Victoria Liu, 24

Hi! I’m Victoria — twenty-four, parliamentary aide, professional overthinker of bubble tea orders, and proud Sandy Hill resident. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work on Parliament Hill in your twenties, the answer is: exhilarating, exhausting, and occasionally surreal.

I’m Taiwanese-Canadian — my parents immigrated from Taipei before I was born, and I grew up in Markham, Ontario, in a house that smelled like my mom’s cooking and sounded like my dad’s classical music. My mom is an accountant, my dad’s an engineer, and they are the classic immigrant-parent duo: extremely proud, extremely involved, and extremely confused about why I moved to Ottawa “for politics.” (Their words. With air quotes.) I have a younger sister in med school who is, objectively, the favourite child. I’ve made my peace with it. Mostly.

I work as a parliamentary aide on the Hill, which means my days are a blur of briefing notes, committee meetings, constituent emails, and trying to look like I fully understand procedural rules I learned six months ago. Last fall, I got to sit in on a committee hearing on an issue I’d researched for weeks — watching the MPs debate using MY background notes was the wildest feeling. I called my mom immediately and she told the entire extended family before I’d even left the building. That’s the job: long hours, big learning curve, and moments that make you think “okay, this actually matters.” My colleagues are mostly other twenty-somethings running on coffee and idealism, and our group chat is legendary.

Sandy Hill is my neighbourhood and I love it — all heritage houses, students, young professionals, and embassies. I live in a cute old walk-up with two roommates, and our street looks like a movie set in October when the leaves turn — I take approximately four hundred photos every fall, and I regret nothing. It’s a short walk to the Hill, which is dangerous because it means I have no excuse for being late. (I’m still late sometimes. Don’t tell my boss.)

Bubble tea is my personality trait at this point — I’m not even embarrassed. There’s a whole ranking system in my head: the Kung Fu Tea on Rideau for classic milk tea, Presotea when I want something fancy, and a little independent shop my roommate found that does a brown sugar fresh milk I think about more than is healthy. My order is embarrassingly specific: 50% sugar, 30% ice, extra pearls. The staff at my regular spot know it by heart, which is either a triumph or a cry for help. My coworkers have a betting pool on how many bubble teas I drink in a week. The answer is none of their business.

Gatineau Park is my escape. When Hill life gets intense, I cross the river and disappear into the trails — the fall colours at Champlain Lookout are unreal, and in winter the cross-country ski trails are my therapy. There’s something about standing at a lookout over the Ottawa Valley, phone on silent, that resets everything. My favourite ritual: Sunday morning hike, then dim sum in Chinatown with friends after. Balance.

Ottawa surprised me, honestly. I moved here for the job expecting a sleepy government town, and found a city with amazing food, festivals all summer, the canal, the markets, and the most walkable downtown. ByWard Market on a Saturday — the flowers, the produce stalls, brunch on a patio — is my happy place. And skating the canal in winter with hot chocolate? I get it now. I totally get it.

What am I looking for? Someone curious and kind, with their own ambitions — I’m drawn to people who care about things, whatever those things are. Bonus points if you’ll try my extremely specific bubble tea order without judging (or with judging, as long as it’s funny). I need someone who can handle my busy schedule during sitting weeks and my complete collapse into pajamas on weekends. Honesty, humour, and good communication — I’m a politics person, I can spot spin a mile away, so just be real with me. If you can debate me about the best lookout in Gatineau Park and then share dumplings after… I think we’re going to get along great.