e-muse

It's beginning to look a lot like another carbon footprint

2007-12-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

Things are starting to feel a lot like Christmas out here on the west coast, even in spite of the fact that all our snow from last weekend has been rained away. Most of the downtown streets are lined with a variety of those lit tacky Christmas decorations, drivers are extra vigilant in their bird flipping and shoppers are realizing that their Lululemons also make for great wear when fighting their fellow Vancouverite over that last pair of leather gloves on the store shelf. From east to west, it seems in some situations us Canucks are all the same.

Kuy and I chose last Sunday as the day to hunt down our Christmas tree. It took us a little longer than expected because we first had to go on Aur's guilt trip for chopping down a real tree, and then we had to battle Vancouver's first snow storm of the season. But she was worth it. Our little tannenbaum '07 is a beauty! The tree is a nice compliment to our Christmas pyramid (thanks Neables!), our mantle and our nativity statue (thanks Marasco's!). Our apartment now has that warmth and coziness that is the holidays...all we're missing is the family & friends, but we'll be together soon enough.

Face Fart

2007-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

So the other day, Kuy and I were sitting on the couch watching TV. Everything was great; the lights were twinkling on the tree, we were warm under a comfy blanket and there was cake. Then all of a sudden, I hear this fart-like noise come from Kuy's mouth. Startled, I jumped back and quipped, "Oh, my God...did you just face fart?". He started laughing and replied, "You mean, burp? Yeah".

Oh, right. There is a term for that oral air expelling process already. (But there's a part of me that thinks face fart sounds better. And funnier.) Who's with me on starting the face fart movement? According to the Tipping Point, it doesn't need much...just a few of us to get the ball rolling until it hits that critical mass.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

"Those aren't pillows".

Recite this phrase to any of the Cameo Avenue Marasco posse and it's guaranteed to get a smile. After a quick visual of Steve and John in bed together, the next thought that will pop into mind is of those many years of the Marasco's American Thanksgiving celebrations. I'm not even sure when it started really, but every year my sisters and I would come home from school (elementary, high school or university) on this day in late November to find Pop wrapped in an apron somewhere between the Cowboys game and basting the bird. We'd usually throw Planes, Trains and Automobiles in the VCR (it took place over the US TGiving) and by the time it was done, so too was the turkey. Sweet Lou never let us down - we'd feast on the real deal - turkey, taters, squash, stuffing, and gravy. And he usually made a pie too...

It really isn't that we're big fans of the Big Mac Nation or the we pay particular homage to the star spangled banger...fast forward through the Anti-American rant... but they sure know how to do Thanksgiving right. A little brown pop, a little football, more food than you can throw at a sumo wrestler and quality family time. We girls didn't know it at the time, but looking back on the fact that my parents would come get us and our room mates from university, drive us home and bring us back after dinner was done, it is pretty clear that family time is what made that whole deal so fabulous.

Over the past few years, we've forgone American Thanksgiving; with Sweet Lou and his lady living in Hong Kong, it just hasn't been possible. This year though, Kuy and I tried to do the tradition proud. He whipped up a roast chicken and parsnips while I contributed with a salad and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. We even cracked open a few beers and watched the Cowboys game. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. And just so you know, there's always tons of left overs so feel free to swing by next year if you're in town.

Harrod's Bridal Assistant

2007-09-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Gia, Aur and I, together for the first time since the engagement, headed to Harrod's of London for the obligatory bridal shopping (doesn't everyone shop there?). If you're thinking 3 'rasco's in one city is a lot for one metropolitan to handle, you're not alone; the cabbie that picked us was pretty shaken, afraid he was seeing triples. But he dropped us off right in front of the store, so we forgave him.

The bridal department was a lot less intimidating than I expected. While the gowns were lovely, it wasn't overwhelming and no one looked at us like they could see the pork rinds in the ziploc in my purse. I guess when you feel like a fish out of water (or a girl out of Stitches) you think that everyone else can see it too. Anywho, we were asked to have a seat and wait for a few moments until our assistant was ready.

And then she arrived. At first I didn't think much of her; she seemed lovely, and well manicured, but as she was slight and soft looking she didn't command much of a presence. Until she opened her mouth. With a big inhale she said, "So, when's zah big da?" Oh. My. God. It was Andrrrrrea, Franck Eggelhoffer's younger sister. I'm not even kidding...everything was either "Fab" or "Mahvelous". The way it goes at Harrod's is you choose 5 dresses from their collection and then you have 1.5 hours to try those and only those on. Kuy was pretty wary of this whole idea to begin with - what if I ended up falling in love with a dress that I couldn't afford? Fortunately two things happened; firstly, the dress I fell in love with the most was pretty much exactly like the dress I found in Canada (and could afford) and the second is that most all but one of the dresses I tried on were under 2000 pounds. All things considered (including the marble washrooms down the halls, and the diamond studded saucepan for sale a few floors down) it wasn't that crazy.

Turns out we were there on the 10th anniversary of Diana's and Dodi's death, so at 11:00am we exercised two minutes of silence (most exercise I've done in awhile). Interesting that we happened to be there on the exact day. And even more so that I remember exactly what I was doing that day 10 years ago - packing the car to go back up to university. What were you doing?

Sweet on Danish

2007-08-26T08:20:00.001-07:00

Touring Copenhagen with G turned out to be quite the lesson in Danish culture. Convinced that all streets could be referred to as Knipplesvongarde (there is one street that's actually called "Knippelsgade"), Gia and I took over Copenhagen this weekend. What would I have done without this whiz of a mapper, this master of the Danish language?

In town to visit a customer, I asked Gia to join me in Copenhagen for the weekend. It worked out fantastically; she arrived on Friday evening just after I did, and left for London just a little while ago. We stayed at the Palace Hotel, which in its day was probably quite majestic. Now, while still very central, its got a hint of creepy mixed with a splash of germy (you know like when you peel the bedspread off the bed minding to touch as minimal amount of finger derma as possible for fear of catching any disease). Also, this hotel didn't have Internet in the rooms...actually aside from the 8 or so rooms they are renovating, there was only one Ethernet port in the whole hotel, and that was in the lobby. Sigh.

Good thing we were out for most of the weekend. Saturday we braved the mid-teen temperatures and took the heel toe express around Copenhagen's core. We saw Tivoli gardens, ate wienerbroed (which are the typical pastry "Danishes", and not weiners as you might think!), trekked to the statue of the Mermaid, and walked through Hans Christian Anderson's 'hood. Gia of course bought a cute pair of paten shoes, and I soft serve ice cream. Who knew the Danes knew how to do ice cream? It was much creamier than the McDonald's kind and rolled in as many toppings as you wanted. By about 5 in the afternoon we were so pooped, that not even the Gay Pride concert happening in the square across from our hotel kept us up; we conked out for a much needed 60 minute nap. By about 8:30 we were back up and ready to go. Like many European cities, Copenhagen is riddled with cobblestone alley ways lined with patios and umbrellas. Even the cool temperatures couldn't bring the Danes inside, so we joined them on the heated patios for dinner.

Sunday we had planned to shop, however since most stores were closed, we enjoyed a leisurely brunch and stroll through another area of town. For a densely populated city, Copenhagen has many well groomed parks. We passed a practicing marching band (a little odd...but interesting) and of course the groups of elderly men discussing the important details of the worlds affairs, who speak as passionately about it today as they did they first time they meet at that park 40 years ago. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and after 28 years of sisterhood, it was the first time we had done that together. Couldn't have been much better!

It was tough to see her go so quickly, but I'm comforted in knowing we'll be hanging out again later this week in London (how lucky we are!). If I had to some up Copenhagen in a few words, I'd say expensive (a small bottle of water at 7-11 is about $4), stylish (even the mullet-esque hair do's looked cool) and timely (while the culture seems to keep moving forward, the architecture reminds of the history that has unfolded here). If you're in the area, check it out - the pastries are just the icing on the country!

Baseball in Seattle

2007-07-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

The Jays were in Seattle, the weather looked good and it was a long weekend. What could have been better? Kuy and I headed down for the weekend and stayed graciously at our friends' place while they were out of town.

We arrived late Thursday night after a brief bit of damage at the Seattle Prime Outlets and a Baja Fresh gorge fest. Thanks to some wireless and free long distance, Kuy and I worked from there Friday and then headed downtown for the afternoon. The weather was touch and go so we did a little ring shopping, bought some fresh King salmon and a good bottle of wine for dinner at the Pike Market and then headed home. It was a simple but lovely way to kick start the weekend.

Saturday was brilliant with lots of sunshine and warmth so we checked out the trail up to Twin Falls. It was that perfect kind of hike, just long enough to validate the Baja Fresh calories and short enough so as to not require a Swiss army knife. We got back to the house in time for a quick nap and then headed into town for the evening game.

For $25, our seats were pretty fabulous; they were out in right field only a few rows back from Alex Rios and at a great viewing height for the rest of the field. Plus, while everyone else was in shade, we were still able to bask in the sunshine. And bask we did. Safeco field is a gorgeous blend of traditional ball park style with all the modern amenities. For example, while someone still makes a living manually changing the score out in left field, all of the seats had large cup holders. In addition to the classic pistachios, we had all the good ballpark food. This included the famous garlic fries, a snack that you'd never make at home, but for which gladly wait 2 innings in line and happily pay exorbitant rates. Safeco field welcomed the "Little People of America" to the ball game; while it was a little eerie when 6 came out of the bathroom stalls at once, we still had a great view of the field so couldn't complain. The Jays sucked and lost, but we didn't care. We were seeing a ball game!

Sunday morning we picked up Tyler and headed to Bojana and Andrew's for brunch. Uber tasty. The 5 of us proceeded to took in the afternoon game at Safeco. I have to admit, it was a little odd for me to go to the ball park on a full stomach but I couldn't help it - Bojana's crab cakes were too scrumptious to say no! It ended up being a pitchers dual and unfortunately the Jays again came up shooting blanks. Oh, well...once again, we didn't care. We were on holidays, seeing a ball game, with some great company!

More nuts than you bargain for at Pharmasave

2007-06-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

So Kuy and I are walking home from the bank earlier and veered into Pharmasave since we were both craving a snack. After Picky McFussy went over the snack isle options five times, I finally settled on a pack of trail mix.

Kuy goes to pay for it and the woman behind the counter who obviously wasn't an expert on health foods and who faintly smelled of redneck, asked in a perky voice how he was doing. "Great", he replies, "How about you?". "I'm doing great!" she yelps. We quickly get chatting about the trail mix and how I'm excited that it's on sale. She goes on to mention that her sister-in-law makes it fresh. I resisted asking her how you exactly you make a dried fruit and nut trail mix 'fresh' and instead asked her if she has tried this brand before. "There's a good chance that might be 99% sheee-itttt."

Kuy and I almost died. We quickly took our change and hustled out of there. Not only had she said "shit" in a sales engagement but she confirmed that she just sold us a less than stellar product. Man, you can't train that stuff. She's just a natural.

2007-06-19T20:45:00.001-07:00

Ain't nothing daily about this Grind

This evening Allison and I scaled Grouse Mountain, doing what the West Coast folks call the Grouse Grind. If I had actually taken the time to process the website's description that this trail meant climbing 1.5 times the height of the CN Tower, I'd probably have been sick. Or had to have washed my hair.

But I didn't. So we did. All 2800 feet, straight up the rocky terrain. There was some serious sweating going on but that added to the adventure of it all. The trail was actually pretty busy but I guess given the weather recently, all of Vancouver was eager to make the most of the day. Most folks seemed reasonably in shape, though this one chick, let's call her "Breathzilla" sounded like a Pug dog on a ventilator. It was crazy...we heard her from quite a ways below us; must have been asthma or something, but seriously - shouldn't she have been doing baby steps to that kind of exercise?

After the 80 minute workout, Allison and I reached the top - the view was unbelievable. It was so clear that you could see to the airport and beyond. We grabbed a few beers (a better choice than the fries at the table beside us!) and enjoyed our accomplishment. We were on top of the world afterall!

2007-06-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

No looming around for this Quinn!

Arriving two full weeks ahead of schedule, Quinn Michael Loomis wasted no in making his debut appearance. Trish had just finished training her replacement, the crib had just arrived the day before and the recent trip to the doctor gave no reason to believe that Keanin would be celebrating his first Father's Day in 2007. But he did.

I am so excited for the lovely Loomis family, now made that much cuter by this little guy. And he really is a cutie patootie - especially in this pic which shows that he's already got the lounging bit down. I can just picture him in 20 years time, the game on faintly in the background, an empty bowl of Doritos an arm's reach away and Quinn sawing logs. We really should have been able to predict this if we had studied this black and white pic a little more seriously. Awesome.

Its killing me that I haven't been able to hold him yet, update him on the Jays latest DL status, or show him pics of his Mom has a teenager, but I suppose all in due time. He has no idea what's coming when we meet in August!

Congrats to Trish and Keanin!

2007-06-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

A fiancee, an engineer and a priest sit down...

Sounds like the beginning of a joke that's about to bomb, doesn't it? Well that's pretty much how it felt last night as Kuy and I met with the parish priest. Basically we were there to kick start the paperwork (who knew there was so much?), get registered in the parish, and get registered in the marriage prep course. Turned into a bit of a gong show really.

The priest is pretty cool; an older gentleman, with a dry sense of humor from the prairies. He's married over 100 couple and has seen it all so he's not afraid to tell you what he thinks. So right off the bat, as he's taking down our names and information, a cautious eye nails us when we each give him our address. Which happens to be the same. Eeek.

That pretty much kicked off the free trip to guilt. The great jeopardization of our morality. Oh, the sighs he gave us. Why don't you just get married now, he asks. I reply jokingly with "Father, do you know how much a wedding costs?!". I should also add that my response, while a joke, was seriously incorrect. "Well then all the more reasons to get married now. Have a party later.". Argh.

Kuy proceeded to get nailed indirectly with a few scenarios. For example, he went on to tell us about how well we know each other through a parable about a couple where the dude was from Trinidad. The guy wasn't able to give any references (apparently this is need for the marriage prep) but did through his conversation end up spilling the name of his hometown etc. in Trinidad. This priest ended up calling down there and finding out that he was actually married with 2 kids. So the next time the couple came into meet him, the priest asked them how well they knew each other. "Oh, Father, we know each other very well" replied the fiancee. "Oh, really", said Father, "Did you know he's married with a few kids"? Gasp. So this priest isn't afraid to make phone calls. No surprise I suppose, as Kuy astutely pointed out when we got home, the RC church is probably high on the list of all-time spy communities. There were also stories of vasectomies, pregnancy and so on. Who needs Oprah when you've got a priest around the corner!

Later in the conversation, Father went on to talk about his own family and how his father kicked his brother's fiancee out of the house because under his roof, they had to be married first. He later mentioned that he married his brother. "So how does the Roman Catholic church look up on that?!" I questioned playfully. He shot me a glance and a little smirk and went on this his story. Kuy and I were both chuckling, though we're still not sure if he got it and just chose to ignore or what.

The good news is we're registered in the church, and since he said he looks forward to seeing us again, we're good to go. He even took our picture and added it to his file (good thing as he originally thought Kuy was Scott. "Must be the meds" he chuckled.). I'm sure it'll only get more interesting with each visit, but I think we're up for it. Let the great mate debate begin!

2007-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Van Views

On my way home from ball and before I picked Kuy up from sailing last night, I managed to capture a few shots of the sunset. These pictures are all taken from along the Kits Beach shor es - across the water from English Bay, where we live.

Just a little taste of how the sun looks from the western vantage point.

2007-05-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Engaging Tofino

Things are finally starting to brighten up here in Vancouver. After what seemed like weeks of rain, the sun is finally making an appearance (though of course rain is again in the forecast for the long weekend. Argh.). Two weekends ago, Kuy and I went up to Tofino for his birthday, a small surfing town ont he west coast of the island (more about that below). After the 5 hour journey we arrived at our campsite at sunset. Davis was a very grumpy camper since we hadn't eaten in awhile and we were quickly losing daylight. We managed to get the tent set up and just when it seems as though Kuy was going to crack into the BBQ, he pulled a "let's check out the sunset". Since it was his birthday weekend, we skipped dinner.

Instead we checked out the sunset on the beach - and so glad we did because Kuy proposed! We're so very excited about not only this fun engagement period, but all of the other great stuff that goes along with it (wedding planning stress...err...we mean the rest of our lives together)!

Given that the trip was to be about Kuy, I would be remiss if there weren't some pics of him surfing here. With his new bday

For those of you who haven't yet had a chance to visit this western tip of Vancouver Island, I highly recommend it. At the ocean's edge, in the foreground of mountains, along the expansive Cathedral Grove trail, who needs much more? There is pretty much an activity for everyone - kayaking, surfing, hiking, camping, walking, biking, canoeing etc. etc. Actually, this is one of Canada's surfing havens (hence Kuy's spot of choice for his birthday). Pretty hard core surfers there - to the point where they'd put on their wetsuits at home, jump on their bikes, steer with one hand and hold their board in the other and pedal until they got to the beach. Pretty funny to see when its crazy raining outside!

Given that we fell in love with Tofino in spite of the rain, we can't wait imagine how breathtaking it will be when we go back and see it under the guise of the sunshine! wetsuit on, he was out there riding the waves (in the rain), while I floated between the car and the shoreline (I can only watch him surf so long in the rain).

2007-04-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Sun Fun [Oh, my God there 54 317 people doing the] Run!

We did it! Kuy and I successfully completed our first (which we hope to be of many...or at least a few) running races today. When we moved here in early January and noticed our waists had also expanded to the west, we signed up for this 10K we kept hearing so much about. The Vancouver Sun kept publishing weekly training routines and flags went up early in the year to promote this 23rd annual event. So, when in Vancouver....we signed up.

Well, turns out 54 315 others had the same idea. The race was to start at 9:00am just down the street from us, at Georgia and Thurlow. After a quick warm up around the block, a few wedges of orange and a good stretch, we set off - the time was about 8:45am. Turns out there was really no need to be there anytime before 9:15. As we rounded the corner we were greeted by a sea of people lined up along on 4 lane road. Hong Kong was so spacious in comparison!! While the race for the pros might have started at 9, we didn't get a move on until quarter past.

Kuy took off, his long strides taking him closer to the front of the pack, and me and my rocking iTunes kept in the middle. That was the last time we'd see each other until the end of the race...but man, was it a gem. The day was clear and bright - not too warm, which is perfect for running. The course took us around the edge of Stanley Park, along the coast at English Bay, over the Burrard bridge and then back to BC Ppace Stadium via the Cambie Bridge. I'll tell you - running along the coast like that - life was good. It was too bad we didn't cross the finish line together, but seeing each other soon after was pretty sweet. Kuy crossed in an outstanding 52:56 and I in 54:38. Its just such a great start to the day - doing a race of any sort, just makes you walk that much taller (after a good soak and stretch of course), and feel that much better about yourself.

Look out for us at the Scotiabank 1/2 Marathon in June. Who's gonna join us?

2007-03-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

How rap saved my life. Twice.

That could have been the title of Ishmael Baeh's first published works, recounting his life as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. Returning to his village from a variety show one evening, he and some friends were greeted with shots ringing and the smell of burning huts lingering in the air. This was to mark the start of his 1 year flight, running constantly from the rebel soldier groups, fearing for his life. Before his village was ransacked, Ishmael through friends in other villages, found out about rap music and spent many an evening listening to the songs of Run DMC and Naughty by Nature. He didn't have running water or electricity, but he did have batteries and a cassette player. It was these tapes that he had with him when he was scooped out of the river by a tribe after about 3 months on the run. With his neck in the chief's hand, Ishamel was at his mercy when the tapes fell out of his pants pocket. The chief was intrigued and asked about the tapes; he quickly ordered a cassette to be brought over so he could listen to NBN for himself. He was puzzled because he didn't understand what they were saying, so Ishamel, very simple said, "They are singing parables in the white man's language". The Chief was entertained and let him take refuge for a few nights.

From my seat in the middle of the high school auditorium, Ishamel looked small on stage; his words filled the room though. We were spellbound, captivated and uncomfortable listening to this eloquent twenty-something man from Sierra Leone talk about his life story. The horrors he's lived through are probably not even imaginable to some of us. It's just so unreal.

He's on a book tour at the moment, so if he comes to your 'hood make sure you see him. UBC puts on a Talk of the Town series and so I was fortunately enough to catch him in town this week If he's past your town, then in addition to flipping open his book, you can check out Blood Diamond, with Leo DiCaprio. Its the Hollywood portrayal of the same story through the eyes of a white South African ex-mercenary turned smuggler . For a Hollywood movie, it did a fabulous job of sticking to the real story and not making it more about superfluous sex romps or trite relationships. Very graphic at times, but for me, it gave tangibilty to Ishmael's words. I think its necessary in order to get across the atrocities commited during this civil war - and I'm sure they're not unique to Sierra Leone. Read it. Watch it. Listen to him. Get informed.

2007-03-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Chow bella!

Well, it was worth the wait folks. Almost a year after the fact, but completely worth it. Tonight, I was taken out for dinner at Casa Kuyler, where they spared no detail on serving up an authentic Italian experience.

Back in June, Kuy and I had made a bet on the Italy-Germany World Cup match; the descendant of the losing country had to made an authentic meal of the other person's heritage. As he's German and I Italian, it seemed like a good fit. And of course, we all know who won the game.

I had a 7pm reservation for Monday night, and was promptly shown to my table. Turns out, I was lucky enough to have snagged the only table on the patio! Under strings of tiny white lights, the white and red checked table cloth and the candle in an old Chianti wine bottle made me feel like I was in the heart of the Tuscan countryside (I was ignoring the passing car sounds and the fact I was wearing more layers than trifle). The first course was fried calamari, crispy and lightly breaded. It just melted in your mouth - completely delicious! That was followed by veal scallopini drizzled in a Marsala wine sauce, rosemary potatoes, artichoke hearts in a sage butter and an Italian misto salad. Top that off with some fresh crusty white break (heaven!) and some vino and well, I would have waited another year.

Let me tell you, should you ever be in the neighbourhood, try calling ahead and making a reservation at Casa Kuyler - you'll be transported to the north of Italy with only the cost of going to Vancouver ;)

2007-03-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Finally!

Well, we're safe. Given that we made it up the ski hill and actually skied means that we won't be getting ousted out of this ski-based town anytime soon. Phew.

The weekend weather was not looking like it was going to be on our side; Environment Canada was calling for rain for most of the weekend (and up on the hill too), though there was a sliver of hope for Sunday. When we got up that morning it wasn't raining, so in spite of the overcast and visibility conditions on the hill, decided to take the chance. If we didn't go then, who knew when the next chance would be? So after 30 minutes of dressing and prepping and invoking my inner snow bunny, we set off to take on Grouse Mountain.

Kuy was so patient with me the whole time, from helping to get my boots done up right (no laces here kids!) to making sure I was in the right spot for the drop-in lesson. It was kinda like the first day of school when parents drop their independence-seeking children off; parents are eager to watch their child through the whole experience, and the kids just want them to go so they don't embarrass them. The same was true here; as the other kids in my class started to arrive (all without the assistance of anyone and all under the age of 10), I suggested that perhaps it would be a good time for Kuy to hit the slopes.

My instructor ended up being this older Eastern European gentlemen named Joe, who believed in tough love when it came to teaching. At one point, I had fallen over and could not get up for the life of me. Instead of lending a hand, he kept trying to give me pointers, his voice growing louder each time. Then finally he said in a booming voice, "Davis, get up - I have kids to teach". Great. So now I'm that kid in the class that holds everyone else up. Not all was lost though as I mastered the rope tow* and the snow 'vedge' technique for stopping. By the end of the 2 hour lesson, I was doing turns down the hill and stopping with precision; Joe referring to me and Jomie, a 5 year old, as the stars of the class. Oh, yeah, baby. Of course, this was almost at the expense of at least 5 lives and 1 slick wipe out. The weather varied immensely over the 2 hours, from thick fog, to bright sunshine and finally a gentle blanket of cloud over our heads. It was clear enough to see downtown Vancouver though, so we decided to reward a hard days work with a cup of hot cocoa in the chalet while admiring the view.

Surprisingly enough, the only part of me that ached by the end were my ankles. I probably just have to strengthen them and get used to wearing ski boots, though let the record show that the rentals did leave a serious chaffing mark on my leg. Not cool - but just an indication that I need to buy my own soon. And since my fam is fabulous and got me ski gear for my 30th, I'll be hopping right to that.

All in all an awesome adventure. There is definitely something to this ski thing, and I have the year pass to find out exactly what that is! Stay tuned...

*Bruce - You'll be happy to know that the water skiing drills you put me through in the summer came in handy. There was a mechanical problem with the rope tow, so it kept cutting in and out. Most kids were falling off the thing, but not me boy. I was able to hang on while it stopped and started all the way up the hill!

2007-03-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

No ski for we

The sun is finally shining here, and after a weekend of torrential rain, its uber welcomed. Honestly, it reminded me of being back in the land of Yorkshire pudding and pub quiz nights; it rained consistently for over 48hours. And not just piddly stuff either; it was a sheet of rain that caused some residential and commercial damage around the city. Now, I know, I know...boohoo, right? When some of you are freezing your buttinski's off who am I to cry about a little rain. But, given Kuy and I had to forgo our skiing plans because of it, then shouldn't we be cut a little slack?

Its Saturday morning and we're finally going to make it to the hill. While the man has done it a bunch of times, this cat has never down hill skied. Yeah, that's right. Never. The only kinda bunny I've ever been is a puck bunny...no snow in this hare. But we figure if I continue at this rate, Vancouver's going to oust me; Saturday was our day to rectify.

So, picture this. Kuy and I spent about 45 minutes sorting through long johns and base layers and mismatched socks and mitts trying to get suited for skiing. Finally, we're dressed (I had to go pee before we left) but we eventually ended up with snacks packed, the camera ready to go and sporting my new duds (pants and jacket...planning on renting the rest). We stop at Tim's for a pre-ski coffee (which will inevitably lead to a pre-ski pee, but whatever...we needed caffeine) and headed north over the Lions Gate bridge for 20 mins until we came to the base of Grouse mountain. It was still raining pretty good, but we figured way up there on top of the big white it'd be snowing.

In the office we bought our Y2Play ski passes; for under $300 we have unlimited skiing for until the end of next year! Of course, after we bought our passes, the dude told us that is was raining on the mountain and they were expecting it only to get worse. Crest fallen, we decided it wasn't the best conditions for me to attempt my first ski so decided to go back home. Argh. But, I am optimistic that either one night this week or this weekend we will triumph! Stay tuned...

2007-02-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

Too fruity

Kuy and I were up early for Day 2 of Island life; how could we pass up an eclectic breakfast on the patio, surrounded by lush greenery and all to the soundtrack of crashing waves? As a side note, the breakfast buffet was quite lavish, laden with Chinese, Indian, Malay and North American foods. It seemed that while the North American food was quite obviously breakfast fare (think waffles, cereals and eggs anyway you want 'em), the other offers made it difficult to know what meal of the day you were having. For example, there were warm curries and Naan bread, noodle soups, sushi, and even stir fried vegetables. Is it only us that change our meal options according to the time of day or are we just so demanding that variety is a must?

As Kuy was in meetings all afternoon, we decided to make the most of the morning and head up to the tropical fruit farm for a tour and tasting. Hopping back on our trusty scooter, we set out under the warm morning sun, sun blocked well applied. The fruit farm was at the end of a small windy road that lead us to the top of a mountain. It was off the main road that circumnavigated the island, so it was quite uninhabited; save a few shacks along the way and a couple of scooters, we didn't see much other than greenery and the ocean below. The fruit farm was incredible! Our guide led us higher up the mountain and into the sun , hence the hats. For the next 40 minutes he introduced us to many exotic fruits including, durian, dragon fruit, nutmeg (apparently nature's own sleeping pill!), pineapple, and custard apples (which really aren't apples at all!). He kept pushing the SkyFruit, which apparently was once banned for its potent 'sex drive' stimulation. If you look on their website too, its the only one that hyperlinked to more information. I gotta figure they've got some vested interests in this fruit's market swelling. At the end of the tour we got to samples the fruits of the farm along with a glass of any fruit concoction we wanted. For those of you that know me, you won't be surprised when I say there's nothing like a fresh piece of fruit in the middle of the day! (No bananas though :( ).

On the way back from the tour, we passed by a school just as the kids were being let out. Everywhere you looked kids were excitedly flogging the road, the sidewalks or seemingly climbing the gates. It was such good fun to interact with them - they were waving, we were waving (expect Kuy with his two hands on the 'wheel' of course) and one little guy even gave us the thumbs up! After this experience I agree with an observation my dad made after seeing a group of kids in Bali. If you close your eyes and just listen to kids, they're all the same, no matter what country they're from. The sound of kids playing and laughing is universal; full of life and energy, they instantly make you feel young again, and transport you back to Popsicles on hot sunny days , making snow men on snow days and ripping open birthday presents.

I spent the afternoon reading (finished Kite Runner!) and lounging by the pool until Kuy returned. With an early flight ahead of us, we decided to stay close to the resort instead of checking out another town. You have to save something for next time, right?

2007-02-09T02:29:00.000-08:00

A breath of fresh air

Penang proved to be everything I was looking for in this South East Asian trek that hadn't been quenched in Singapore. It was quite the antithesis of Singapore actually; wide open skyrise free landscapes, scooters outnumbering the cars and the only name brand they seemed to be familiar with was Tiger beer. This small island, a total of 76km in circumference, offered a larger than life experience.

The hotel shuttle picked were waiting for us at the airport, as were two cold handcloths and 2 cold bottles of water. They were refreshing again the wall of heat awaiting us outside the air conditioned airport. As was the pool right below our hotel room; the well manicured gardens and cobblestone walkways led you straight to the beach front and garden pool. Which is where I remained while Kuy was off doing business. Since his meeting was longer than expected, I ended up burning (yes, I'm completely blaming him and not the fact that I hadn't well sunblocked myself). Actually, for most o fthe afternoon I was lost in The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. If you enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha, and its not yet in your repetoire, I'd suggest just looking into it; like Memoirs, The Kite Runner tells a beautiful story while teaching the reader about the cultural backdrop. In this case, its Afghanistan from the early '70s through to present day.

But as this is not book of the month blog, I'll get on with my Penang adventure. When Kuy did return, we rented a motorbike (when in Rome) and headed out for an evening ride. With the mighty island wind running through my hair and Kuy revving this bad boy of a scooter up to about 50 clicks, we cruised the island. Scooters are a way of life there; men, women, children of all ages all wearing footwear of all kinds (if at all!) take to the streets on these two wheeled creatures. To the untrained eye, you'd think there were no road rules, but take a closer look and you actually bear witness to an elegantly synchronized and well orchestrated intermingling of autos. Weaving and passing, cars (only so in name, not in performance) and scooters dance together as they have done so forever. Its quite fascinating. You end up wreaking of gas given the volume of traffic on the road, but as Kuy noted, that's the price you pay for being biker babes.

To round out the evening, we found another hawker centre for dinner. Much like in Singapore, this outdoor food frenzy was bustling with local treats like roasted duck, noodle bowls, and hot curries. However, compared to its Malaysian neighbour, the Penang food fair was much less sophisticated and much less expensive. Kuy and I had a full curry meal eat (rice, poppadoms, and saucy chicken) that came to less than $5CDN. Earlier in the day I had a glass of Mango juice, which looked like liquid gold and tasted as every bit delicious as you might imagine juiced mangoes - it cost just under a buck. Crazy!! Needless to say we ate more than our fair share....

2007-02-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

Life in Little India

Wednesday, another touring day to myself, was mostly spent uncovering the delights of Little India. I had learned my temperature lesson yesterday so left the hotel earlier in the morning to get the majority of my sight seeing done before the torture of the sun could sting. While Singapore is quite educated in the ways of the modern world it is evident that it still retains the customs and traditions of their forefather cultures. The lives of today's Indians seem to happily co-exist between the old and new, sacred and secular as I discovered in Little India.

I alighted (my newly learned word!) the MRT and was greeted by a colourful thriving hub of activity, even at this time of the morning. The path skirting a row of shops lead me to the Tekka Mark, an area where bamboo clumps once grew apparently. Now, the residents of the area depend on this market for their fresh fruits and vegetables, housewares, textiles and other daily needs. The quick booms of knives chopping fresh onions in preparation for the day's business, men debating politics and women haggling over prices could be heard all over.

The arts belt district is home to example of Art Deco-style shophouses; with the business on the first floor, many families make the second floor their home. Each of the row houses seemed to specialize in something different; No. 53 focused on brassware, No. 57 was home to a framer. While each home might be a different colour they were all united in their many iconic Hindu emblems on display. Even the walkway wasn't neglected; the floor tiles were extremely decorative. As I continued ahead, the sweet perfume of curry filled the air. It as much more prominent at this one spot than at others, but I wasn't sure why. Turns out I was out front of a traditional spice grinders shop. A worn man stood over a grinding machine, prodding the seeds through the mill with a stick. He serves most of the restaurants in the area as the tradition holds that spices should only be ground on the day they are to be used, to impart their full favour. The heady aromas in my nostrils were certainly testament!

I browsed through the arcade's handicrafts and haggled with a few women over a purse and some silk runners. Ha! Look at me, haggling at a real hawker's center! I can imagine that during festivals like Depavali, the area buzzes. I was most impressed by the number of flower garland stalls. Men and women were threading garlands or jothi, of jasmine, marigolds and roses. I asked one of the men what they were for and they symbolize purity, peace and love respectively. Mainly they are places on statues as prayer offering and also important guests at functions. No trip to Indian, size aside, would be complete without a temple or two, and inside I discovered that most religious structures are the same. Architectural style aside, they are all places of worship, quiet and offering retreat; some type of altar holds center stage adorned with statues, flowers and other ornate decorations. By early afternoon I had enjoyed my stay in the thriving hub and was ready to return to the hotel. I quickly refreshed, grabbed a bite to eat, and did some shopping in the cooler A/C climates. Hey, when in Rome....

Wednesday night Kuy's colleagues took us out for an authentic curry in Little India, on the historic Race Course road. We let them take control of the order and were not disappointed - curry fish head, tandoori chicken, fresh naan, panak paneer and fragrant jasmine rice quickly filled our table. The best part was that we ate without plates; instead, to keep with tradition, we ate on banana leaves! It was weird to scoop a ladle of curry out of a bowl and place it on the leaf (I was being a mess!) and exhilarating (I was being a mess) all at once. Since it was a business dinner, I really tried to be polite, let them have their business conversations and ask questions about the area during pause. However, nothing could help me when I put what I thought was a hunk of fish flesh in my mouth and discovered that it was in fact a mass of bones. The best part of it all was that there were no napkins on the table, anywhere in fact as my eyes quickly darted amongst the tables. So Davis, after fumbling for the 'eject' button and failing to find it, sank back into her chair and slowly pulled out 5 bones out of her mouth, one by one. Let's hope Kuy still has a job when he returns from all this.

2007-02-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

A business mistress in Singapore

Under the heat of the morning sun, I set off to down Orchard Rd discover Singapore, maps in hand. Since Kuy had meetings booked during the day, I was left to my own devices until we would hook up in the evening. It was kind of like being his business mistress, working my own life during the day and meeting in the evening when he slips into town. Except, I didn't spend the day at the salon, nor do I appreciate the value of $50 Chanel soaps. While there were many tempting offers along the store-lined Orchard Road, I preferred the other indulgences the city offered.

Instead, I hopped on the MRT back to an area of town close to where we had eaten the night before. That district of town was ripe with colonial architecture and history so I wanted to see all the sights during the day. With Chinese New Year's quickly approaching, most buildings were decorated in red and gold, to symbolize wealth in the new year. Even the old wooden boats cruising along the river were festive. It was interesting to see this contrast - the stoic and stiff British buildings, the old tattered boats all adorned with delicate and colourful Chinese decorations. Chinese, Malay and Indian are the three core cultures in Singapore so each one's heritage is celebrated whole heartedly by the city. This place must always then be in preparation or celebration mode, as all of these cultures seem to revel in festivals!

My feet took me along the Singapore river taking in an art and history museum (I learned all about Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles arrival in Singapore back in 1819), old city hall, the Esplanade park, the famous Merlion statue and many others. The one that captured my attention most was the Theatres on Bay facility, a two-pod building that is also dubbed the 'Duran' by locals after the prickly tropical fruit (see below for more on the duran). While I wasn't in love with the look of the building, it did capture my interest - an exotic shape, I suppose like the duran itself. After looking out on the Singapore city scape from atop the theatre, I sought refuge from the blistering sun indoors for some lunch. While at least I had the best intentions to only have lunch, but as they do in Singapore I found myself shopping. Next to the sling, shopping is the next most common word used here. Everywhere you go, everywhere bit of spare real estate is used for the good of business trades. And while Cartier's and Louis Vuitton's are as frequent here as Tim's in Hamilton, the shopping doesn't stop there. Shophouses sell local crafts and fabrics, street stalls offer cold ice cream, tailors and bargain shops alike all seek your business. Its impossible to escape...so I didn't try to fight.

Feeling refreshed from the A/C and light from the loosened wallet, I headed off ambitiously attempting to complete another self-guided walking tour before the afternoon ended. I gave it a valiant effort, honest I did - I saw a mosque and a temple, Clarke Quay (very funky shops and bars, probably very vibrant in the evening) and even made it up the hill in Fort Canning park to the Spice Gardens. However, by about 4:30, I was withering in the afternoon heat and my feet felt like tired, worn leather. So, happy with my efforts, I rode the MRT back to the hotel and headed straight for the pool. Ahhh, this is the part of the business mistress' life I could get used to!

Tuesday night's meal experience was phenomenal. Kuy and I walked up the road to Newton's Circus, one of the main food hawker centers in Singapore. Think outdoor food court and all the stalls serve fresh seafood, noodle and Indian dishes. We ate like kings for dirt cheap; starting with deep fried baby octopus, moving to Otah (fishcakes steamed in banana leaves), beef and chicken satay with fresh peanut sauce, chicken mutabak (a Naan-type crepe) and some chili fried greens, washing it all down with a few Tiger beers. It was unbelievable experience - delicious, vibrant, stimulating and exciting. We didn't always know what we were eating, in fact, we often ordered it if we didn't know what it was, and loved it all! Throwing caution to the wind proved tasty. Kuy was keen on me trying duran to end the evening; apparently the revolting smell is deceptive as the creamy interior is delicious. Yeah, I know I just used the word 'creamy' to describe a fruit, but its true. It really is the most odd fruit I have even seen. The prickly green exterior gives way to sections, like an orange, of creamy flesh around large mango like pits. And its taste is indescribable (though I'll try); think unripe mango with a hint of sweetness and the texture of the skin that forms on the top of warm milk. After sucking the flesh off two pits, I had hit my limit. I wasn't overly fond of the flavour though needed to at least try it. As I will put forth the challenge to you - try the fruit, but don't try to bring a duran on the Singapore subway - it wreaks so bad its banned!

2007-02-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Superbowl of waffles

Colts 29 Bears 17.
I know.

While I wasn't able to catch the entire 2nd half, 6 of us Canucks took in the SuperBowl in Wan Chai Hong Kong at 6:30am. $165 HK bought you an all-you-can-eat buffet plus 1 beer! Hilarious really. The 6 of us plus 4 Americans were outnumbered by the wait staff in this below level sports bar, but we didn't care...we were watching the Superbowl!

Kuy and I had to leave early to catch our flight to Singapore. We checked in at the downtown Airport Express station and were swiftly on the train to the airport. The more I travel, the more I realize how bad Toronto's airport gig really is - no slick transit to or from the airport, no downtown check-in, heck not even free luggage carts. David Miller needs to take a trip. As do the Air Canada stewardesses. The flight attendants on Air Singapore put those uptight, scarf wearing women to shame. They really are their to make your flight more enjoyable. More water? No probs. Paper? Magazine? I'd love to get that for you. Want me to give you my first born? I've given him to another passenger, so would my second do? It does get much at times, but its refreshing just the same.

We touched down in hot, humid and lush Singapore late in the afternoon and proceeded straight to our hotel pool. While there is much to see here, it is also my vacation, so let it go. Since Kuy's done this drill many a time before, I put my trust in him and we headed down to Boat Quay for dinner. The lively stretch along the river is home to shophouses that have been transformed into clubs, theme pubs and tantalising restaurants. They are quite concentrated on just one embankment of the boats quay as legend has it that the Chinese immigrants set up home only on the south bank because to them, it resembled the concave belly of a carp. It is believed this was where prosperity and wealth lay. While sampans puttered upstream with tourists, Kuy and I grabbed a waterfront table for some saucy chili crab. One of the delights of the region, this uber messy meal is meant to be eaten with a bib and a hose and without your dignity! They bring you this huge platter of whole crab laden in a chili sauce and you dive in there, fingers, chopsticks, shell crackers, whatever it takes to get the job done. My cold Tiger beer got the money shot a few times, as did Kuy's shirt but our bellies were happy.

To walk off dinner, Kuy took me for a nighttime sight seeing stroll along the river and up through the city centre. Just from the outside, and even from a distance, you can tell that the majestic Fullerton hotel holds regal audience. Poised at the river's bend, you can imagine that its vantage point over the harbour once had audience of nobility. Its architecture is a masterpiece of Neo-classical splendour, blending old world charm with every modern convenience (at extravagant cost of course!). It, along with the Raffles Hotel, conjures up images of Morocco and Casablanca, with its white column lined courtyards, and lush green foliage. Wicker and white linen are comfortable in the heat, and are a perfect backdrop for enjoying an evening gin and cigar (or whatever Bogey used to do back then). Simple elegance....totally my kind of town.

2007-02-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

From Buddhas to boats

Now this is more how I pictured Asia; expansive rolling hills, exotic trees with bare and smooth trunks that give way to slender branches fanning out like an umbrella, old fishing villages filled with wise and weathered faces and constant reminders of the Buddhism faith. Let me share with your our Sunday in the district of Hong Kong.

We met up with the Neables just before noon on Sunday and our first stop was Buddha at Ngong Ping on Lantau island, still in the district of Hong Kong. We MTR-ed it (think 'subwaying' it) to the cable car station at the foot of the mountain and then took the cable car up. While standing in line we had enough time to take in the scenery; in what seemed like a pretty desolate area stood a number of tall narrow apartment complexes heavy with apartments. Space is limited here, so people veritably live on top of each other and have little breathing room. Back home the same apartment building probably would have housed only half the number of units. Turns out the area while seemingly remote, is actually close to both the airport and Disneyland so we figured most commute to either place of work from this residential area. The ride up the mountain proved to be an outstanding view of the airport, the country side and Tian Tan Buddha, known as Big Buddha to his friends. The statue itself is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. We toured around the monastery and breathed in the sweet perfumes of incense and floral scents. The temple itself was quite ornate as is the Chinese style, with bright colours, flowers and gold leafing.

After having our Dim Sum snack at the foot of the temple, Kuy and I downed a couple of gravol in preparation for the bus ride down the other side of the mountain to Tai-O, a small fishing village. Fortunately, the gravol was not needed and we arrived a quick though gentle 10 minutes later. On the main part of Lantau, a river splits to the north and west and at this fork lies the island referred to as Tai O. This town was by far my favourite stop on this Asian adventure thus far; famed for their stilt houses and fishing livelihood, this small town is large in life and wisdom. There really are no cars in the village - only those belonging to tourists parked in the parking lot - and its a good thing because there are no roads either. Only small canal ways and weathered pathways stringing the shops and homes together. Its difficult to separate sometimes between homes and storage units as decoration was sparse and dust was littered everywhere. As we approached, a small fishing boat had just come in and a husband and wife team started to unravel their nets and tie up the boat for the night. Heavy with fresh crab and some other small fish, their day proved fruitful. Over the first bridge into the village, we were greeted with rich smells of fish and wise faces of street vendors. Name your fish, they had it - dried, fresh, stewed, or steamed. It was amazing. They even had a few dried out shark carcasses! I could not believe that people live like this, with so very little. It made me feel both very rich and so very poor all in one go; what did they know that I was missing?

We made our way back to Hong Kong island by way of a bus to Mui Wu, and a ferry from there. The skyline of Hong Kong was unimaginable; building after skyscraper was brightly decorated in lights and they all danced off the water. NY has nothing on this town, especially with the laser light show it puts on at 8pm. Synchronized to music, most of the waterfront buildings (and then some) put on a laser light spectacular for all to watch. We were on the Kowloon side of the harbour so had an outstanding view of the show. Wow. Man, when did I get to be so lucky?

2007-02-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

We're not in Kansas anymore!

Saturday started off very western - pancakes for breakfast topped with fruit and whipped stuff chez the folks - but shifted easternly in a big way as the day progressed. I was soon to be swallowed by the swarms pushing past market stalls and smells of burning incense.

Today was the day the Neables arrived, and arrive did they ever! Looking fabulously fresh and rearing to go, we met Kuy's folks at their Shangri-La hotel. In keeping with Hong Kong precedence, this Kowloon district hotel was laden with marble floors, and ebony detailing, just another one of the ways in which this once British colonial separates themselves from China, and even the other areas in Hong Kong. Its fascinating to see the ways in which the people here show you they have money; bling comes in many shapes and sizes here. Cars for example, are taxed 100% (so as to discourage their ownership) but that doesn't really stop them from being bought. Cars are a great way to show your wealth. Lexus, Benz, and BMW decorate the streets and even Audi TT's with souped up engines and no place to go.

The six of us set off for the markets on the Kowloon side - flowers, birds and ladies. I'll get the the former one in a minute, but you can get the pole dancing images out of your head right now as it wasn't that kind of market. The flower market for me was sweet therapy. The four block area is lined with vibrant colours of delicate petals suspended from stems. The extent of exotic and typical flowers found there was magnificent. Some shops were filled only with orchids; rows up rows of perfectly poised plants sat prettily on the windows awaiting to be taken home. Apparently this is where most of the flower shops in the area come to buy their goods for the weekend. We missed the hustle and bustle of dawn, but still were able to get a sense of the clamour and excitement the flowers invoked.

Next we hit the bird market. Pet cruelty aside (all the birds are displayed in cages), it was pretty cool to see. Birds of all shapes and sizes, noises and colours are sold here. Most were brightly coloured parakeet type birds, squawking like for their ‘Ma’. They also had delicately carved birdcages in rosewood and ebony for sale. After a great display of haggling my Mom bought one. I think it’ll be a great gag to display the empty cage in the dinning room and start serving a lot more fowl to guests for dinner!

Finally, the ladies market, named as such because the women used to run all the stalls while the men were, well, who knows where the men were – perhaps buying the stuff? Whatever its history, this is more like how I imagined the streets of Hong Kong – beneath the brightly coloured store front signs, rows of eager sales folk were hawking their wares. “Missy missy, I got copy” they’d shout (apparently at me, not Kuy); copies are knock offs of any house of fashion you want. Tiffany, Coach, Louis Vuitton, you name it they got it. And they want to make a deal with you. Part of the fun of these markets is the thrill of the chase of a good haggle. Whatever price they start off at, you have to come back with at least half as much as your offer, otherwise the barter isn’t even worth the time!

After a few more MRT rides and a quick rest back at our house, we met the Neables again for dinner at the peak. The line up for the cable car ride to the top was too long so in order to make our reservations we cabbed it up. Memories of our winding car ride up to the Alps in May with my uncle and little cousin were soon upon Kuy and I – good thing it wasn’t that long of a ride, because it wasn’t going to be pretty for anyone! You’d think the cabbies would be great drivers, but not so much – they like the gas n’ brake approach to driving especially going up hill. Argh. But the view of Hong Kong and Victoria harbour was well worth its price is near hurling incidences. The buildings along the water were all alight, radiating off the night sky and the water. At 8 o’clock, the laser light show began, and it was like Chinese Vegas. What a spectacular vantage point to watch it all happen! Really, great people, delicious meal and a superb view – what more could you ask for!

2007-02-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong Arrival

And so we made it. Though really, I can't complain - a 16 hour flight from foggy Vancouver to a slightly smoggy Hong Kong is really not so bad when you're sitting (or sometimes stretched out and sleeping) in first class. I must tell you that Kuy's blue-eyes batting efforts completely paid off and sent us into full swing in our high flying vacation brilliantly.

We arrived safely on Asian turf at 6:48pm on Thursday evening much to the surprise of my folks. Well not that we were coming but that we were landed, through immigration and bags in hand so quickly. But no problem - the tech savvy airport had us hooked up with wireless while we waited for the folks to pick us up. I must say the one thing that struck me was, while the airport was lovely - spotless, expansive, efficient, I felt like I could have been anywhere in the world, not necessarily Asia, or Hong Kong for that matter. Perhaps my expectations were different?

I must hurry here as breakfast is about to be served here and the Neables will probably call us any minute to start our Saturday excursions, but I just wanted to quickly highlight our Friday sights. We spent most of the daytime with my Dad strolling through Happy Valley and Causeway Bay, and in the evening went over the Shenzhen for some quality knock-off shopping and being fitted for tailor made clothes. Miles and miles of materials, genuine faux Tiffany jewellery and persuasive sales folks lined the 5 floor shopping mall...I will have to elaborate later. And after all that shopping, what better way to end the evening then with a reflexology foot massage! Yeah - at 1:00 AM my folks took us to their spa for a foot massage. Who does that?!! Hilarious...though fabulous. I'd hit that again!

2007-01-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

Park and sigh

Kuy and I hit Stanley Park this weekend (not as hard as the November winds) to check out some new walking paths. We've committing to checking out new areas of town or neighbourhoods every weekend to help us get to know our new town.

Unfortunately, most of the walking trails were blocked and closed off due to damage done last month. Large trees lay lifeless on the ground, uprooted and torn out of their home; logs were scattered over the paths from workers trying to restore the area and brush littered the sidewalks along Stanley Park drive. As you can see, parking was limited in some parts!

In spite of the damage, its amazing at how much the park still invokes emotion; the towering trees that remain after the battle, the lush green moss covering all accented by the delicate buds starting to burst through. My heart felt so heavy caught by the austere beauty amidst the ruin of the park. No wonder Stanley Park is cherished by so many that live here and captures the hearts of visitors.

We stumbled onto the Seawall and took it around the western end of the Vancouver peninsula. From there you can get a fabulous view of the Lion's Gate Bridge, taking passengers over the waterway over to Whistler, North Van, West Van and more. Costing just over $5 million in 1937 to complete, the mighty bridge is over 1km long crossing the Capilano River. Continue along the seawall, and you come to the Coal Harbour marina. Kuy mentioned that Vancouver is 3rd in North America for the number of Bentleys sold (In case some of you reading this are as car savvy as I, Bentleys start at a quarter of a million dollars. Gulp). Looking at the calibre of boats in the marina, it no surprise. Rows of yachts sit patiently in the harbour, awaiting visitors and guests to take them on a tour of the water expanse. I wonder if the people who can afford these lovely beauties can also afford the time to enjoy them?

2007-01-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

Boy in Bloom

Well, after 3 days straight of rain, fog and heavy clouds today's sunshine is much appreciated. The walk to the pool this morning was delightful; I didn't show up looking like a drowned rat nor did my socks get soaked leaning up against my umbrella in my locker.

Kuy and I have been wagering over when exactly we'd be able to christen the patio. He kept saying when we get back from Hong Kong we'll be out here full time and I was more of the impression that it'd be more like the middle to end of March. Apparently we were both wrong! As you can see in this shot, Kuy is fabulously demonstrating the beauty and skill of working at home. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

To be fair, and to soothe all those East-of-BC egos, its not that warm - my toes are chilly just looking at Kuy's naked toes in those Birks. However, the sun is lovely and therapeutic and being able to hang out on our patio is exciting.

So, who's coming to visit now?!!!

2007-01-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

I'm 30...surprise!

Given that we've been working, living, unpacking and hanging out together for the last 3 weeks, it didn't phase me in the least when Kuy suggested we do something 'fun' this weekend. However, I had no idea that 'fun' would entail a trip to Toronto for the weekend, a surprise dinner in the Beaches with friends, Capricornicopia Part III at The Social, some shopping in between, and brunch atop the Hilton with Kuy's parents too!

Let me set the stage for you; its Thursday night and Kuy excitedly tells me he's booked us on a ferry to Vancouver Island on Friday night, and then we're heading up to Whistler on Saturday to hook up with some of his friends for a night out. So fun! Thursday night I mostly packed and was looking forward to heading out a little early on Friday afternoon.

The alarm goes off Friday morning just before 6 and Kuy tells me that I don't have to get up. Since I know that I have a morning chalk full of meetings, I sluff it off and tell him I have to especially if we're leaving early. He retorts, "But Dave, your meetings are all fake". "That's right, Kuy, all my meetings are fake. I don't really do any work, do I?", I reply with an irritated voice. He keeps insisting, saying that he's had my colleagues schedule in fake meetings for the day so I wouldn't realize that he's taking me away for the weekend. Sure. I still didn't believe him so hopped online, and after a few conversations with colleagues, realized that the Sneaky McClever had struck again!

However, I still didn't know what the weekend was going to hold. All he told me was that we were going somewhere in North America, south of Vancouver. It wasn't until we were at the gate about to board the plane that I found out we were going to Toronto. Even then, he led me to believe that the first stop was "Heddle Street*. 30 days of Davis is 2 days". Wow! I couldn't believe the creativity and hard work Kuy had done. A stop at the Oasis greasy spoon, perhaps a drive up to the K-Dub, tea with my Grade 6 teacher...who knew what was going to unfold but it was going to be fabulous. I asked if we might be able to squeeze in a trip to see Aur on our way back on Sunday as Kuy had confessed he, "totally dropped the ball on that one" and should have given Aur the heads up.

We touched down at YYZ, and after getting our bags we started to make our way out of airport, a set of balloons hit me from behind. I turned around to find a bouquet of 30th Birthday balloons, with Aur's head poking out from behind them. Surprise! She confessed that she had made me 18 birthday cupcakes but that only 1 turned out. Thank goodness for frosting! Oh, Aur...the Anti-Nigella. I asked if she would come out for dinner with us but she said she had strict instructions to drop us off at the car rental location. That turned out to be the Hilton in downtown Toronto; Kuy and I were to get changed quickly and then Aur was taking us somewhere else. By this point I was in a state of shock; nothing was going to phase me. The funny part was that I was still getting stressed in the car every time Aur made a wrong turn. I didn't even know where we were going, how could it be wrong?! Somethings never change.

We ended up in the beaches and moments after walking into Quigley's Pub, I was greeted with a salute of my friends from all over, Toronto, D.C. and Boston! It was too much...too overwhelming and so very touching. I'm so glad Wansy was there too so we could celebrate her birthday together as well. Paul came later as well, and the Capricorns were almost all present and accounted for. Friday night turned into Saturday brunch with Trish (our VIP roommate at the Hilton), shopping with Aur too, catching up at the Wannamaker/Nolan house and Capricornicopia Part III Saturday night. For those who need some background here, there are 5 of us that celebrate our birthdays within a few days of each other. Instead of doing individual gigs, the last couple of years we've reserved part of a bar downtown, and done a big fest. I was quite sad this year when I realized that wasn't going to happen...well, or so I thought. The only piece of the Capricorn puzzle that wasn't there was Cyn, though I know everyone had her tucked close to them in spirit.

How lucky was I, am I, to have such wonderful friends, a sister who's heart is bigger than her laundry pile, a boyfriend who loves me enough to get the OK from my boss to whisk me away for the weekend? It's what makes my heart feel so full and smile until it hurts. I'm sorry that Gia wasn't able to join us, though I completely understand that the trek from the other side of the Atlantic isn't so feasible. Thank you to everyone who helped make my 30th a number I didn't want to shy away from. In fact, I like it so much that I think I might just turn 30 again next year!

*Bonus points for anyone who knows the significance of Heddle Street in my life.

2007-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

30: Life's latest curve

If this is 30, I'll have it again next year too please. On Friday January 12th, at approximately 10:30 pm, the next decade rolled over, and I turned 30. There was some trepidation during the approaching days, but once it (and all the flowers!) arrived, I was happy to call 30 my new home. It isn't that I'm afraid of getting old, just resolving the inner conflict of where I thought I would be and where I am at 30. I've happily come to the conclusion that life at 30 rocks - with just enough responsibility to afford to play, and just little enough responsibility to still have the time to play, life is good.

Thanks for all the many happy wishes, cute cards, floral bouquets, and phone calls. It's so very thoughtful of you all and made me feel extra special. That and the fact that I still fit into the jeans I wore in my 20's!

After my work for the day was over, Kuy scooted me off to the salon for a mani/pedi before our night out. It took longer than expected so the ice wine martini's that awaited me at home had to be drunk quick! Much to my delight, my arrival home was also greeted with 4 warm little lava cakes, with strawberry compote warming on the stove, made by none other than Chef Boyardee. He has skills! Unfortunately we didn't have time for birthday cake then, so decided to wait until we returned later that night.

Our evening started out with a delicious seafood dinner at Kettle of Fish. At the foot of the Granville bridge, the restaurant provided impeccable service and equally tasty food. The crabcakes and scallops, with a cheese platter to round out the fare served as a perfect birthday meal. A short cab away was the Orpheum Theatre where we listened in awe to Ann Hampton Callaway, a jazz singer, with the Vancouver Symphony accompanying her. What a wonderfully entertaining show - if you get the chance, do see her.

Saturday we made our way down to Seattle to hook up with some friends, and Kuy's brother and sister in law as a final hurrah before they move to Belgrade! What a dynamic duo those two make. While we wish them all the luck in the world, they are far too capable to need it, so instead they'll have our support, always. Anywho, yet another gem on this west coast is the drive between Vancouver and Seattle. The cascade mountain range borders you on the east and the water for portions on the left. Mt.Baker stood majestically in the background all snow capped and silent on the way, and once in Seattle Mt.Ranier loomed in the background. It's about a 2.5 hour drive in total - pittance for such a destination. Especially when baseball season is upon us!

Much like Vancouver, Seattle is being hit by 'winter' weather - complete with snow, hail and ice. The roads were pretty slick on Saturday night - to the point that we even had to push Kuy's car up a hill! Sunday we spent huddled together at Ruston and Sheri's for brunch and football. The Seahawks unfortunately fell prey to the Bears, and as you can see from the look on their faces, we were held in intensity for most of the game.

It really was a fabulous weekend, and even better to know that I survived smiling, my first weekend at 30. With this kind of start, I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a good one.

2007-01-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Blow me over!

It seems the wild wild west has turned into the great white west. Whether you chalk it up to global warming, natural climate changes, or natural gas emissions from the all you can eat burrito buffet, the weather in Vancouver is definitely uncharacteristic. What used to be a mild and docile winter has been replaced by an uncharacteristically violent weathered winter.

I think we had all seasons in one day yesterday. It started off pretty typically - rainy and sogginess greeted us in morning. Later on that gave way to sun, so Kuy and I headed out to run a few errands on foot. Soon into our walk, the temperature seemed to fall and the wind picked up faster than a con artist. All of a sudden I felt like I wasn't in Kansas anymore; the wind was so strong is blew a street light off the bracket and I across the road. Seriously, I had never experienced anything like that. I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to, which was a little scary.

Within about an hour, the wind died down and the snow began to fall. Big, soft snowflakes fell from the sky and covered the ground. Of course, emergency crews were out and as was the power. Many in the lower mainland (while I don't know exactly where that is, I know its not us!) lost power and experienced serious snow storms, blowing snow and closed roads. The forecast says that while the snow will subside the temperatures will continue to fall - thank goodness for fireplaces!

2007-01-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ferry boats and pasta machines

Sounds like the beginning to a Euro take on a James Taylor tune, I know, but it nicely sums up our Sunday afternoon. Kuy and I decided to take some time out of unpacking and put some time into exploring our new city, so headed over to the Granville Island Market.

Now, perhaps I should preface this story with the rationale for the market as our destination. Way back in the summer (it was sooo many months ago now, I can't even remember exactly when) Kuy choose incorrectly in a bet on the World Cup semi-finalist winner and so had to make me an authentic Italian meal. To be fair there hasn't been a good opportunity for this to have happened yet, though I thought I'd help move it along by giving an Italian cookbook for Christmas. After initial delight and excitement, the book seems to have spawned a few purchases since, including a pasta machine. Yeah, that's right - I'm now living with Chef Boyardee, who's main goal in life seems to be to outdo the Olive Garden. Anywho, with the quest to make a fresh fettuccine with Oyster mushrooms, sweet garlic and arugula for dinner, we set off to the market.

About a 5 minute walk from our place found us at the ferry dock on English Bay. For a $4 round-trip fare, this ferry cab takes you to the market on Granville Island and back. While I think the cost is a little steep for the 2 minutes it takes, it was certainly fun to have a cab on water! And the island is phenomenal - kind of like the Distillery District meets St.Lawrence market, as it has artistry shops, galleries and of course, the fresh farmers' market.

After mowing down a couple of warm cookies, Kuy and I set off to find some arugula. We stumbled across an organic stand that had bunches of whole arugula and a box of just leaves. I picked up the bunch but Kuy said maybe it was too much. I noticed the box of leaves, picked up a big wad with my hand so the vendor could see it and said, "This is arugula, right"? He looked at me with shock, and then shot me a wry, "Well, whatever it is, you just bought yourself a handful of it." Drat. I felt like such an idiot. Days back at the Italian markets where you don't touch any of the produce for fear your meatballs would be hacked off, did me no good obviously. I out and out touched the produce with my dirty hands. Man, I'm a tool. Fortunately, he and Kuy had a good sense of humor about it so after buying a handful (of course), and a few bulbs of unrequired garlic as goodwill, the red in my cheeks started to dissipate.

Later that evening, while I was hemming new curtains, my chef strapped on his new apron, rigged up the pasta machine, and started to crank out yellow gold. For a first attempt, he did wonderfully - Mario Battalli would have been proud of his student. I'm beginning to get the feeling though that if he could, we'd be having cheerio-ghetti for breakfast, penne sandwiches for lunch and dyno-linguine for dinner. I suppose there are worse things in life - he could have purchased a karaoke machine.

All in all...a fabulous first weekend in our new place!

2007-01-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

Random Crap

About half way through the furniture delivery yesterday, Ken, one of our trusty movers, came into the apartment yesterday with a wry smile on his face, a stack of boxes on a dolly and asked, "Where would like me to put this random crap?". I was taken aback at first, then realized that he was only reading the box's label! I thought it was a fitting title for today's blog posting.

The trueness of the label is really what hit me; how have we, both living in small apartments, managed to collect so much schtuff? Its not even been 24 hours of having our things that we've already seemed to have amassed 4 'junk' drawers. You know, the drawer the we all have containing a unique collection of pizza coupons, rubber bands, bread ties, batteries of questionable vintage, and odd bits of homeless prose. Now imagine that times what seems like a bazillion...all over the floor. And that pretty much sums up what our pad looks like!

Kuy's brother Craig and sister-in-law Maja popped by on their way up to Whistler. In spite of the littering of boxes, clothing and furniture, they seemed to like the place. While there might be some bias at play, I appreciate, we were still thrilled to have a happy couple in our new home. With a little bit of sweat, a dash of luck and some other random things, I think we might be able to pull this one off!

2007-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

Capital punishment & Coastal views

A few things to discuss this morning. Firstly, as you read through, you'll notice a plentiful use of capitals in this posting. While I enjoy the lack thereof, it would seem that not all share this view. As the majority rules, and I'm not the one doing the reading here, from this point forward I will be blogging with capitals. Onward!

From views on capitals to capitalizing on views, Kuy and I took our first seawall stroll yesterday. As the morning clouds parted and the rain departed we headed south out of our apartment down to the coastal path. The neighborhood down to the shore is primarily residential, and mostly low rise apartment buildings. They are quite eclectic really - some modern, some '70s cool, some brightly painted and others desperately needing a makeover. There are a few high rises in there too though as they're few and far between they don't really muck up the skyline.

After about 7 minutes of strolling, we were at the water. Wow - what incredible views. I stopped every 2 minutes it seemed to snap pics. The best part is, as Kuy pointed out, that I'm taking loads of photos and not even on vacation. This gorgeous backdrop is where we live! Pretty cool when I thought about it.

We felt pretty lazy walking while everyone else seemed to be running. Oh, the joys of not having a new year's resolution (or at least not having had one's running gear delivered yet!). As soon as my stuff gets here though, my iPod and I will be hitting the trail. I can imagine it'll be hard to get bored of that view and the path winds into Stanley Park.

We didn't spend much time in the park but we couldn't believe the destruction we saw. Huge trees completely uprooted by the heavy winds they had here just before we arrived. Pretty powerful and scary when you think about it. There was something in the paper yesterday about the crazy weather patterns and that most of them were behind us now. It was interesting to hear that North Vancouver, so about a few kilometres north of downtown, gets 40% more rain a year than downtown. They've been hard hit this year - floods, snow storms and heavy winds. You can see this tree in Stanley Park is completely uprooted.

And that's all for now. Stay tuned for tomorrow's tales with furniture as its due to arrive in a few hours. Tables and chairs and beds, oh my!

2007-01-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

what a difference a day makes

the following takes place between 21:00 and 23:59 on new year's eve

kuy and i are hooked. considering neither of us had cable before we moved here and that it took us until the labour day weekend to watch our first movie together, the fact that we're living for our next fix of 24 is ironic. but its true.

since we didn't have our luggage, furniture and barely our dignity on nye, we decided to rent a flick to accompany our hardwood floor side bc salmon dinner. we had both heard good things about 24 so decided to start at the very beginning and give season 1 a shot. well, it took us about 2 brie chunks and 1 salmon mouthful before we were hooked. both of us stared entraced, mouths open at the screen as we watched jack bauer slide through the halls of ctu hq. at the end of the 4 episode dvd, we both looked at each other and without saying a word knew what we had to do: go out and rent the next set.

the following takes place between 20:00 and 22:45 on the day after the new year

and that's what we did. so now we're half way through the first season, and since we are now 'internetted', we can watch the rest at any time! dinah washington was right - what a difference a day makes. however, i'd beg to differ when she croons, "24 little hours". phft! anything but little...this show is larger than tv.

now, did someone say something about mountains?

2007-01-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

smooth as a 5 o'clock shadow

just to change things up a bit, i'll give you the ending first. we've arrived in vancouver and are in our new apartment. now, as that' doesn't make for a very interesting blog entry, i'll recount the bits leading up to the here and now.

kuy and i were doing our final packing routine on the morning of saturday december 30th, as planned, including taking a last pass at our itinerary for peace of mind. after a moment of silence, i heard kuy chortle and then blurt out, "toronto to vancouver, friday december 29th!". argh. after some encyclopedia Brown investigational work, it seemed that the travel agent mixed up the dates and actually had us scheduled to arrive a day earlier. thankfully for kuy's super elite* status, we were able to get booked on a flight through montreal later on saturday evening. phew.

with our 6 bags checked in (again, thank goodness for super elite status), we met my lovely sisters and tyler in toronto for a last supper (minus the 12 dudes). during dinner, air canada called to say first, that we were scheduled on a new flight to montreal as the original one had been cancelled and then 5 minutes later, they called again to say we were now on a direct flight to van. to a novice, this may seem like good news. to a jaded, 4 times screwed over passenger, this was a red flag; while i had no we would end up in vancouver saturday night, i had little faith in our bags' arrival.

and i was right. at 11pm on saturday night, we found ourselves in line at the baggage claim counter. if you've seen planes, trains and automobiles, then you'll know what i mean when i tell you that we weren't met with the most helpful of attendants. before she knew we were super elite status she gave me a form to fill out if i had lost my bags. i had lost my bags? kuy had to hold me back. since our air mattress, frying pan and 2 wine glasses were in our luggage, we had no place to stay; kuy eventually persuaded the woman to give us $50 to put towards a hotel room. we spent our first night in vancouver at the days inn.

sunday we spent trying to make the most of the day with the little we had; we managed to buy paint for the bedroom, get an account at blockbuster, buy some salmon for our cowboy nye dinner and turn on the gas fireplace in our apartment. oh, yeah - I had also managed to forget my wallet at the hotel, so had to have it 'cabbed' over to the new apartment. by about 6pm we were back at the apartment waiting both our luggage and the new year. the only question was which was going to arrive first.

ironically they arrived together. we rang in the new year on the curb, with our luggage and the delivery man. good times.

the cable man is coming later this afternoon, the car tomorrow and hopefully our furniture by the end of the week. after a rocky start (appropriate i suppose) things are starting to come together, in spite of how this picture looks. hopefully the next picture i post will include a real carpet on the floor instead of our clothes ;)

* sorry ladies, in spite of the word super, there is no red cape.

2006-11-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

wagons west!

just wanted to share some fun news with you - kuy and i are moving to vancouver at the end of december. indeed - we both have soft spots for water advisories and snow storms, so it'll be great! he's being relocated for work (its a lot closer to asia than montreal is!) and i'm moving with him for the salmon. fortunately big blue letting me keep my job and work remotely so it should be a smooth transition from a work standpoint.

we were out there a few weekends ago and found an apartment in the west end. on this map, we're on barclay, between jervis and bute street. its a sweet spot - a 5 min walk east of stanley park, a 5 minute walk north of english bay beach, and a 15 minute walk from downtown! it's a 2 bed/2 bath uber spacious apt in a low rise apartment building, and the neighbourhood is very residential so its got a great vibe to it - though that might also be becuase its on the edge of the gay-bourhood. there's plenty of space for visitors so consider this an open invitation! kuy's parents are out for easter so anytime after that we'll have the tour and the hotspots down to a science.

we will be receiving correspondance and visitors as of dec 28th. hopefully we'll see you over the holidays, and if not, we hope to see you out west!

2006-11-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

misbehavin' tonight

while i wasn't throwing rotten eggs, scaring little kids or asking for seconds on coveted halloween treats, i was toe-tapping deep to some wicked music. here unfolds the tale of my halloween adventures; this year, it was pure treat, and no tricks, strings or other things attached. christie treated me to an evening at roy thompson hall to listen to the sounds of the tso accompanying distinguished jazz artist byron stripling.

and let me tell you, my treat bag was full. it was the first time i had returned to rth in over 2 decades. the last time i was there, i must have been about 10 and my dad took gia and i there for an sunday afternoon at the pops show. while still magnificent, the place was a lot smaller than i remembered, but then again, so are halloween chocolate bars so perhaps its just my perception that's off. the acoustics in the hall are tremendous, sounds billowing all around you, and crisp and clear tones of duke ellington danced in our ears. my toes were no longer consciously attached - they had a rhythmn all their own that night.

while i had never heard of bryon stripling before, from the moment he walked out on stage, i knew it was to be the first of encounters. to start, the man has a stage presence paralleling the great entertainers of our time. you attention rests solely on him as though magically drawn and you are powerless. and its well worth it. he is witty, talented as both a musician and a singer, and quite dashing. he along with the tso, did a mix of jazz classics from the likes of calloway, fats waller and of course, satchmo armstrong. it was fabulous! you've probably actually hear the man before - he is the sound behind the 20/20 and CNN theme songs.

and for all your under 30s in the house, check out the tsoundcheck deals - most shows are available at serious discounts.

2006-10-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

new pornographers, old sound

aur and i checked out the np's at koolhaus last night. while their look was not old school, their sound kinda was (how's that for a definitive answer). i mean, i couldn't help but see tom hanks and the rest of the 'that thing you do' cast scurry across the stage when i closed my eyes.

that being said, i really enjoyed the music. this group of 7 vancouver musicians, each with their own side-car projects, join together in for interesting sound mix of hyper-melodies and indie rock. most of the songs (i think from their latest album twin cinema) rely pretty heavily on neko case, who shares the microphone for the melodies on a good number of the tracks and lays down solid harmonies on most of the others. not to mention some tinkling of the electric ivories. she definitely has a better voice than newman (newman!) but he makes up for it in energy and style. apparently, as aur has enlightened me (thanks tyler) newman (newman!) and case aren't exactly the best of friends, but perhaps that's what gives the sound its edge and fire.

however, the show itself left some thing like 'a real show' to be desired. there was no light effects, no strobing pulses to reflect the drum beats, no extended solos or jams and my personal pet peeve, virtually no chatting with the fans. please, give me something...reassure me that the $27 i paid* for the ticket was much better that putting on the cd and inviting a few friends over.
aur said that it was pretty much the same show that she saw them do last august, so perhaps they are just getting tired of the gig. back to the studio, kids?

*and by i paid i really mean auriol paid; thanks for the ticket big!

2006-10-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

hanging out at the vinyl cafe

dave and morley were there. stephanie and sam too. murray mclauchlan, roxanne potvin, and a few other musicians were in the house too. and of course, stuart mclean was the one responsible for bringing us all together.

i went to my first vinyl cafe show last night in brantford and was delighted with every morsel. stu has the art of storytelling downpat; his pauses just dramatic enough to have you wanting more, his enthusiasm contagious and his balance of humor and heart string tug, poignant. we got to hear 3 dave and morley stories in total - two old one which i hadn't heard before and a new one about rollarcoasters and how sam taught dave to be a kid again.

but the stories weren't the entire show. stu said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his good friend peter gzowski who introduced us to both new members of the canadian literary scene as well as keeping us in touch with old friends. instead of authors, stu welcomed musicians into the show. we were introduced to roxanne potvin, a rising sensation out of hull quebec. her guitar accompanied voice indicated a clear appreciation for roots music in all forms; hints of blues, and a dash of folk dotted her tunes as she looked very much at ease on stage. this fresh face was in contrast to murray mclauchlan, a canadian classic with the likes of gordon lightfoot. while i didn't recognize any of his tunes his finale, a child's song, left me glassy eyed. it told the story of a young man who's time it was to leave home, in search for his own life. while the boy was sad to be leaving, he knew that it is something he has to do because, "...each of us must see what we can see". very timely given my upcoming move across the country.

and doted between all this were a few give aways (to the oldest -89- and the youngest -6- in the crowd), a couple of solo numbers by stu's pianist and bassist and a great number in which the entire cast put on an old radio show performance. rife with sound effects, bad yolks and an equally rotten plot, the story of eggs blackstone, a dried up radio show cowboy, was extremely entertaining.

so now i can add vinyl cafe to my list of canadiana firsts. but i will not be adding it to my lists of lasts. and so the story continues....

2006-09-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

acting random

$200.
a passport.
and 24 hours to kill.
that's all we needed to set off into the most random day of my life.

let me see if i can set the mood for you. at 8am on saturday kuy, mel, joel and i, dressed as two nuns and two priests, pulled up to a park in downtown t.o. in a hummer. and the hummer had a just married sign attached to its rear grill. random? exactly. we were team holy hummer and we were on a mission to win this year's act random event.

for the last three years, marc rigaux* has organized this car rally where all the details unknownst to each team until that morning. when you show up saturday morning, you are given a list of tasks and destinations to hit during the day. points are awarded for completing the task and even more points are awarded for completing random acts along the way. for example, you get 100 points for attending a kids soccer game, and even more if you, let's say, get the parents to reinact the zidane headbutt incident.

it was an amazing time. we started off at whirlyball in north toronto; basically think bumper cars and wiffle ball. throw in a few fat suits and you've got yourself a hilarious day. from there we took off for our orangeville (voted top spot to get mooned), neustadt (all hail the brewery -best 10W30 i've ever downed), and varney for a little stock car racing. we ended the day up at blue mountain, tired but still gunning for victory. while we didn't take home the overall champ trophy, we did win the most random act award - while two nuns posing with a harley troop and draped over a monster truck, or a priest biting a large wooden beaver or chasing chickens are classic shots, we sealed the deal with drinking milk out of a carton at an open house. sweet random victory.

my only regret was that i waited this long to get in the game. whatever i was doing the last two years on this weekend couldn't have nearly been as important. i know this becasue i can't remember what i did those weekends but i do remember this weekend. i hope marc continues this streak of fun. and if he does, make sure you sign up. you'll be in for the most random day of your life.

*and just for the record, this guy is a champ; more random than a shreddy in a box of coco puffs, marc is that guy that stumbles into the right bar on the right night to add a rock paper scissors victory to his resume. he's charming, he's lovely, he's random, he's funny. get in his game.

2006-09-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

to do list tales: the drive-in

when kuy got back in the car from checking out the box office line up, he announced the truth. we were about to pull into the redneck bed and breakfast; shirts were optional, import cars frowned upon and grease on the menu. but i didn't care. in fact i was eager to get the full experience at this my first drive-in affair. after all, i only have another 4 months to tick off everything on my 'before 30' to do list.

we were there early so got a great spot dead center about two rows back. by the time i reached into the glove compartment to pull out our illegally smuggled in snacks, the lot quickly filled with pickups and minivans. suddenly my genius snacks idea seemed like peanuts. these people were professionals carrying inflatable mattresses and dirty children in the back. reversing into their spot meant they had the perfect in-car theatre setup going on. sweet deal. so the guy on the drive-in information line really wasn't lying - this really is where families are made.

just to ensure the movie had my full attention, i ran to the bathroom before the previews were set to start. keeping a low profile so as to not disturb any in-car shows, i followed the advice of the box office attendent and went to the nicer washrooms behind screen 1. the multiple moths nests and heavy scent of rotting fries grease looming in the air had me wondering how the bathrooms behind screen 2 could have been worse?

the previews were classic. and i mean that literally. with a voice like walt cleaver, the narrator of the animated short gave us in the audience an overview of the services provided. i swear the dude's grandchildren are even retired. anyway, it was cute and reassured me that i was spending my time well. we saw invincible, both because it was a football movie and because mark whalberg was headlining. for your classic disney inspriational sports flick, it was actually pretty good. perfectly timed for the 2006 nfl season kickoff, this feel good movie of the year had even me an eagles fan. or was i just a mark whalberg in his tight eagles pants fan? oh, hell - who can tell the difference.

at the intermission between movies, kuy and i decided we needed to indulge in drive-in hut snacks so we dodged headlights as we bolted for the snack hut. 2 orders of fries and a mountain of ketchup later we were back in the car, sun roof open eagerly awaiting movie #2, crank. we had such high hopes for ourselve - we would be able to stay awake for it. we weren't wimps. but soon after the fries were done and the movie had started we hit a wall. the thrill of the big screen and the outdoors air lost its appeal in between yawns and i just wanted to drive into my bed.

i must say, i loved the drive- in. going in september seemed to be a perfect time of year becasue there were no mosquitos and it wasn't unbearably hot sitting inside the car. there's something about this modern day open air theatre that's exciting and comfortable all in the same breath.

yeah, yeah, i know...most people have started and ended illustrious careers, flown to the moon and back, and set crocheting records in the time that it has taken me to get to a drive-in movie theatre, but oh, well. i was busy doing other things, like having my first poutine.

2006-09-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

wait for the lemonade

mondays usually have an air of suckiness to them but this one seem to start off the week a forecast of gloom. for an official 2752 families and unofficially for many more, the day began with mourning*. on a selfish front i also lost an earring, was incredibly late for work, and went through a 10 minute panic fest thinking i had lost my wallet. to top it off i was to meet up with some girlfriends for dinner in the evening to help console a friend who had recently lost her grandfather. by the time i arrived on her doorstep, just having exited the rush hour dvp traffic battlegrounds, i was wound up tighter than patrick swayze's pants and feeling less than stellar. grey was my palette.

but soon after lisa opened the door, things changed. her golden retrievers excitedly came bounding to the entrance way, tails wagging and tongues hanging (i've been told this is how they say "rock on - cool to see you man!"). the kitchen counter was lined with bright green peppers and red salsa awaiting suppertime, and the sunset cast an orange hue over the dinner table. after sharing deep felt hugs and warm hellos, we tucked into our interactive meal; hands on food and story swaps. we gabbed over ange's wedding pics, lisa recounted her recent trip out east and kathryn shared stories of her poppa's favourite colour yellow. for a moment, i seemed to hover outside myself and watched the scene unfolding in front of me; a bunch of friends sharing a meal, supporting each other, brought together because of a loss, but really so deeply filled with loved. i realized in that moment that my day wasn't so grey afterall. i didn't care so much about the earring or being late anymore. the traffic jam was now miles behind me. i suddenly didn't remember much about how the day began, but could not dismiss what it looked like when it ended.

so the next time life hands me lemons, i'll say thanks and go share them with my friends.

*note: no, this isn't another 9/11 commentary; i'll leave that to the thousands of others who have already done so

2006-09-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

to do list tales: conquering mt.poutine

just for the record, i am a canadian. i own a touque (a fushia pink angora hat counts, right?), i know the difference between maple and table syrup, i have stuck my tongue to a telephone pole in the middle of winter (or was that a popsicle in the middle of summer?) and know that its the face-off, not the kickoff, that starts the all-canadian game of hockey. but for whatever reason, i hadn't eaten a plate of poutine until today.

with a boyfriend who lives in montreal, it is almost as though i was destined not to have taken the plunge until now. i mean, having my first poutine experience in any province other than quebec, would be like trying the meatloaf surprise in the school cafeteria or wearing white after labour day. its just wrong. so, we scoped out a location and circled today on the calendar as the day my life (or at least artieries) would change forever.

la banquise was small, cute and known from as far away as chicago for their gourmet poutine. the grease pit take out line is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door - a genius design for those who don't want to be recognized and would prefer to enjoy their guilty pleasure behind closed doors. we found a spot on the patio and quickly had some light beers in hand. the menus consisted mainly of poutine dishes (quelle surprise), each with their own special topping combinations. who knew poutine could be so versatile? while the kamikaze, t-rex, and bom sounded interesting, we finally settled on a small classic and a small elvis. the latter was my idea - sauteed onions, gried peppers and ground beef sounded like an excellent companion for curds and gravy.

the dishes came quickly from the front grill to our table and it wasn't until i got close to the bottom of the dish that i believed that fries actually did exist under it all. dripping in goooey goodness, i lifted my laden fork to my mouth with both trepidation and excitement. i had prepared myself for too long not to love this. and i did. every last bite of it. for what its worth, the fries didn't taste greasy at all, though perhaps that's because it was acting behind the guise of beef goo. regardless, i loved poutine. the shame of waiting nearly 30 years to try this hang over goodness hit me like a wet slab of beef.

overcome with this new love, i did a little research on this faire. turns out there are a number of ways to pronounce poutine, but this audio clip on how to pronouce the word poutine is priceless. please tell me i won't turn into this dude if i eat more than 3 plates of this stuff in my life. and for the diy-s out there, here's a recipe. your mom will be happy as it also includes side dish suggestions just to ensure you get a well rounded meal.

but let me assure the rest of you poutine virgins out there, its well worth the wait.

2006-09-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

something stings

why are we such a bunch of rubber-necking, thrill-seeking, gore-loving busy bodies? the live footage of the crocodile hunters' death is this week's entertainment buzz and its a little irritating, to be honest.

yes, i know that he told his camera man that should anything ever happen to him, he was to continue rolling the tape. and yes, i get that the man was all about risk tasking so his death was just the penultimate stunt.

its not surprising then that people want to see this final encounter. but is this really the way to bear homage to this wild pet lover? it seems to be more about sensationalizing the sensational rather than blessing his bravado. i mean, making out with poisonous snakes (pamela anderson aside), and running alongside kamoto dragons like a kid following the ice cream truck, is entertaining and worth watching when no one gets hurt. it shows off his skill and highlights the tight wire thin balance between man and beast. however, waiting impatiently for the footage so you can download it to your laptop and watch it repeatedly from behind your spread fingers, with jaw dropped, gut churning the whole time does not sound enjoyable nor respectful. why do we love the gore? why are we fascinated by other's misfortune?

instead, my vote is to run a crocodile hunter movie marathon at local theatres and rather than charging admission, ask for donations to the wildlife protection society of australia has his memorial coverage. and oh, yeah, we should really have free flowing kegs of fosters there too, just in case the movie footage gets a little too much to bear.

2006-09-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

cyco-drama

on a recent roadtrip to eastern quebec, kuy and i decided to stop in the small and peaceful town of st.anne de beau-pre to pick up some religious tat for grams (gasp! did i really just type that?) and the obligatory pee break. as expected, buses filled the parking lot transporting pilgrimming seniors, en route to the casino i'm sure. the church was actually quite humbling; a myriad of crutches hung in the entrance way as signs of god's work, and beautifully ornate alters lined its perimeter. that being said, the shrine did have circus like tendencies with its 'blessings booth', and a shop the size of any self respecting starbucks. i supposed that's the price you have to pay for being canada's most famous catholic shrine.

but that was pittance compared to the holy spectacle at the end of the road. even from behind our shreds of religious receipts, the cyclorama de jerusalem reached out and grabbed hold of us. the signs on every side of the colossal building beckoned us to come closer. needless to say kuy and i were knocked off our blessed bottoms at this magnificent site and stared in awe. it was almost too much to bear and so decided not to go in for fear we'd never leave.

i described this religious expereince to my father who chuckled and told the story of how his grandma took him there as a kid. apparently this panorama of jesus' life is not impressive enough on its own and one needs to be wearing 3-D glasses in order to holy experience this phenomenon.

wow. and here i thought the flds was over the top.