Hello, Vancouver!

Finally, after spending a month in my birth country, I am back in Vancouver.

My sister mentioned how different life is between the two countries. Indonesia is bustling with activities and noise. People are selling stuff everywhere. Cars honk every 5 seconds or more. Trucks pass by all kinds of road with little regulation. And our lifestyle there is very different -- no self-laundry, self-cooking, or self-cleaning up, thanks to the maids we hire (people power is cheap over there). Whatever we want can be fulfilled easily. We basically live like a princess.

Canada, on the other hand, has clean air and good road. It's cooler in temperature. And we do everything ourself. If you don't pick up your clothes, nobody is going to do it for you. If you don't cook, then you don't eat. Canada is also quiet. Cars don't honk. People do not shout.

When I was back there, life in Canada felt surreal. I saw how the women spend their days filled with things they like to do. They arranged their own schedules and they could drop everything at a moment's notice if emergencies should arise. Hobbies got done. I saw wives hanging out in a beauty parlor all day. Going to a gymn had become a social activity. Life in Canada surely would never be that 'easy'.

But now that I am here, life in Indonesia is but like a dream. Who needs a castle as a home, anyway? And I realize that those wives must have been bored out of their minds. Having a week or two with nothing to do but relax is a privilege, but having a lifetime of vacation is a thing I am not looking forward to.

Two countries, two worlds, two lifestyles.