I am working on a story for Travel Writers Tales newspaper syndication. I pitched a story about the wonderful neighbourhood in North Vancouver because I’d been on a recent one-day press trip there and because those wonderful grocery stores with all their Farsi signs rather fascinated me.

There are 60,000 Iranians living in the Vancouver area. The majority are on Vancouver’s North Shore.

Some say the mountainous backdrop is reminiscent of Tehran, but perhaps it’s like moving any place new in the world, one tends to be drawn to where there are other people that understand the culture that’s been left behind. I always try to imagine doing it in reverse, what it would be like to try to navigate my way into another culture as a new immigrant, whether Iran or China or India…I’m pretty sure I’d be looking for the nearest hockey game and I don’t even really follow hockey. But I know I’d be looking for all things maple syrup.

I discovered the Iranian Information Centre Society and asked if someone could show me around Lonsdale Avenue. It’s a wonderful street, and one of my favourite places to stroll and poke around. But after my call I had the added of pleasure of being accompanied by Sanaz Safa and her eight-year old son, Farzan Safa, as my guides. Farzan was off from school with a sore throat but it did nothing to prevent him from being a wonderful adjunct tour-guide.

I discovered some of his favourite things like chickpea cookies called nokhodchi and wonderful sour plums that are tart and hard, almost like tiny green apples, called gojehsabz.  I’m looking forward to writing the full-story and will post it here when I’m done. But I know I’m going to Ayoub for any future purchases of dried nuts and fruits and will be frequenting the Persia Market at 126 – 15th Street West for fresh produce.

My only disappointment was coming home. I would have loved to spend the night at the Pinnacle Hotel so I could get up the next morning and have some very non-Persian Crabcake Benny’s for breakfast.