A few weekends ago, Sean and I braved the drive into Richmond, aka Ditchmond or Bitchmond, depending on who you ask, to spend a lovely sunny afternoon at the Buddhist Temple.
Although neither Sean nor myself are religious, but rather spiritual, we found the Buddhist temple lovely and serene. Ah, the comforting smell of joss sticks bring me back to many a time in my childhood, visiting my mom’s friend’s home where incense would be constantly burning on the altars.
Unfortunately, once you walk into the temple, photography was not permitted. I can understand why. Aside from the reverence, it was difficult to capture with a regular SLR camera the magnificence.
The seven Buddha pavilion in the courtyard was gold-laden and grandiose. The main gracious hall is the main building of the temple. Since I haven’t been to China yet, this temple is what I imagine it to look like. The main gracious hall with its five majestic statues, is where the monks and nuns pray and chant everyday.
I felt somewhat the same way I would feel, if i was at a church. A reverent and curious observer, unable to eat a wafer or light joss sticks but can admire the ritual all the same.
After the temple, Sean and I went to nearby Steveston to walk along the pier. Actually, it’s called Fisherman’s Wharf, but I can’t seem to refer to it as such because the “real” Fisherman’s Wharf is in San Francisco. Vancouver trying to be cosmopolitan.
Armed with cups of coffee and tea, we walked the pier, onto the boardwalk and all the way to the Britannia Heritage Shipyard.
We walked passed the Murakami House where a Japanese family of 12 lived up until 1942. Also checked out the outside of the Chinese bunk house, a tiny space where 75-100 Chinese cannery workers lived while working at the cannery. There was also the Japanese duplex, a complex of 16 buildings used by Japanese workers and the first peoples bunk house, unfortunately, the shoddiest and most poorly kept housing block in the whole shipyard.
Richmond is not a place where we normally go, (something about the lot of crazy Chinese drivers), but we were happy we ventured out and saw some things, us being life-long Vancouverites, don’t normally get to experience.
As to when we’ll go back, that remains to be seen.
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