Poverty strikes... as per usual

I've been trying to maintain the active social life I had in South Africa, but it is significantly more financially... unpropritious here than it was there. Now, I realize that I've been MIA for a year, but I refuse to believe that inflation is really this bad. As with everything, I'm going to blame it on the Olympics, but, unlike the rest of my accusations, I feel this one is at least somewhat founded. For example, a beer that used to be about $4 in a pub, is now closer to $6. That's a 50% increase in price in a year! Madness!

I suppose it has been worth it, since I haven't seen my friends in a year and would like to spend time with them. I'm sure it will settle down in a bit, so I should just enjoy it while I can! Also, there were a few places that I really wanted to go to since I've been back. The Yale is a rhythm and blues bar with a fantastic house band (Brickhouse...Youtube is your friend) and it's one of my favourite places to go out in Vancouver. It's super chill and very unVancouveresque or possible very Vancouver, just Vancouver in the 1880s when it first opened. That and my other favourite bar, the Fringe, which is very...Jack Kerouac-esque and thus fantastic! They're the kind of places that are few and far between in our world of Lady Gaga and Britney, and I missed them greatly. So, I suppose, it's worth the economic strain.

Despite my own miniature financial crisis (based entirely on the Olympics and not my own inability to control my spending), the Olympics are kind of growing on me. They reopened the ice skating rink under Robson square and they often have live music playing beside it. They are also having a lot of free concerts and events around Vancouver during the Olympics. Hopefully all the free entertainment next month will make up for my overspending this month. It's all about balance... and free stuff. Oh, student life... how I will miss you!