Vancouver Zoo

April 29, 2023

Today was a day filled with excitement, new experiences, and some mixed emotions. My friend Joemar and his wife Mercy hatched a plan to visit a zoo at Langlay, and I decided to join them along with Joemar's friend and his family. It was an hour-long drive to reach the Vancouver Zoo, and upon arrival, we were greeted by thousands of people. The sight of animals trapped inside the fence was heartbreaking. As I stood there, watching the wild animals in the enclosure, I couldn't help but wonder how they must feel being confined in such a small space. Although it was a pleasure to see them up close and witness their beauty and power, I couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness and guilt. If we were the ones trapped in a cage, how would we feel? It made me reflect on the importance of treating animals with respect and giving them the freedom to live as they were meant to. We must learn to appreciate and admire them from a distance, without exploiting or manipulating their natural instincts for our own pleasure or commercial gain. I also couldn't help but think of Maya Angelo's poem "I know why the caged bird sings" and how sad it is when people commercialize and manipulate the animal's natural instincts.

After spending some time at the zoo, we headed towards Arch Peace Park located at the border of the USA and Canada. It was a surreal experience to cross the border and step onto American soil. The United States had always been an admired country for me, and I never thought I would get the opportunity to visit. It was a moment of immense pleasure, and I wished that one day, I could explore this great country more.

Later in the evening, we returned to Richmond and had dinner together at one of the Chinese restaurants in Richmond Centre. It was a perfect way to end the day, with good food and even better company. We made plans to visit the Tulip festival the next weekend, but unfortunately this time, my wife couldn't join us as she had to attend overtime at her workplace. I regretted not being able to take her along and promised myself that I would take her there one day soon.

Overall, it was a great day filled with new experiences and memorable moments. The trip to the zoo left me with mixed emotions, but the opportunity to step onto American soil was a dream come true. I look forward to more adventures and experiences in the future.