A hole gets filled.

No, this entry doesn't have anything to do with Jade's hernia, nor does it have anything to do with the tumour that was removed from my Granny's brain.

Nor does it have anything to do with this: For the past two weeks, we've had friends from China visiting. Norris and Charmaine travelled from Shanghai to see if the Yukon lifestyle is for them. My consulting business was quite busy this summer and I suggested that Norris join me, since his skills are very complimentary to my own.

Once a devout city dewller, Norris became somewhat disenfranchised with big-city life after his experiences in Manhattan (he lived two blocks from the World Trade Centre when the towers went down) and Shanghai (the world's most populous city). As it turns out, for Norris, Whitehorse is the perfect mix of city services (some would say that the services are disproportionate, given the population), lifestyle, and lack of pollution. Go figure. (I still prefer living in smaller communities, myself, but as far as cities go, I'm unaware of one that's better.)

I got a kick out of a conversation Norris had with a friend this past evening, who kept asking about the weather and why he would even consider a move north. Norris didn't even bother explaining and after hearing his reasons, I can understand why - You can try to explain living in the north until you're blue in the face, but the person you're explaining it to won't ever get it unless he/she comes here and spends some time. It's as simple as that.

Which probably explains why so many of the people who visit, end up moving and staying here.

But in spite of the services that are available in Whitehorse, something was missing. Heck, even Yellowknife has a couple. There was no Vietnamese restaurant. It was a big, gaping hole in Whitehorse's restaurant scene.

Yesterday, to my delight, a Vietnamese restaurant opened on 2nd Ave, so we rushed over for dinner. There were a few first-day hiccups with the service, but overall, the food was tasty and well prepared. The four of us filled our stomachs for abour $40. Yeah, I'll be back!