A Stroll on a Sunny Monday Afternoon

Photo taken outside Sun Wah Supermarket (Winnipeg) Ltd. on King Street: In a Winter country such as Canada, basking on a hot afternoon is a blast.

Monday, May 30, 2005

Off from work, cousin Ivan offered to accompany Grandfather and me for a stroll. The day was a great time to be outdoor, 20˚C; Summer was, indeed, looming. The flowers in the gardens of many homes were all proud and merry. People in the streets were in their summer getups. I realized again that, compared with British Columbia (Vancouver, in particular), Winnipeg is a smaller community—narrower streets, fewer commercial establishments thus a greater chance of bumping unto an acquaintance—and these are the very reasons I feel much more at-home.

Grandfather had been telling me he wanted to buy new rubber slippers. The pair he was using was a bit small, and it was made of canvas so he usually wet it every time he went to the comfort room. Ivan suggested that we went to Sun Wah Supermarket, a Chinese store located on King Street. So there, I bought Grandfather and myself new pairs of rubber slippers, costing C$3 each.

We then proceeded to Polo Park Shopping Centre on Portage Ave., where I inquired at a Roger's cellphone booth concerning how to activate the unit my friend Bheck gave me. The customer-service representative told me that all I needed was call 611, to ask for a change of number, and then re-load it with a prepaid card; no need to buy a new SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module). After about-an-hour's walk in the mall, enough for Grandfather's regular exercise, we went home. A few hours' stay at the mall is usually enough to satisfy Grandfather's wanderlust.

Way back home Ivan left the windows of the car open, letting the warm afternoon breeze kiss our faces. Summer was, indeed, looming—a nice time to smile and half-close your eyes.