Vancity Vibes | DAY 1: (Pt 1) Pearson Chaos + Aberdeen Arrival Lunch

At 4 AM, I reluctantly lifted my eyelids in response to the dreaded alarm. It was time to prepare.

Only dawning on me at bedtime was Larry's absence from my daily routine for the next little while. I had bid a lengthy farewell to him the evening prior, yet still wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to his cozy, furry presence amidst last-minute packing.

"Hey I'm on the Uber (heading) to the airport now." came a text from the Thai ahgase at 4:33 AM. She had departed earlier than I thought necessary, especially given her limited quantity of carry-on baggage, and arrived just short of 5 AM, just as I begun to close the trunk.

Within 15 minutes, I arrived at Pearson. The scene wasn't particularly chaotic - nowhere near as incredulous as news articles had made it out to seem. I printed my baggage tags without issues, then realized the calamity that awaited me: The baggage drop belt was malfunctioning.
I waited with inquisitiveness, initially unsure of the issue. After fifteen minutes of mistakenly joining the line for international departures, a member of staff gestured towards the side for domestic travel. There was no improvement to be witnessed, however, for the automated system was stalled for both international and domestic sections.

I was fifth in line to the bag drop, yet it made no difference as the line was not moving. A concerned flyer relayed her concerns to a nearby member of staff.
"What do I do if my flight is leaving?"
"You leave your luggage and run." the lady responded apathetically.
"And that," I thought, "is how you lose your luggage." I powered on my headphones and commenced the opening scene of Moana, in an attempt to balance feelings of helplessness with patience.

The queuing would only continue in the meantime, with crowds forming at each line and more passengers struggling to weave through the queue to access the kiosks. Suddenly, chaos had prevailed. The articles hadn't been mistaken after all. Even more amusing were the words of another member of staff that had passed us by: "It stopped once when I started, at 4 AM. This is the second time." It was shocking that, not only was the issue one of recurring nature, its priority for rectification was so low on the list. A manual override would have resolved the congestion while the technicians worked to rectify in the background.

​The delay ensued until around 6:30 AM, where the belt accepted the baggage of 3 customers before ceasing functionality once again. It sputtered various error messages before working again - this time long enough for my luggage to be scanned and transported to the main belt.

​In contrast to my 1.25 hours of frustration, the Thai ahgase had made it through security with ample time to spare, even offering to obtain a Starbucks breakfast for me while I restlessly stood at the baggage drop. I had declined the offer at the time, given that I neither had the appetite nor a definitive time of gate entry.

​Security screening was the next step. The crowd was diverted from the domestic screening area ("D") to the international side ("E"). A twisting queue had formed here, yet the volumes dissipated quickly. Despite my laptop being held hostage for some period of time, all screening measures concluded within fifteen to twenty minutes.
From that point, I raced back towards the domestic side, laying eyes on the ridiculous lineup stemming from the gates.

The departure gate was misread, and I headed in the direction of DAVID's TEA, where my flights were often stationed. Only upon double-checking did I realize my mistake and retraced my footsteps. The Thai ahgase came into view just as boarding commencement was announced.

Somehow, I managed to use the bathroom, snag a Raisin Bran Muffin, and refill my water bottle using one of the questionably clean fountains all before emplaning. We were then YVR-bound.

It was a largely turbulent trip. I slept fitfully, with horrid blasts of A/C directed at my forehead, waking briefly to munch on a granola bar and watch Moana on mobile.

​Eventually, we arrived to a cold, dreary Vancouver.

​Luggage was obtained, and the hotel shuttle was boarded after twenty minutes of waiting in unexpected chilly conditions. As the room had yet to be prepared for our arrival, we were offered the option to leave our luggage and return around the 2 PM mark. Not a bellboy was to be seen, thus the luggage cart was loaded personally and set to the side of the reception desk.

​We would then trek to Richmond-Brighouse, me shivering and nauseous from the plane ride, to purchase a Compass Card for the Thai ahgase. Though she entertained the idea of individual tickets, the fare card was simply the easiest solution for transiting.

My suggestion for food was looked upon warmly, and I led the way to the Aberdeen food court without hesitation.

​I guided her throughout the third-floor dining space, though had my heart set on katsu long before.

Saboten's Loin Katsudon was simply scrumptious after a long flight. Speedily delivered was the hearty meal; crispy edges, supple centre, and a slightly jiggly egg to top, I began shovelling spoonfuls of the bowl's contents unapologetically. The set was served with pickles and miso soup, an acceptably briney solution with constituents of wakame and soft tofu.

​The Thai ahgase opted for a lunch set of roasted duck on rice from Leung Kee. Failing to finish the meal in its entirety, leftovers were wrapped within a plastic bag. As we began to explore the mall, our minds wandered towards the available hotel facilities:
​Was there even a fridge? A microwave?

​Oomomo, being my go-to stop, was not be skipped. The two-story department store boasted a much cleaner appearance than in March 2020, at which point the Daiso-Oomomo transition had just begun. ​On the upper level was even a crepe café, complete with illuminated backdrop to give the illusion of dining within nature.

Non-alcoholic beer, labels, and Japanese false lashes were acquired during this visit, with more items secured throughout the trip.

​Other stores of interest were also taken note of, including a retailer of imported Japanese sweets and K-beauty boutique. With the time reading just past 2 PM, we retreated to the hotel for the check-in process.

Read Part 2 HERE !