Hey, Honey, is this Hong Kong?

We have finally arrived in Vancouver. Well, sort of. We’re really not in Vancouver, we are in Richmond. But this sure ain’t Virginia.

Richmond and Vancouver are similar to Raleigh and Cary. Over time they have merged, so some residents think that they are both “part of Raleigh.” Longtime Cary residents, however, are quick to tell you that Raleigh and Cary are two separate towns that were not created together, did not grow up together, and have completely separate histories. Although Vancouver and Richmond are contiguous, if you ask a Vancouverite if Richmond is part of Vancouver, they will say yes. A longtime resident of Richmond will give you a different answer.

Richmond is in Canada. Well, sort of. The interesting thing about Richmond is that it has the largest Chinese population of any city in the world outside of China. We just checked in and two of our three desk clerks are Chinese. I had a great time refreshing my Mandarin. A brief walk out on the street showed me some of the local residents. Everyone I saw appeared to be Chinese. On the streets you hear Chinese. Not English. Not French. While Vancouver proper has a huge Chinese community, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Richmond has more. Whether that is so or not, Richmond certainly has its own character and culture.

Canada is turning out to be a whole lot more than Mounties, snow, and voyageurs. Eh?Read more