows and lighting up its pink windows with a shot of gold. It reminded me of Coupland’s book.
Vancouver has its downsides, but it is a beautiful city.
