Yao Hon
The journey from my house to my parent’s house is 124 km, includes a ferry ride and takes just over 4 hours. I often treat the ferry voyage as an exclusive cruise through the beautiful clustered display of the Gulf Islands. I like to observe all the homes on the cliff of each island and wonder about their stories. Do people live in those homes all year round? Are they merely vacation homes? If it’s a permanent residence, what do the people do for work? What kind of work is available on the island? Could my parents retire there? It would be a faster trip to see them than going all the way from Coquitlam to Victoria. I love that trip though, especially when it ends with a greeting from my parents who pretend they were not waiting for my arrival the entire time. There is a sigh of relief that finally I arrived, as I embrace them with a big warm hug. My mom wears the scent of freshly cooked jasmine rice. There is always a meal waiting for me, even when I tell her not to worry and that