Last night I was talking to JH over GMail Chat and we were discussing the fact that I was going to miss my family in Mexico now that I'm on my way back to Vancouver. She made the point that I will be now returning to my other family, the friends I have there. And I really liked the fact that she reminded me that friends are the family we choose.
I have been blessed with several groups of amazing friends. Receiving emails or MSN chats from my close friends, or even phone calls in some cases, is one of the greatest privileges one can have. Over these holidays, I had the opportunity to see two of my childhood best friends: LDG for dinner one night, AAF literally at the bus depot on his way back to Aguascalientes. I also had the chance to spend some time with three of my very best friends from undergraduate (I and A and their son, and LE and his family). I was invited to be the date of my good friend AE, and got to see my co-workers and friends. We had my good friend CSG for breakfast at my Mom's place and attended several traditional Posadas. I spent New Years' Eve with ML, I and A and their family. And how could I forget two amazing visits to San Miguel Allende, where I spent some time with HZ's parents (particularly his Mom as his Dad had to travel on an emergency trip). I was extremely touched when NZ answered to the question "did your son visit San Miguel?" (referring to HZ) and she responded "no, he couldn't make it but he sent his brother" (referring to me). *swoon*
On the Vancouver side of things, I did miss two really good parties I wish I had attended, Christmas party hosted by HZ and CS and New Years Party hosted by AF and DM. My good friends from Vancouver have been sending me emails saying "come back, we miss you, it's too quiet here without you". And of course, I've been travelling around for two weeks with my Vancouver-born friend ML. It's really heartwarming to feel so loved.
My Mom was in awe (and very happy) the other day about the fact that I got so many amazing friends. The great thing about friend-families, is that they extend and expand, as long as we put the work into it. My Mom now has three new 'sisters' in San Miguel de Allende!
I toast to friendships, old, new, renewed and 'dormant'. To the great gift of happiness. Because we as friends are blessed to be the witnesses to each other's lives...
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Monday, January 07, 2008
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Bar review - The TransContinental
The past couple of weeks, I have been feeling myself again. That meant of course taking the time to rekindle old friendships that had been dormant for a while. K and R are two close friends of mine with whom I hadn't had the opportunity to spend significant amounts of time.
In a way, I think I (involuntarily) pushed them away because I didn't want to pretend I was all that well, when it wasn't the case. I felt like I had to apologize for my behavior. However, both K and R were extremely sweet and understanding, and they said I had nothing to apologize for. It was so nice to have again a chance to just chat and talk about the good old times, like when we used to go for brunch to a different restaurant every Sunday.
I agreed to come downtown to make it easier for K and R, who generously treated me to drinks and appetizers at The Transcontinental. The Transcontinental is an upscale restaurant/bar located in the Canadian Pacific Railway Station. A branch/new location of popular post-work drinks hangout Steamworks, The Transcontinental is much nicer in many ways than Steamworks itself (less loud, more room and better atmosphere, in my opinion).
Not to diss Steamworks, though! I really enjoy going there for a drink after work, but I am not always able to talk to people because it is quite loud. Nevertheless, I show up for Green Drinks @ Steamworks quite often. But I think I enjoy better The Transcontinental.
The service wasn't as good as I expected it to be (the server was quite bad, actually). The first spiced rum for K was flat, but the second one was better. The appetizers were quite good (when they finally showed up). However, the best part of the evening was spending time with K and R like old times. It was almost like no time had ever passed.
It is very nice to find that, no matter how much you push your friends away (consciously or unconsciously), they always find a way to get back in your life. And I am very happy that K and R came back to my life. Really, I'll say they never left. They gave me enough space to sort my life out and now that I am back as the Raul I (and they) used to know, they've welcomed me back with open arms. So that means that when I get back to Vancouver in the New Year, brunch Sundays will be back with a vengeance :-) Yipee!!!!
In a way, I think I (involuntarily) pushed them away because I didn't want to pretend I was all that well, when it wasn't the case. I felt like I had to apologize for my behavior. However, both K and R were extremely sweet and understanding, and they said I had nothing to apologize for. It was so nice to have again a chance to just chat and talk about the good old times, like when we used to go for brunch to a different restaurant every Sunday.
I agreed to come downtown to make it easier for K and R, who generously treated me to drinks and appetizers at The Transcontinental. The Transcontinental is an upscale restaurant/bar located in the Canadian Pacific Railway Station. A branch/new location of popular post-work drinks hangout Steamworks, The Transcontinental is much nicer in many ways than Steamworks itself (less loud, more room and better atmosphere, in my opinion).
Not to diss Steamworks, though! I really enjoy going there for a drink after work, but I am not always able to talk to people because it is quite loud. Nevertheless, I show up for Green Drinks @ Steamworks quite often. But I think I enjoy better The Transcontinental.
The service wasn't as good as I expected it to be (the server was quite bad, actually). The first spiced rum for K was flat, but the second one was better. The appetizers were quite good (when they finally showed up). However, the best part of the evening was spending time with K and R like old times. It was almost like no time had ever passed.
It is very nice to find that, no matter how much you push your friends away (consciously or unconsciously), they always find a way to get back in your life. And I am very happy that K and R came back to my life. Really, I'll say they never left. They gave me enough space to sort my life out and now that I am back as the Raul I (and they) used to know, they've welcomed me back with open arms. So that means that when I get back to Vancouver in the New Year, brunch Sundays will be back with a vengeance :-) Yipee!!!!
Congratulations Miss604 on your 4 years!
Rebecca Bollwitt (aka Miss604) is celebrating four years of blogging and I'm taking this opportunity to congratulate her on my own blog. You'll see... even though we live in the same city, and technically only a short commute from each other (I understand John and Rebecca live in the West End, while I live in Mount Pleasant), we have never met in person.
However, it was Rebecca who encouraged me to Blogathon (I chose the charity, A Loving Spoonful, but basically she gave me the gentle push to join in Blogathoning). She has also provided some really useful, techie, geeky advice and even invited me to be a guest blogger on her own blog, which was a great honour (and a lot of fun, I might add).
Rebecca has also challenged me to think about relevant issues, including the ethics of blogging (and photo credits), the divide between mainstream media and bloggers, and at times, about fun stuff such as "do we need Starbucks at Skytrain stations?". Here is a toast to her four years of blogging, and to many more to come.
However, it was Rebecca who encouraged me to Blogathon (I chose the charity, A Loving Spoonful, but basically she gave me the gentle push to join in Blogathoning). She has also provided some really useful, techie, geeky advice and even invited me to be a guest blogger on her own blog, which was a great honour (and a lot of fun, I might add).
Rebecca has also challenged me to think about relevant issues, including the ethics of blogging (and photo credits), the divide between mainstream media and bloggers, and at times, about fun stuff such as "do we need Starbucks at Skytrain stations?". Here is a toast to her four years of blogging, and to many more to come.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Much to say, too little time
So you'll have to apologize my point-form post...
The next few days will be crazy so don't expect content to be posted very frequently. But I'll keep you on the loop, I promise.
- M's birthday was on Monday, and I was so crazy busy trying to finish a major piece of work that I completely forgot. It wasn't until Thursday that she reminded me and I feel SO guilty about having forgotten her birthday like you have no idea. Given M's sense of loyalty and dedication to her friends, family and work, I feel twice as guilty. Admittedly, I was super stressed. But I should have made sure to send her a birthday email. Luckily I do have her birthday gift already and I'll take her out for dinner to make up for my forgetfulness.
- Had a wonderful American Thanksgiving dinner thanks to the hospitality of M and K. Good friends of mine C and H were also there, as well as three other friends of the hosts. Lots of laugh, good food, and great times. And yeah, I'm still a light-weight. Two and a half glasses of wine made my evening quite the experience, he he he.
- One of my best friends, who is now living a split life between Madrid and Mexico City, called me this morning. It was so nice to hear his voice again. We met in Vancouver around a decade ago, and we have maintained a very strong bond despite the physical distance. This friend of mine (CB) is very successful and it was nice to catch up as though no time had passed.
- My best friend from high school's birthday (LEAD) was yesterday, November 22nd. I really did intent to call him but I've been running around so much it was pretty much impossible. Oh, well, I'll have to make it up when I visit.
- My great friends C and B managed to sneak a visit with KW, since she's visiting them for American Thanksgiving. Since C and B will have a ton of friends over for these holidays, I know that it'll be a complete madhouse at their place. But we managed to do lunch together (at Denny's of all places, and it was quite good) and then we did coffee on Granville Island. Spending time with C and B and KW is always really fun, and I got to meet JN's mom and brother too. Very nice people. I still can't believe I've done so much socializing in the past day!
The next few days will be crazy so don't expect content to be posted very frequently. But I'll keep you on the loop, I promise.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Music Review - Vogue by Madonna
November is a month of birthdays. Many of my good friends, my niece, my male best friend from my undergraduate and my late auntie's birthday are all in November. My best friend in undergrad (LE) has always been very close to me even though we are separated by thousands of miles. He pushed me to try harder, to be better, even if sometimes he was a slacker at school.
Through our friendship, he learned to be sweeter and I learned to be more pragmatical. One of the best ways to remember him is through the song Vogue. I am (as you might have read before) a trained dancer, and I have choreographed many songs before. I put this one together (Vogue) for our undergraduate graduation. LE was the lead (in drag as Madonna), and he did a fabulous job. So I toast to good memories, to his (upcoming) birthday and to our friendship. Gracias amigo :) Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... Vogue (courtesy of YouTube).
Through our friendship, he learned to be sweeter and I learned to be more pragmatical. One of the best ways to remember him is through the song Vogue. I am (as you might have read before) a trained dancer, and I have choreographed many songs before. I put this one together (Vogue) for our undergraduate graduation. LE was the lead (in drag as Madonna), and he did a fabulous job. So I toast to good memories, to his (upcoming) birthday and to our friendship. Gracias amigo :) Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... Vogue (courtesy of YouTube).
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Blogging under the influence
I am sure all of you remember my post on intexticating or Texting Under the Influence (TUI). Well, I'm not the only blogger who has Blogged Under the Influence (BUI). Apparently, this situation arises more often than people would like to believe. Other bloggers have done it even if they think it's a bad idea.
In my case, my good friend LB was kind enough to invite me over for dinner (pasta with mushrooms) and drinks (vanilla martinis). After 3 martinis, I thought "I should make myself scarce", so I B-Line'd it home (or at least, I thought so). What would be my surprise when I was abruptly woken up at Rupert Skytrain station "Sir, you are at the Rupert terminus... where are you going?". I was SO embarrassed that I simply took off.
Skytrained it to Commercial Drive, had two slices of pizza (from different locales) and then walked home. I am still embarrassed about it. Please help me get over this embarrassing feeling. Spill the beans about some time when you got horribly drunk.
In my case, my good friend LB was kind enough to invite me over for dinner (pasta with mushrooms) and drinks (vanilla martinis). After 3 martinis, I thought "I should make myself scarce", so I B-Line'd it home (or at least, I thought so). What would be my surprise when I was abruptly woken up at Rupert Skytrain station "Sir, you are at the Rupert terminus... where are you going?". I was SO embarrassed that I simply took off.
Skytrained it to Commercial Drive, had two slices of pizza (from different locales) and then walked home. I am still embarrassed about it. Please help me get over this embarrassing feeling. Spill the beans about some time when you got horribly drunk.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Restaurant review - Chill Winston (Gastown)
Living in Vancouver and not participating in the Gastown dining and dancing scene is akin to eating ice cream without a cone. Walking around Water Street at night with good friends pretty much ranks high up there with being curled on the couch watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate: pure bliss.
We hadn't had a chance to spend time together as a group, so B, H, C and myself decided to go out for dinner, and we settled (at B's suggestion) on the general Gastown area. I hadn't spent substantial amounts in this area in recent years because this was the general area where my ex and I used to hang out all the time. Thus... you can imagine, bad memories!
So my friends decided that it was time to exorcise those demons, and we settled for a restaurant in Gastown that both H and I had been wanting to go to (and B had already beeen to): Chill Winston.
From the outset, Chill Winston looks sort of, kind of hipster-ish. Located at the very end of Gastown, on Alexander Street, it boasts a great patio. However, once you are inside, you can discover that the place has a great ambiance. The lighting, the tables, the overall decor and distribution of furniture and bar, everything looks in place. The food is excellent as far as taste goes.
Now, the critical part comes here. I am not fond of restaurants where the service is sub-par, and Chill Winston's restaurant practices are so wrong on so many levels it's not even funny. The portions are very small and overpriced (for what they are, I think they're charging too much). We ordered anchovies and some carpaccio in the way of appetizers, and then I ordered salmon ($15 for two micro-slices) and potatoes (which I'll have to admit were really good). H and I shared a dessert (the seven varieties of chocolate) which was also rather small ($ 8). B had been here for lunch and she had mentioned it had been good, which I can believe. She ordered the turkey dish, which I found extremely tasty. The dessert (while small) was also to-die-for. I found the salmon quite bland, though.
Now, I am sorry but if you are going to charge between $15 and $30 per entree, I am expecting you to at least provide me with substantial portions, good flavor and great service. And I expect the bread and butter to be free (we got charged for two orders of bread and butter, can you believe it?). While my friends think that this level of poor service is pretty much normal for Vancouver's dining scene, I was very disappointed (particularly having just recently had dinner at places like The Cascade Room, La Bodega and The Water Street Cafe, where the service is superb).
The waitress didn't offer to bring a glass of water to everyone on the table, we had to ask for it. Paper napkins? You have got to be kidding me. I could not believe it... No, no, no! Oh, and you want to hear the kicker? The waitress asked us if we were done with dessert. We said "no, we're still working on it". Five or ten minutes later, the manager (apparently she was the manager, not sure if she was but she looked like it) came and asked us "are you still working on your dessert?". I can take a hint, thank you very much. The charging for bread and butter, the paper napkins and the not-so-subtle "can you please get out of here now?" were definitely deal-sealers and I am not coming back here for dinner.
Honestly speaking, the food is great, the ambiance is excellent but I wouldn't call Chill Winston a place to dine out. This is a place to go and have one or two drinks with friends (a lounge). I found the place overpriced and lacking in service. And those are two factors that will always drive me away from any restaurant.
Anyhow, I have to agree with H when he says that when I started my blog, I thought of my restaurant reviews as just accounts of what had transpired that evening with my friends, and now I have a more of a food-critic eye. I think that's true and I can't help it. I eat out a lot, and I compare restaurants on the basis of service, food, and pricing.
One thing I can't deny is that I had a really good time. But that was just because I had the pleasure of spending time with H, C, and B. This was the saving grace of the evening, having some of my closest friends spend a night out on the town with me. Only next time, if we are going to Chill Winston, it will have to be only for a drink or two.
I have to admit, though, that the owners of Chill Winston really know their business, because The Vancouverite gave them a very rough second review (the first time apparently the service was good) and they responded on the comments section with a very classy and elegant response (read below on the comments section). It does show commitment to the customer. Hopefully next time I go to Chill Winston (if I do) their service will have improved by then.
We hadn't had a chance to spend time together as a group, so B, H, C and myself decided to go out for dinner, and we settled (at B's suggestion) on the general Gastown area. I hadn't spent substantial amounts in this area in recent years because this was the general area where my ex and I used to hang out all the time. Thus... you can imagine, bad memories!
So my friends decided that it was time to exorcise those demons, and we settled for a restaurant in Gastown that both H and I had been wanting to go to (and B had already beeen to): Chill Winston.
From the outset, Chill Winston looks sort of, kind of hipster-ish. Located at the very end of Gastown, on Alexander Street, it boasts a great patio. However, once you are inside, you can discover that the place has a great ambiance. The lighting, the tables, the overall decor and distribution of furniture and bar, everything looks in place. The food is excellent as far as taste goes.
Now, the critical part comes here. I am not fond of restaurants where the service is sub-par, and Chill Winston's restaurant practices are so wrong on so many levels it's not even funny. The portions are very small and overpriced (for what they are, I think they're charging too much). We ordered anchovies and some carpaccio in the way of appetizers, and then I ordered salmon ($15 for two micro-slices) and potatoes (which I'll have to admit were really good). H and I shared a dessert (the seven varieties of chocolate) which was also rather small ($ 8). B had been here for lunch and she had mentioned it had been good, which I can believe. She ordered the turkey dish, which I found extremely tasty. The dessert (while small) was also to-die-for. I found the salmon quite bland, though.
Now, I am sorry but if you are going to charge between $15 and $30 per entree, I am expecting you to at least provide me with substantial portions, good flavor and great service. And I expect the bread and butter to be free (we got charged for two orders of bread and butter, can you believe it?). While my friends think that this level of poor service is pretty much normal for Vancouver's dining scene, I was very disappointed (particularly having just recently had dinner at places like The Cascade Room, La Bodega and The Water Street Cafe, where the service is superb).
The waitress didn't offer to bring a glass of water to everyone on the table, we had to ask for it. Paper napkins? You have got to be kidding me. I could not believe it... No, no, no! Oh, and you want to hear the kicker? The waitress asked us if we were done with dessert. We said "no, we're still working on it". Five or ten minutes later, the manager (apparently she was the manager, not sure if she was but she looked like it) came and asked us "are you still working on your dessert?". I can take a hint, thank you very much. The charging for bread and butter, the paper napkins and the not-so-subtle "can you please get out of here now?" were definitely deal-sealers and I am not coming back here for dinner.
Honestly speaking, the food is great, the ambiance is excellent but I wouldn't call Chill Winston a place to dine out. This is a place to go and have one or two drinks with friends (a lounge). I found the place overpriced and lacking in service. And those are two factors that will always drive me away from any restaurant.
Anyhow, I have to agree with H when he says that when I started my blog, I thought of my restaurant reviews as just accounts of what had transpired that evening with my friends, and now I have a more of a food-critic eye. I think that's true and I can't help it. I eat out a lot, and I compare restaurants on the basis of service, food, and pricing.
One thing I can't deny is that I had a really good time. But that was just because I had the pleasure of spending time with H, C, and B. This was the saving grace of the evening, having some of my closest friends spend a night out on the town with me. Only next time, if we are going to Chill Winston, it will have to be only for a drink or two.
I have to admit, though, that the owners of Chill Winston really know their business, because The Vancouverite gave them a very rough second review (the first time apparently the service was good) and they responded on the comments section with a very classy and elegant response (read below on the comments section). It does show commitment to the customer. Hopefully next time I go to Chill Winston (if I do) their service will have improved by then.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving
My good friends Nomade Moderne and his girlfriend CS invited me and a bunch of other friends over for Thanksgiving Dinner at their place. It was an amazing dinner with LOTS of turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing (I had never tried couscous stuffing) and lots of different desserts, including apple crumble and my trademark marshmallow cheesecake (the 'light' version - non-fat cream cheese and low-sugar marshmallows).
I don't think Canadians place as much relevance on their Thanksgiving as Americans do (and the celebrations are apart about a month or so). This year, the Canadian version was way too early and people didn't even seem to have time to plan for it. In my case, it was an opportunity to see friends for whom I care deeply and eat lots of good food.
By the way - notes to self (lessons learned):
Overall, it was a really nice evening and I enjoyed it enormously. And now I am really sleepy (apparently the result of tryptophan in the turkey).
I don't think Canadians place as much relevance on their Thanksgiving as Americans do (and the celebrations are apart about a month or so). This year, the Canadian version was way too early and people didn't even seem to have time to plan for it. In my case, it was an opportunity to see friends for whom I care deeply and eat lots of good food.
By the way - notes to self (lessons learned):
- Liquor stores are closed on Sundays. Always. Plan to buy your liquor beforehand.
- Non-alcoholic wine and ciders can be bought at Safeway.
- Marshmallow cheesecake should be prepared in the morning of when you're planning to serve it (or at least early afternoon).
Overall, it was a really nice evening and I enjoyed it enormously. And now I am really sleepy (apparently the result of tryptophan in the turkey).
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Restaurant review - Kaide Sushi (Yaletown)
Generally speaking, I avoid going to Yaletown simply because I am not able to afford the rental prices and it pains me to see the beautiful buildings where I can't really live (just kidding, hehehe - truth is, I am an East Van boy at heart). So anyway, M called me tonight and asked me whether I'd want to go out for sushi. Not one to refuse an invitation for Japanese food, I said "for sure". So off we went.
M had praised Kaide for their sushi but I hadn't really had a chance to go there. So off we went, in the rain and cold. But our bravery was well rewarded. Kaide's sushi is, by and large, one of the best I've had in years. And it's not really all that expensive, despite its Yaletown location.
We had edamame, a few dynamite rolls, spicy tuna and kaide rolls (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian). The food here is simply amazing. And the service was very nice too. M had been here before, but I hadn't and I am glad she invited me. The spicy tuna is enough for two people and can make you become addicted to this dish.
Funny how it goes, I was going to write a blog post commenting on M's sense of loyalty, so I warned her before "don't be mad at me if I say sappy things on my blog". But it's true. There are many qualities to her, but M's sense of loyalty is uncanny. Every time we hang out, I am reminded of the time when she had to deliver a report and stayed up for over 36 hours. She wasn't being paid all that time, but she did it because she felt the responsibility. She is fiercely protective of her friends and has a lovely and sarcastic sense of humor. Which is quite alright by me :-)
One time, she felt so ill and sick she couldn't really drive me home from Commercial Drive, and she was like "you're my friend, I should be able to drive you". But she was really sick that time and I said "no, drop me off here and go home NOW". When I first moved back to Vancouver, she basically drove me around to pick up furniture, see places for rental, etc. And again, I think that's one of the things I admire most of her: how loyal she can be with her friends, family, work. For this and many more things, thank you :)
M had praised Kaide for their sushi but I hadn't really had a chance to go there. So off we went, in the rain and cold. But our bravery was well rewarded. Kaide's sushi is, by and large, one of the best I've had in years. And it's not really all that expensive, despite its Yaletown location.
We had edamame, a few dynamite rolls, spicy tuna and kaide rolls (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian). The food here is simply amazing. And the service was very nice too. M had been here before, but I hadn't and I am glad she invited me. The spicy tuna is enough for two people and can make you become addicted to this dish.
Funny how it goes, I was going to write a blog post commenting on M's sense of loyalty, so I warned her before "don't be mad at me if I say sappy things on my blog". But it's true. There are many qualities to her, but M's sense of loyalty is uncanny. Every time we hang out, I am reminded of the time when she had to deliver a report and stayed up for over 36 hours. She wasn't being paid all that time, but she did it because she felt the responsibility. She is fiercely protective of her friends and has a lovely and sarcastic sense of humor. Which is quite alright by me :-)
One time, she felt so ill and sick she couldn't really drive me home from Commercial Drive, and she was like "you're my friend, I should be able to drive you". But she was really sick that time and I said "no, drop me off here and go home NOW". When I first moved back to Vancouver, she basically drove me around to pick up furniture, see places for rental, etc. And again, I think that's one of the things I admire most of her: how loyal she can be with her friends, family, work. For this and many more things, thank you :)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
I'm very privileged
I am a lucky guy. I really am. I just came back from a wonderful birthday celebration with some of my close friends. For one reason or another, several of my good friends were unable to join me tonight but many of them did. We went for dinner at La Bodega (a Spanish restaurant that I've reviewed before on my blog) and then for a drink to 1181 (a bar on Davie Street that has awesome drinks). I had such a great time. I think that I am very lucky to have the friends I do. While admittedly I tend to be self-centered (because, you know, it's all about me), I just told my friends a truth that is always on the back of my mind: I did not have a life to go back to. I always have had a life, and my friends have always been a part of it. Again, thank you. Thank you very much.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Weekend roundup
So I was in Montreal this past weekend, thus I contacted my friend SF who just recently moved there. It was a rather sweet reunion as we parted ways not too long ago, and since we are very close friends, we missed each other terribly. Saturday started with a walk around the Plateau area, followed by a pitcher of beer at some random bar. I love Montreal all around, and of all the places I knew in Montreal this area was the most mellow.
We then walked around until we found the restaurant with the best Mexican food I've ever been to: Tamales. Owned by Mexicans (who, to my surprise, were fluent in all three languages), this place has the closest thing to authentic Mexican food that I've tasted in my life in Canada. Apparently there are lots of Mexican restaurants in Montreal!
After that we walked down St. Denis and St. Laurent. As we walked by, we bumped into a cute chocolate fondue place. Our conversation was something like this:
Finally we ended up walking back and taking the Metro to her place, which is starting to get a home feeling. It was an honor, and she wouldn't let me pay anything!!!! So I hope I have the chance to spoil her when she comes back for a visit.
I would write a restaurant review for Tamales, but since I doubt any of my readers will be travelling to Montreal any time soon, I will not. But if anyone needs some guidance, I'll be happy to share what I learned during my travels in Montreal. Ah, the Sin City... :) [disclaimer: I did not sin while there!]
We then walked around until we found the restaurant with the best Mexican food I've ever been to: Tamales. Owned by Mexicans (who, to my surprise, were fluent in all three languages), this place has the closest thing to authentic Mexican food that I've tasted in my life in Canada. Apparently there are lots of Mexican restaurants in Montreal!
After that we walked down St. Denis and St. Laurent. As we walked by, we bumped into a cute chocolate fondue place. Our conversation was something like this:
"R - Hmmmm.... Chocolate... What'cha think?You can't really use too many words with chocolate :) hehehe. That's one of the things I enjoy the most about my friends. If we need to improvise or we make decisions "on-the-go", they'll go ahead and join me in my adventures. SF is like this, and that's awesome... Anyhow, the fondue was unbelievably good. Who cares about the calories?
S - Let's do it!
R - I'm down!"
Finally we ended up walking back and taking the Metro to her place, which is starting to get a home feeling. It was an honor, and she wouldn't let me pay anything!!!! So I hope I have the chance to spoil her when she comes back for a visit.
I would write a restaurant review for Tamales, but since I doubt any of my readers will be travelling to Montreal any time soon, I will not. But if anyone needs some guidance, I'll be happy to share what I learned during my travels in Montreal. Ah, the Sin City... :) [disclaimer: I did not sin while there!]
Sunday, September 09, 2007
I'm out-peopled
This is so out-of-character for me. Anybody who knows me even a little bit knows that I am a people person. I seek the company of people, I enjoy having a good time with friends and I am always on the look-out for new acquaintances/friendships. So, it's strange for everyone who knows me well enough to hear me say that I'm "out-people-d".
My good friend Nomade Moderne has hung out with me when this happens to me, and he knows all too well that I normally avoid large crowds or groups of people when I am feeling like I need space. The great thing about this, he is so laid back and relaxed, that I feel very much at ease. When I feel "engentado" (out-peopled), I still hang out with one or two close friends, but for the most part, I cocoon. Again, I can't stress this enough, this is not normal for me. But after having been at a 5,000 people conference, I am really needing space.
So, to my friends and family: don't worry if I pull a Greta Garbo on you -- I will be back :) [the origin of this phrase, which I have used when I disappear from people's sight for a few days, is derived from the silent film star - legend says that she disappeared from the public eye and she is often quoted as having said these famous last words: "I want to be left alone"]. I have to confess that I never have read Garbo's auto-biography but I can totally understand why she would need space from public scrutiny.
I will of course still blog and will see my close friends, but I may avoid large crowds, so I may not say yes to parties or much socialization this week! :)
My good friend Nomade Moderne has hung out with me when this happens to me, and he knows all too well that I normally avoid large crowds or groups of people when I am feeling like I need space. The great thing about this, he is so laid back and relaxed, that I feel very much at ease. When I feel "engentado" (out-peopled), I still hang out with one or two close friends, but for the most part, I cocoon. Again, I can't stress this enough, this is not normal for me. But after having been at a 5,000 people conference, I am really needing space.
So, to my friends and family: don't worry if I pull a Greta Garbo on you -- I will be back :) [the origin of this phrase, which I have used when I disappear from people's sight for a few days, is derived from the silent film star - legend says that she disappeared from the public eye and she is often quoted as having said these famous last words: "I want to be left alone"]. I have to confess that I never have read Garbo's auto-biography but I can totally understand why she would need space from public scrutiny.
I will of course still blog and will see my close friends, but I may avoid large crowds, so I may not say yes to parties or much socialization this week! :)
Monday, September 03, 2007
Restaurant review - Bouzyos
As I had mentioned before, Commercial Drive is highly underrated. There are few places in the world where I feel more at ease than walking on the Drive. It's a real mosaic of multiculturalism. On the Drive, you will find just about any type of food you want (Ethiopian, Tunisian, Greek, Nepalese, Mexican, and of course, Italian).
I had the pleasure of going out for dinner with H and C and we quickly settled on Greek (given my absolute dislike for cheese, Greek food is relatively cheese-free, with the exception of feta cheese - but that one is easily removable). So we headed to Bouzyos, a Greek taverna where I had previously had dinner with my brother a couple of years ago (ah, good times! -- that was perhaps one of the best dinners I had had in ages).
Bouzyos is Greek-owned, and it shows in the food. We ordered dolmathes and tzatziki for appetizers and in my case, I had lemon chicken with the works: rice, potato, tzatziki and Greek salad. In C and H's case, they ordered moussaka and souvlaki respectively. Of course, by the time we were done, we basically were so full it was almost impossible to walk. But we had such a good time!
I would strongly recommend Bouzyos, the food is excellent and great service. I would say, though, that the atmosphere is relatively un-Greek. We were listening to 80's music (extremely well chosen, quite frankly, but it was kind of weird to listen to former top-40 pop hits while eating Greek food).
It was great to see C again (we had brunch a few months back at Paul's but now C is here to stay for a longer period of time), and it is really heart-warming to see H and C behave like total lovebirds (*giggles*). Their relationship does give me hope that LDRs (long-distance-relationships) can work out if you put the effort into them.
I had the pleasure of going out for dinner with H and C and we quickly settled on Greek (given my absolute dislike for cheese, Greek food is relatively cheese-free, with the exception of feta cheese - but that one is easily removable). So we headed to Bouzyos, a Greek taverna where I had previously had dinner with my brother a couple of years ago (ah, good times! -- that was perhaps one of the best dinners I had had in ages).
Bouzyos is Greek-owned, and it shows in the food. We ordered dolmathes and tzatziki for appetizers and in my case, I had lemon chicken with the works: rice, potato, tzatziki and Greek salad. In C and H's case, they ordered moussaka and souvlaki respectively. Of course, by the time we were done, we basically were so full it was almost impossible to walk. But we had such a good time!
I would strongly recommend Bouzyos, the food is excellent and great service. I would say, though, that the atmosphere is relatively un-Greek. We were listening to 80's music (extremely well chosen, quite frankly, but it was kind of weird to listen to former top-40 pop hits while eating Greek food).
It was great to see C again (we had brunch a few months back at Paul's but now C is here to stay for a longer period of time), and it is really heart-warming to see H and C behave like total lovebirds (*giggles*). Their relationship does give me hope that LDRs (long-distance-relationships) can work out if you put the effort into them.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Hanging out
Continuing with the series of "personal life" kind of posts, when I switched from Spanish to English I had to learn a totally new phrase in my book: hanging out. See, when you translate it into Spanish, it really doesn't work well. What are you hanging? And why do you have to hang it out? Can't you hang indoors? (hehehe - sorry, being silly here for a moment).
My friends often call me up or email me and say 'let's hang out' ... and even to this day, I giggle a little. It's not a commitment to do anything fancy (like dinner and a movie) but it does mean that people want to spend time in your company.
I love hanging out with my friends, don't get me wrong. But I find the phrase funny. Perhaps a more appropriate phrase would be "spending time with my friends". But what I find is that "hanging out" does provide enough wiggle room to actually do nothing. That is, if I call up any of my friends and say "let's hang out and watch a movie or just veg on the couch" [note veg=synonymous of vegetating] I am basically saying "let's just spend some time together and we can make plans later on what we are going to do".
I know, I admit it... this was a totally random thought. *blushes*
My friends often call me up or email me and say 'let's hang out' ... and even to this day, I giggle a little. It's not a commitment to do anything fancy (like dinner and a movie) but it does mean that people want to spend time in your company.
I love hanging out with my friends, don't get me wrong. But I find the phrase funny. Perhaps a more appropriate phrase would be "spending time with my friends". But what I find is that "hanging out" does provide enough wiggle room to actually do nothing. That is, if I call up any of my friends and say "let's hang out and watch a movie or just veg on the couch" [note veg=synonymous of vegetating] I am basically saying "let's just spend some time together and we can make plans later on what we are going to do".
I know, I admit it... this was a totally random thought. *blushes*
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Getting to know someone
I don't think I ever reflected on dating in my teens or early twenties. I was too occupied with sports, arts, my studies and volunteering to have time to think about relationships. Love? What's that? So you mean I actually have to consider loving someone in a romantic way?
It wasn't until I moved to Canada, and started dating again that I actually thought about something that has recently struck me [yet again] as the process we follow to fall in love. It all starts (apparently) with getting to know someone.
I used to believe that people fell in love magically, that somehow sparks just flew between two individuals and voila! - now they're in love! Through time, my own experiences and the privilege of witnessing other friends' evolving romantic relationships, I have come to appreciate the value of getting to know people.
And this idea does not apply only to romantic relationships. It applies to all sorts of relationships. I pride myself in being a good friend and in having amazing friends as well. And if I have to reflect on how my great friends and I came together, I am pretty sure it all started with trying to get to know each other. It was the amazing process of discovering the person that I had met at a conference, at a friends' party, in my dorm, at my school, through another friend, over the internet (yay Facebook, MySpace and blogs!), etc.
And now that I do know these people in a more personal way, I am amazed at the fact that this idea (the value of getting to know someone, regardless of whether you want to date them or just be friends) was so neat. To my loved ones (friends and family), thank you for giving me the privilege of getting to know you.
UPDATE - Yes, someone has actually thought about the psychological process of getting to know someone!
It wasn't until I moved to Canada, and started dating again that I actually thought about something that has recently struck me [yet again] as the process we follow to fall in love. It all starts (apparently) with getting to know someone.
I used to believe that people fell in love magically, that somehow sparks just flew between two individuals and voila! - now they're in love! Through time, my own experiences and the privilege of witnessing other friends' evolving romantic relationships, I have come to appreciate the value of getting to know people.
And this idea does not apply only to romantic relationships. It applies to all sorts of relationships. I pride myself in being a good friend and in having amazing friends as well. And if I have to reflect on how my great friends and I came together, I am pretty sure it all started with trying to get to know each other. It was the amazing process of discovering the person that I had met at a conference, at a friends' party, in my dorm, at my school, through another friend, over the internet (yay Facebook, MySpace and blogs!), etc.
And now that I do know these people in a more personal way, I am amazed at the fact that this idea (the value of getting to know someone, regardless of whether you want to date them or just be friends) was so neat. To my loved ones (friends and family), thank you for giving me the privilege of getting to know you.
UPDATE - Yes, someone has actually thought about the psychological process of getting to know someone!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Speaking in Español
Having a knack for languages (and being able to speak more than two) I've always enjoyed meeting people whose fluency goes beyond the usual "como esta?". Two of my very best friends [S and A, both female] speak what would be considered native-level Spanish, and three of my nieces do as well. As I was thinking about what I could blog about in this regard, I found out that Gwyneth Paltrow is set to co-host a food show in Spain. In case you guys didn't know, Paltrow is fluent in Spanish. I had the chance to hear a live interview with her and was quite impressed by her mastery of the language.
So if you happen to need some good help translating from English to Spanish and viceversa, you probably may want to go over to my very good friend Sara's blog. Her blog is intended to showcase terminology for social movement activists, particularly in the South. Qué buena idea!
UPDATE .- Actually I forgot to mention that L also speaks excellent Español. L is now in South America, but she is going to come back to me soon!!!
So if you happen to need some good help translating from English to Spanish and viceversa, you probably may want to go over to my very good friend Sara's blog. Her blog is intended to showcase terminology for social movement activists, particularly in the South. Qué buena idea!
UPDATE .- Actually I forgot to mention that L also speaks excellent Español. L is now in South America, but she is going to come back to me soon!!!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Saying goodbye is hard to do ...
This week I had to go through it again. One of my best friends, Copper Lioness is moving to the Netherlands with her husband (Dutch Boy). This is one of the cutest couples I've ever come across. Sweet, smart, well-educated and with hearts of gold. They couldn't have just one farewell party so they organized two. I went to both, of course. Hey, these are people that are near and dear to my heart! I can't not show up.
The first one was awesome. I went with A to this one. A and I are extremely close and we treat each other like siblings, which is awesome. She's also good friends with Copper Lioness. On Saturday, I went to the party with H, B and a friend of H. We met lots of fun people. This second going away party was just as fun as the previous one, with the difference that at this one I profusely demonstrated my capacity to be over-protective.
I will definitely visit Copper Lioness and Dutch Boy when I am in Europe next (potentially Paris trip in the next few weeks). But I'll definitely miss them and it really does suck that I have to say good-bye yet again! :-(
The first one was awesome. I went with A to this one. A and I are extremely close and we treat each other like siblings, which is awesome. She's also good friends with Copper Lioness. On Saturday, I went to the party with H, B and a friend of H. We met lots of fun people. This second going away party was just as fun as the previous one, with the difference that at this one I profusely demonstrated my capacity to be over-protective.
I will definitely visit Copper Lioness and Dutch Boy when I am in Europe next (potentially Paris trip in the next few weeks). But I'll definitely miss them and it really does suck that I have to say good-bye yet again! :-(
Friday, August 10, 2007
Statistical improbabilities?
About two weeks ago, a bunch of my good friends left town or were unable to meet with me. One was in San Francisco, one in Edmonton, one in Montreal (visiting with another very close friend of mine who just moved there), one was in Nunavut , one was in Chicago, one is in Africa on holiday, three (yes, you heard right) were in Calgary for the long weekend, three were busy with work, one is in Croatia, and the story goes on.
So in the end the Blogathon weekend was somewhat of a nightmare for me in terms of emotional support. I won't deny that I did receive moral support (and generous donations), my out-of-town friends gave me a call as soon as they got back, and even my friends who were busy with work called me over the weekend to see how I was doing. I also had the the moral support of my monitor and Rebecca (Miss604), who also Blogathoned (in her case, for the Surrey Food Bank). But I was really unable to hang out in person with my close friends (something extremely rare for me). My weekends are usually booked solid because I love seeing people in person.
So last weekend, when I was having breakfast with B, H, and A, I complained [of course, jokingly!] that they had abandoned me. But this rare occurrence (so many of my friends either out of town or unable to hang out with me due to work/personal commitments) made me think about statistical improbabilities. How likely is it for someone like me, with such a strong and solid network of friends, to have a vast majority of my close friends unable to hang out?
I consider myself a quantitative person. I like data and I like making statistical inferences. But I just found this extremely funny, the fact that so many good friends were out of town or super busy. There is no way to make sense through statistics. I guess it's summer :-) And for the love of God you guys, please don't do this to me again!
So in the end the Blogathon weekend was somewhat of a nightmare for me in terms of emotional support. I won't deny that I did receive moral support (and generous donations), my out-of-town friends gave me a call as soon as they got back, and even my friends who were busy with work called me over the weekend to see how I was doing. I also had the the moral support of my monitor and Rebecca (Miss604), who also Blogathoned (in her case, for the Surrey Food Bank). But I was really unable to hang out in person with my close friends (something extremely rare for me). My weekends are usually booked solid because I love seeing people in person.
So last weekend, when I was having breakfast with B, H, and A, I complained [of course, jokingly!] that they had abandoned me. But this rare occurrence (so many of my friends either out of town or unable to hang out with me due to work/personal commitments) made me think about statistical improbabilities. How likely is it for someone like me, with such a strong and solid network of friends, to have a vast majority of my close friends unable to hang out?
I consider myself a quantitative person. I like data and I like making statistical inferences. But I just found this extremely funny, the fact that so many good friends were out of town or super busy. There is no way to make sense through statistics. I guess it's summer :-) And for the love of God you guys, please don't do this to me again!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Making margaritas :)
At S’s going away party, held at B’s place in the West End of Vancouver, I was in charge of feeding everyone their alcoholic beverage of choice. Of course, everyone drank responsibly. However, the most fun part was that I got to make frozen margaritas. People kept coming for them. As soon as my (professional) blender started, I could see their ears perk up and they’d flood the kitchen to have me pour them another cold one.
This was really fun, as it was S’s going away party and we wanted to bid her farewell in style. B was a very gracious host, and A kept me company all evening in the kitchen. I did not get to hang out, but I really didn’t care because I was having a blast. I think I’m a pretty damn good bartender, and it’s fun to feel like I can help my friends when they’re throwing a party and they need someone to mix the drinks.
I’ve had this conversation with other friends, and out of all of them, only one feels strongly against me mixing the drinks for his friends. I have told him that there’s no issue there, and that I’d gladly do it because I think that as a friend, we ought it to our closest ones to be available and help, be it assembling a new desk, carrying a new TV or mixing margaritas. That’s what friends are for! :-)
Here you’ll find a nice recipe for frozen margaritas. Drink responsibly. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drink too much.
UPDATE - I am late because I was trying to find WiFi. I am in Point Grey, so I'll post this and I might be late for the next one.“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Friendships (lost and rekindled)
The only drawback of a photographic memory is that there are few details that people tend to forget. I am always very good with birthdays. That's actually not always good. One of my former best friends celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago. I did not even send an email because we parted ways in very bitter terms and we currently do not speak to each other. For the record, I was not the one who distanced himself.
Ironically enough, I recently came across the song shown below, Como Hemos Cambiado by the Spaniard group Presuntos Implicados. This song (very beautiful indeed) talks about friendships and how people can change through time, and how people can forget about the importance of keeping their friends close. A lot of our common friends used to associate both myself and my former friend with this song.
Through time, I've always been the one to bend the old rule "fool me once, shame on you -- fool me twice, shame on me". Whenever I had disagreements with my friends, I almost always used to be the one always calling the other party. After almost two decades, I am now at the point where I am not always the one trying to mend the broken relationship. But truth be told, I'll always have a place in my heart for this former friend of mine. So here is to former friendships... and to rekindled ones!
Ironically enough, I recently came across the song shown below, Como Hemos Cambiado by the Spaniard group Presuntos Implicados. This song (very beautiful indeed) talks about friendships and how people can change through time, and how people can forget about the importance of keeping their friends close. A lot of our common friends used to associate both myself and my former friend with this song.
Through time, I've always been the one to bend the old rule "fool me once, shame on you -- fool me twice, shame on me". Whenever I had disagreements with my friends, I almost always used to be the one always calling the other party. After almost two decades, I am now at the point where I am not always the one trying to mend the broken relationship. But truth be told, I'll always have a place in my heart for this former friend of mine. So here is to former friendships... and to rekindled ones!
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