Revisiting Capitol-City Living

Wow, I really am a horrible blogger. Mahdi, are you still reading this? Are apologies required? Me thinks not really.

So I was scrolling over some past blogs when I was struck by a fit of giggles over how naive I once was about Victoria's charms. Yes, it's a beautiful city with plenty of trees and ocean and opportunities to appreciate both. Yes, going to school with a closely knit cohort made for a steady social life. And yes, the house on Gamble Place was ideally situated close to school and there was a lovely little park with a stream running through it just behind the property, where deer, woodpeckers, kingfishers, and even an owl hung out. But...

Let's begin with the move to Gamble Place. First there was a crazy lady who eavesdropped on everyone's phone calls and got mad at every little bump in the night - apparently she got quiet hours mixed up with silent hours. She had two cocker spaniels, one only mildly derranged and the other so messed up it acted like it had been abused. Crazy lady eventually got kicked out of the house at a financial loss to the owner. Then there was the gal who took offence at the request that she clean up after herself and created a feud, and continued to be a slob with attitude in the shared living spaces. She honestly thought it was other people's jobs to clean up after her. Last was the guy who didn't know how to be just friends with girls. He moved out after I told him that I'd call the police if he continued to harrass me. To sum up, never move to a house that's on any kind of street, avenue, or cul-de-sac named Gamble. The risk is too great.

But let's not forget Victoria's unofficial slogan: It's a city of the newly wed and nearly dead. Once school ended and our cohort broke up and went in many different directions, the truth of that slogan sunk in. Victoria's night life is totally geared towards 20-year-old students, which is fan-frigging-tabulous if all you want to do is get drunk, dance to some bad music, and gawk at the city's wanna-be gangsters. It's also a good city if you have a family and are entrenched in your career. But if you're single and nearing 30, it's the last place you want to start your career. This explains why all the people who told me I was going to love living in Victoria told me this in Vancouver.