Do you know what I miss?
- Family Gatherings
- Concerts and live entertainment
- Hockey / Football / Soccer / Baseball
- Having to dodge crowds of tourists in the summertime
- Going to C|Prime before an event or for dinner.
Remember February? That time when you did whatever you wanted. No worry of getting sick or making someone else sick. It’s easy to stay in your bubble. To take away the things once considered ordinary makes you miss those precious times. Like many, I am thinking of all the great things in my life that I have taken for granted.
1 – Family Gatherings. I have a big family. My spouse has an even bigger family. We used to be able to drive to Agassiz , my hometown, for a BBQ with my family. We would take the Skytrain to Surrey to get together with the other side of the family and practice singing and playing music. I especially miss getting together with our adult kids for some excellent food and laughs. I am lucky to have family that live in my neighbourhood. Kicking off the weekend at happy hour with them was a great way to spend a Friday evening. I miss that.
Zoom Family meetings are great, but just not the same.
2 – Music Concerts/Live Theatre/Comedy Shows. Live entertainment leaves me with a feeling of wonder at the beauty of the music or the complexity of the show. I have enjoyed some of following groups at various venues in Vancouver:
Paul Simon, Blue Rodeo, Naomi Kavka, First Aid Kit, Death Cab for Cutie to name a few. Middleditch & Schwartz at the Just for Laughs Northwest this year was an unexpected delight.
I think it’s true, music and cultural events make things better. Listening to people sing along with the musicians or laughing so hard you can’t catch your breath as tears roll down your face. I look forward to seeing live entertainment again.
3 – It was gut wrenching to me and so many fans of the NHL as the season was winding down and playoffs were on the horizon to have it come to a screeching halt. I miss my Canucks very much. We have a great team with incredible potential. It will be interesting to see how the Stanley Cup playoffs end this year.
Sports will come back. They will be different for a while but the resiliency of the leagues and the tenacity of the fans will continue. As a fan, watching games from your TV and seeing empty arenas will be weird. Players will need to get used to playing in front of empty stadiums but I’m sure they are eager to get back to the game. Players feed off the energy of the fans as much as the rivalries that happen. We will be satiated, and we will discuss/argue on twitter who the best teams/players are and the worst GM’s/Owners are but it will be back and I can’t wait.
4 – You might think that I am speaking in jest when I say that I miss having to dodge people on the sidewalks or the sandy beaches of English Bay at the Honda Celebration of Lights but I’m not. (Celebration of lights Canceled) I work in Hospitality and you – the people that I am dodging- are the ones who come and stay with us. You have a coffee in the morning at Beyond Coffee before you start your day exploring the city or before you depart for a 7 day Alaskan cruise. Please never forget that you support our industry with your visit. You come to experience all that Vancouver and BC has to offer. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
5 – The last thing I miss is visiting with friends at my favourite watering hole or restaurant at the end of the week. And sometimes the beginning of the week. Lively conversations and the buzz of the restaurant or lounge. Like many, I miss that. One of my favourite hangouts is C Prime – Modern Italian Steak & Wine and I say this without compunction. I really like our restaurant at The Century Plaza and having a glass of Trebbiano from Hester Creek Winery or a Classic Lager from Red Truck Brewing
Friends and Family. That is what we all need. That is what’s important in the end. So, here’s to you, my family and friends and all the friends I haven’t met yet.
What are your top 5?
Matthew Lynam
Director of Sales
Century Plaza Hotel Vancouver
