Our family holiday treat, apart from having my boys home for two festive weeks (?), was a trip to the Vancouver Christmas Market today. We took transit in (oh, those green miles we've earned!) and walked through the warming winter sunshine to the market in the plaza beside Queen Elizabeth theatre. After getting even more of a discount on the cheap daytime rates (download a Lunch Pass from the website), we set about collecting stamps in our passport and fuelling up on delicious Bavarian yummies. The german noodles were excellent (even with the sauerkraut), and the wurst a big hit with the Wee Guy. For afters, waffles on sticks, a pretzel and some hot apple cider. Mmmm!
... and all for the price of an average sit-down meal for the three of us in our local restaurant! You see, this is where Vancouver falls flat on its arse - it's so bloody expensive here that festivals now cost one heck of a lot to put on, which in turn means vendors end up paying through the nose for booth space, and this of course is handed on to the punters. The reek of desperation to make a profit filled the air, at least that, I think, is why a lot of the vendors looked so grim.
Celebrating is not something that can be done cheaply here. The costs in this beautiful city are just too high and people are working too many hours to enjoy. Earning two incomes results in time-starved families. Vancouver is now so entrenched in the full worker model for families that anything and everything is geared towards those with two incomes these days. It's now virtually impossible to have a stay-at-home parent - the finances and job security just won't allow for it. So, with both parents working, Vancouver needs to lay on more of these quick fix celebratory moments, which of course will need a double income to be able to attend them ...
Not a very eloquent pondering, but I wonder how long this can continue?
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
terrific tuesday: Vancouver Christmas Market
click to shop pomo mama design online!