Everything's better in Canada... the 2003 version

I traveled to Vancouver BC last weekend for my second annual running of the First Half Half Marathon. On last year's trip Jeff and I coined the oft-repeated mantra: "everything's better in Canada." It seemed to be so, from the exchange rate (0.7:1) to the coverage of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games (real time sports covereage with less sappy stories). This year was no different. Following are a few highlights from the weekend (and why everything's still better in Canada):

- friendly people
- the exchange rate
- the mountains are that close to downtown Vancouver
- a sunset cablecar trip up to Grouse Mountain (caught the view in daylight, twilight, and night lite)
- the second largest urban park in North America
- a beautiful and fast 1/2 marathon course (Jeff PR'ed last year, and I PR'ed this year)
- new shoes purchased with the great exchange rate
- cute accents
- stickers (pasted on our jackets at the race) and banners (along the main streets) celebrating Vancouver as a 2010 Winter Olympics contender city; don't forget to vote on 2/22
- Chinatown
- jaunty figures on the walk signs at intersections
- public health care system (didn't take advantage of it this weekend, but you know where I'm moving if/when I get fired)
- almost as many Starbucks as in Seattle