East Vancouver ’001 min read

Illustration by Christine Wei

My first plane ride
took me to rain
splattering against the windows
of the cab
fingers were tightening
over mine
mother’s?
I knew
this was no vacation
the squat house stood
on the corner of autumn
dreamlike in its strangeness
and declaration of home
the driver opened our door
I followed my father out
into the cold
to help with the suitcases
and paper boxes
the rain fell steadily
dao le ¹
I said, forgetting
it could no longer be
understood.

—
¹ Mandarin: to have arrived.

Lucy Yang is born to first generation Chinese immigrants. She teaches high school English in Vancouver and is completing a master’s program in literacy education at the University of British Columbia. She finds inspiration in voices that fall between fault lines, looking for their echo among the mountains.

Christine Wei was born in Taiwan and currently based in Vancouver. Christine’s works are mainly inspired by nature and people’s everyday journeys through life. She illustrates with the hope that her whimsical and sentimental imagery can provide people a tranquil segue into challenging but necessary discourses.   Follow her work online at https://christineweiart.com/