September 2007

Back in September 2007 I was a new Vancouver resident and didn't really know my way around the city. In fact, I had only been there a handful of days when I attempted to take the bus from South Surrey/White Rock back to Vancouver. I had been visiting my aunt and uncle for the night. Anyway, I ended up having a horrible experience trying to get on the bus in South Surrey but I managed to make my way back to Vancouver. I then managed to miss my bus stop so I walked 9 blocks back to where I needed to be. 9 proper city blocks. Ugh. So there I was at the corner of 49th and Granville. My phone was dead so I didn't know what time it was nor did I know when a bus would appear. There is a girl at the bus stop as well so I attempt to ask her if she knew whether the bus I was looking for had come yet or when I might expect it or I dunno, what time is it??? She actually just stood there staring straight ahead. I kid you not. She did not want to even acknowledge my presence. If she couldn't understand english, there was no mistaking that I was talking to her so she could have given me shoulder shrugging or bewildered eyes or whatever but nope, nothing. She didn't want to acknowledge me. I ended up waving my hand in front of her face going "hello, are you there??" and FINALLY she looked at me. She just said "no it hasn't come yet". It was pretty awful considering I had only been there a few days in this big, massive city that I really didn't know.

I took from that day, that I was always going to be friendly and nice to everyone and be as helpful as I could be, even if I didn't know much at all. I would go out of my way to help people who needed it, regardless of who they are or whether I would ever see them again. That girl was just plain rude and sadly, she's the one that will suffer long term because her parents obviously didn't teach her very well. It willl translate over into the workplace and be her downfall. Karma, it gets you.