Being alone or going solo?

This evening I had to briefly meet someone for coffee so I walked over armed with my laptop, as I have way too much work to do. As I walked by several places, I noticed people dining on their own. And I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but sometimes when I walk by a place and I see people dining alone I get a real sense of loneliness. I feel really bad for them. I don't know why. They probably enjoy eating alone or circumstances have forced them to do so. But I still sense loneliness and even a bit of sadness.

In a previous life (actually not that long ago), I used to travel a lot for work. I still do travel a fair bit. But I remember eating alone at cafeterias or chain restaurants... I clearly remember one night when I was the only one eating without any company and I felt really bad. Almost as though I was some kind of pariah.

I get this sad feeling particularly when I see elderly people in restaurants, and more so if the restaurant is a greasy spoon joint or a really cheap place. However, after having spent so many years in Vancouver, I think it may really come down to a personal decision on whether you eat alone or not. That's why I titled this post "going solo". It may be the case that those people I see dining alone are in fact choosing to "go solo".

I probably shouldn't even care, but I can't help it. Sometimes I feel even compelled to just sit with the person and say "hey would you like some company?" ... There have been times when I've been out with friends and I see people dining alone and I feel really antsy. But then again, this may be a reflection of me wanting to fix this person's problems (if loneliness can be considered a problem) more than those people actually needing the company. What do you think?

Restaurant review - Stamps Landing Pub

Located tucked in between two other restaurants in False Creek (one of them being Monk's McQueen, a phenomenal seafood restaurant worthy of another review), this is a pretty good pub. I am getting more and more used to this type of restaurant-pub type of places, as my friends really enjoy the laid-back attitude of Vancouver. I also love False Creek so I took the perfect excuse (having a casual dinner with a great friend of mine, J) to go to Stamps Landing (that's the name of the geographical area).

The food is good and reasonably priced. The burgers are humongous and the service was actually quite nice, our waitress was attentive and willing to accommodate us (it helped that the pub wasn't completely full - had that been a hockey night, I am not 100% sure I would have gotten such a great service).

I'd recommend Stamps Landing for many reasons, not only the food, but the wonderful walk you can take right after. And who knows, you might end up riding the AquaBus just for kicks :)

Restaurant review - Milestone's Grill and Bar (Denman)

There are restaurants that you just know you can count on to make a good impression. Milestone's is one of them. I went with H and his friend S who was visiting from Washington one night to Milestone's on 4th Avenue (near Macdonald) and we had a great meal. I took my Mom and M for dinner to Milestone's on Robson and it was excellent. I went for one of my birthday celebrations with many of my former colleagues to Milestone's in Yaletown and it was really good. My brother and I had dinner at Milestone's on Robson half a dozen times. So it was just appropriate that I went to this restaurant with a very good friend of mine who came to Vancouver to give a keynote speech to have dinner there.

Luckily, as I have mentioned above (and I have had dinner at Milestone's so many times I can barely remember) this is a restaurant where you can count on for good food. One small drawback that I noticed last year was that before, they brought you a small side of salad with your pasta (huge portions) and you had a full meal. They don't do that anymore.

However, if you choose wisely, you'll end up eating so much you won't even need a side of salad. In my case, I had the meatloaf with bread pudding and garlic mashed potatoes (and some veggies), and my friend had a seafood grill (which came with rice and veggies as well). While the prices aren't all that cheap (in the range of $ 20 for entrees), the food is really good and filling.

We shared the Ibarra chocolate cake which was to die for. So I'd come back to Milestone's on Denman (which apparently was the original location) for a meal, for sure. This is one of those 'reliable' restaurants that wouldn't fail. Yes, it has become a chain but it is a good chain of local restaurants. - UPDATE - I only include one location but I've been to all of them, and they're awesome.

Restaurant review - Nyala (Main Street)

Ok, so I love Ethiopian food. And I love GOOD Ethiopian food. Thus it was only fitting that I really wanted to visit Nyala (with a very good location on Main Street near King Edward Avenue). Nyala used to have a location on 4th Avenue near Macdonald, but they don't anymore (I actually liked that little place, it was so close to Tatlow's... but I digress).

Nyala is the third in a string of Ethiopian/Eritrean food restaurants I have visited, beginning with the Red Sea Cafe and then followed by Fassil. Both Red Sea Cafe and Fassil are pretty much within a block of each other (near Fraser and Broadway)

The decor of Nyala is beautiful. The service is top-notch. The location is unparalleled. And the food is really good too. I think my mistake was the choice of dishes. I ordered tibs (both chicken and meat) and I think I should have gone for a watt. The food was more than enough for two people. I would have probably tried one more dish if I had had enough room.

Given a choice, I would be hard pressed to decide which Ethiopian restaurant I prefer. Furthermore, I would have to try Harambe and the other restaurant on Commercial Drive. But I can vouch for Nyala too, it is pretty good.

Restaurant review - The Lion's Den

A friend of mine (S) and I had been trying to go to The Lion's Den for a long time now, and we had never gotten around it. Even though we both live fairly close, life was just too busy. At any rate, we ended up doing brunch there and I have to say that I'll definitely be back. The Lion's Den is a funky place (I don't know how else to describe it. You have to go to understand what I am writing here).

The place is small but very cozy (perhaps under 10 tables?). The Lion's Den prides itself in being multi-ethnic. Their Jamaican food is good (I had a spicy beef patty) and their standard brunch fare (breakfast special - scrambled eggs, toast, potatoes) was really nice. Good comfort food, and the coffee was excellent too... I actually really enjoyed the no-frills approach to brunch that this place exudes. Moreover, the company was also extremely relaxed and laid back (S tends to be hard-working yet very fun to enjoy relaxed mornings with).

I wondered aloud how come this place still exists when I see so many places closing down practically every week. Let me tell you this much - at 10.30 am on a Sunday morning, this place had pretty much all its tables full. They open at 10 am. So, the thing is, perhaps it's very much a neighbourhood haunt. It's strategically located, really (at 651 East 15th, near Kingsway, behind the little park that was upgraded by the Dickens Community Group - apparently this neighbourhood is also known as Dickens).

Things that make it even more appealing:

- They have wireless! So I guess you could have breakfast and check my blog there...
- They have Live Jazz on Friday nights (I haven't checked this fact though).

Music review - Getting Away with It by Electronic

If you ever liked the sounds of Pet Shop Boys and New Order, I could almost be sure you've come across this song. "Getting Away with It" by Electronic is one of the most energetic songs I've heard. Electronic included Bernard Sumner of New Order and Johnny Marr of the Smiths. For this song they invited Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys.

This song has the magic effect of bringing tears to my eyes and shake me profoundly. Not because of the lyrics ("I love you more than you love me" - how sad!) but because this song marked the beginning of a very successful period of my life. This song has been present in my life every time I have shifted gears and moved forward. Whenever I have needed an energy booster to focus on a project, I have listened to this song.

The lyrics are somewhat puzzling because they would appear to show conflicting personalities. On the one hand, "I love you more than you love me" would implicitly mean some degree of co-dependency with one's partner. But the phrase that I thought applied to me was "I've been getting away with it all my life". That's exactly how I felt at the time. That even in the direst of circumstances, I was always able to pull it off and get away with it. I hope to always be so lucky.

Below you will find the video of the studio recording session.

Restaurant review - Bistrot Bistro

Located near 4th Avenue and Arbutus, Bistrot Bistro is a French food place in the heart of Kitsilano. Now, for those of you who think I have betrayed my East Vancouver roots, well... I hadn't been to a place in Kitsilano in a while and I thought it was worth it. Besides, it was the very intimate celebration of one of my very best friends so I simply couldn't refuse to go down to Kits (plus I don't get any say in the decision!). Nevertheless, her choice was excellent. Besides, we DID indeed want to try a new restaurant.

While we were cautiously optimistic (the restaurant website is rather pretty and sophisticated but needs some work I think), once we got there we were treated to a phenomenal dinner. For le premiere assiette we ordered several appetizers (including salmon mousse and a charcuterie platter). We then followed with a few French classics: boeuf bourguignon, rabbit in tomato black olive sauce and a fisherman's stew pot.

If only we knew beforehand that the portions were humongous, we probably would have starved to death for four days before heading to Bistrot Bistro. At the end we ended up taking home a large portion of our dinners. But the dessert... OMG the dessert! Their desserts are also served in huge portions. Their chocolate mousse is to-die-for, their crepes are amazing, and of course the profiteroles. It almost reminded me of the last time I was in Paris.

The full staff (and I believe the owner) are French speakers (and if I am not mistaken, pretty much from France as well). So I got to practise my French with them. It also helped having a native French speaker with us for dinner.

All in all, it was an out-of-the-world experience. We would definitely return for dinner and/or just dessert. Actually, I'd be happy to just come for dessert. It is SO worth it. But I think that the experience was also heightened because we were celebrating a dear friend's birthday. It does really have something to do with it.

So, in a nutshell - would I recommend Bistrot Bistro for dinner? Absolutely. Their menu is amazing. Just one word of warning: the place is small and crammed. The space is so tight that you will literally have conversations with your neighbours over their food (... ooops). Strategic recommendations on how to enjoy this place the best? Probably come late because if you show up at 7.30pm you're going to find the place completely packed. That's why I said that perhaps next time we'll end up just doing dessert. Totally worth it.

PS - While surfing the website, I noticed that the owners posted ALL the review (good AND bad) of Bistrot Bistro, as a reminder (more or less in their own words) of the fact that "each night is a new show". They certainly pulled it off with us, as we tend to be picky diners. I should commend Bistrot Bistro's management team for doing that. I hope their level of service stays the same. Our waiter was really good and attentive.

World Environment Day 2007 - June 5th

For the past few days, I've had the nagging feeling that I'm missing reasons why June 5th was an important day. Two of my best friends are flying back from Europe tomorrow, it is my former personal assistant's birthday (he was simply phenomenal, the best project assistant I ever had). But I still kept thinking "why am I so concerned about June 5th?"

Well, now I know. It's World Environment Day. The slogan for this WED is "Melting Ice - A Hot Topic?", trying to emphasize climate change as an important issue to be addressed. As I have told my good friend H a few times, my real concern is that when people think about environmental or sustainability issues, their heads invariably turn to climate change.

Climate change is an important issue, but not the only one. Urban form, sprawl, food security, HIV/AIDS, homelessness and poverty alleviation are also very important issues. Why do people keep forgetting that climate change is only one of them is beyond me. That being said, and I have said it before, if I have the chance to do some climate change-related project where poverty is directly addressed, I'm happy to jump at the opportunity.

Quick update on The Whip and The Main

Recently, even though I've been extremely busy, I managed to come to The Whip and The Main for an hour to have drinks with good friends (one of them who'll be moving to Montreal really soon). Here are two really quick updates.

The Main: Good atmosphere and good beer, inexpensive pop if you're a non-drinker. Slow service. Somebody said that it was good for Greek food. Haven't tried dinner here yet.

The Whip: On a sunny and warm afternoon, the Whip can be really fun. We had a really smiley and attentive waitress, who bears a striking resemblance to Gwyneth Paltrow. Now, the truth is that this young woman actually is (in my humble opinion) prettier than GP, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. I can say that the food was good (perogies and tofu sticks) and the Justice Sangria is pure ambrosia!

Para el que no quiere sopa, dos platos

The title phrase to this post means literally "for the one who doesn't like soup, he/she'll have two platefuls". In my case, it refers to my dislike for crying sounds that emerge from young kiddies' mouths. You'll see... my neighbors have a 2 year old baby with whom they tend to engage in long (over an hour) yelling and crying matches. The kid wakes up at 6 am and starts yelling and crying when his parents don't allow him to throw stuff on the floor and run everywhere (thus creating a lot of noise). The parents have to yell back at the kid and it's a battle of wills (and of course, we get to hear everything!) With the lack of acoustic insulation, it is almost impossible to sleep later than 6 am (so sleeping in is almost a miracle).

Of course, over the course of the past few months, I've developed a complete dislike for any sound that barely resembles a kid crying... And what do I get when I take the plane this past week? Not one, but two kids whose mothers are unable to keep quiet! And on the way back to Vancouver, yet another crying kid! That's what the title of this post refers to... Somebody suggested ear plugs, but since I often get phone calls that are important, I can't really use ear plugs. *sigh*

On a rather positive note, Vancouver's weather is now 27 oC :)

Am I an Old Soul?

Those of you who know me very well (particularly my very closest friends) will find it amusing that I'm posting something about myself in my blog. I usually blog about life in Vancouver, environmental issues, restaurants, music and movies. But I couldn't help but try to check out one of the gazillion tests that the internet has to offer. This one is called "What Kind of Soul Are You?"... many of the test questions applied to me, so I responded in one way and I am sure I'd get a completely response if I had felt differently when responding. So these are the test results of June 2nd, 2007...

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Now, not that I mind the test results, but I am not 100% sure it takes me a long time to warm up to new people. But the rest of the test results sound somewhat like me. I'm curious to know what kind of souls you are, dear readers :)

Summer is here!

Well, I had the opportunity to spend a few days away from Vancouver and the city that I visited had really strange weather. And it went from completely freezing (5 oC) to really hot (25 oC) within 24 hours. But the most puzzling phenomenon was to go to bed after 10pm and still see light, and to wake up at 4.30 am (as I did today) with sun shining through my window. Despite the reduced amount of hours of sleep, I really enjoy this type of weather, where days are really long and I can accomplish a lot more.

Is Facebook decreasing the relevance of MySpace?

I received a new invitation to join Facebook today (it's been about 20 in the past month) and the site seems to keep growing. Many of my friends are on Facebook right now, and former colleagues and associates keep inviting me to join. For the longest time, I thought of MySpace as the dominant social software/social networking site. But apparently everyone is on Facebook right now. Even 24Hrs recently published a two-page spread on Facebook, issues of privacy, etc.

This is not my area of research [I will leave that to Fred Stutzman and danah boyd] so anything I write here is just my own thoughts. Two things come to mind right now.

The first issue is data privacy. I noticed that Facebook requires you to give up your e-mail password so that it can get into your email account and find other people who already have Facebook accounts. This is somewhat troublesome. I wonder if doing that basically gives pretty much anyone access to your e-mail records.

Moreover I certainly don't know if I want to have my friends see everything I do and the people I hang out with. Those are just issues that are too private for me.

The second thought is that of monitoring. I read somewhere that college officials and employers can monitor Facebook to check your employability or what you do at school... The question is ... how would they monitor Facebook without having an account there? And how would you know that a college official/employer/potential stalker has a Facebook account?

The last issue that one could raise is whether these social software sites are decreasing each other's relevance. I have been told that MySpace has 80 million or something accounts where Facebook is only in the 2 million or whatever (I have never checked the statistics). But it makes me wonder... what is next?

Music Review - Through Glass by Stone Sour

I've heard this song numerous times in different contexts and as background for various scenes. However, I wouldn't recommend to listen to it when you're feeling depressed or sad. It's not an uplifting song by any stretch. That being said, the music is great and the singer (Corey I think his name is) is phenomenal. Worth listening to it. This clip is a live presentation on Jay Leno.

Restaurant review - Jules Bistro

Well, I finally made it to Jules Bistro. This is a French bistro located on Abbott Street between Water and Cordova. Yeah, I know, a tad too close to the Downtown Eastside. But it's also close to Gastown, which is a very nice area. Besides, they've really done a good job with the outdoor patio.

The prices are slightly higher than shown in their online menu (available here) but the food is good. My brother and I went for the prix fixe (salad, salmon frites and chocolate terrine). The salad was good, although I would've liked a bit more dressing. The salmon frites was really good although I would've liked the salmon a bit more moist. But the chocolate terrine was to-die-for. So, overall is a great bang for the buck ($21.00 for the prix fixe) which quite honestly is very much worth it.

The service was good, the waitresses were very prompt even though they were completely swamped. Apparently all these positive reviews have had an impact because the place is always full. But as I said, the service was REALLY good. The hostess found us an outdoor patio seat in less than 30 seconds. The only thing is perhaps they should be refilling water and bringing dessert a bit faster. Again, it was a really good dinner and I can't complain. The company was perhaps the best part of the meal, as my brother came for a very brief period of time before flying back, and we had a really good time.

All in all, I'd recommend Jules Bistro for dinner. I have to go there for lunch. I wish they had a brunch menu! And best of all, it's strategically located, very close to both Skytrain stations (Stadium-Chinatown and Waterfront Station).

Coffee shop review - The Elysian Room

Since most of my friends are Kits-centric, I have had to re-adjust and come back to some old haunts. The Burrard stretch between Broadway and 4th Avenue has always been an area where me and my friends hang out. I couldn't tell you how many times I have taken in a movie at 5th Avenue Cinemas.

The advantage of The Elysian Room is that it's so close to 5th Avenue Cinemas. A few months ago, I met up at the here with L and M as they were going to watch a movie, and we had a very nice coffee. In my opinion, the coffee is very good, although the food is expensive for what it is.

Since I have been so strapped for time, it was nice to sit at a great coffee shop for an hour in between tasks. I have read some rave reviews and some nasty ones, but I'd really reccommend it. The baristas are nice people.

Why haven't I blogged - a post about blogging

Recently, for some reason, the vast majority of my academic friends are either finishing a PhD or done the PhD. So I decided that I'd research my own behavior with respect to blogging and publish it in one of their presentations.

I didn't blog in the past few days not because I haven't been eating out. Of course I have. It's more that I have too much work to do, and not enough witty comments or restaurant reviews to make. So this blog is going to take second place for a short while.

I will, however, rave about dinner with the B-T's on Friday night and at TR's family home on Saturday night. Those reviews, forthcoming :)

Restaurant review - Memphis Blues

My brother loves BBQ ribs, and he vouches for Memphis Blues Barbeque House all the time. I am not really a rib kind of guy so I always thought I would never set foot in this place. Well, I did and I am glad I did. They have BBQ chicken breast, sandwiches, burgers, etc. So the place really is awesome and caters to every taste. They have two locations that I know of, one on Commercial Drive (for East Vaners) and one on Broadway between Hemlock and Granville (for those Fairview Slopes-South Granvillers).

Restaurant review - The Cat's Meow

I love Granville Island. I love the scenery, I love the fact that it used to be an industrial zone and now it is very residential/a tad commercial. It houses the Granville Market, and the Backstage Lounge, the Dockside and a few other restaurants. I always enjoyed going down to Granville Island because, for a few hours, I just got lost in the scenic beauty.

For a while there, my group of close friends and I used to go to the Cat's Meow for brunch all the time. It was sort of "our joint". The first few times we went there, the service was excellent. The food was awesome. One time, my scrambled eggs got cold because I was too chatty and the waitress said "oh, don't worry - we'll just throw them and make you new ones". You can bet our tip was good, because I personally considered that the best service I had received anywhere in Vancouver.

Then the past few times the service went not so bad to very bad to really bad to I-really-don't-want-to-ever-set-my-foot-in-this-place-ever-again. So now I don't ever come back to The Cat's Meow. Don't get me wrong, they do have a place in the brunch and dinner scene, particularly in False Creek. But I just have been a witness to a deteriorating service.

Would I give The Cat's Meow a chance again? Probably this fall. Not any time soon, but I am sure in the fall I will. Now, if you think I am being unfair to TCM, read these reviews and tell me again after you've done the reading. Hopefully The Cat's Meow management will wake up and say "hey let's make this place as good as it used to be". Be prepared to shell some bucks if you go there, the brunch ain't cheap.

Restaurant review - Aurora Bistro

I would say that Aurora Bistro is somewhat pretentious for the area in which it is located, but there must be some people to whom they cater. They certainly did not cater to me! I have tried to find nice reviews of Aurora Bistro and I have found very few. Truth be told, I didn't like it the first time I went. It didn't help that I went with someone who really didn't value the effort ($$$) I was making.

The place is expensive, and I would honestly not go back again. Their drinks are overpriced and the portions are way too small. But then again, some people may like it. To be fair to them, I dug a few positive reviews of Aurora Bistro online which can be found here.

It is located on Main Street, close to the Mount Pleasant Clock, so the location is actually quite hipster-ish :) Judge for yourself and let me know in the comments section.

Hipster-oriented places in Vancouver

A few days ago, I happened to walk around the Main and Alexander area (close to Historic Gastown) in Vancouver. Because of my particular sensitivities to poverty and people's pain, I try not to hang near the Main and Hastings area, and this particular street (Alexander) is cutting it a little bit too close. But I wanted to see if I could handle it. Also, I wanted to see if I could find a restaurant that I used to go to before, the Alibi Room. I had brunch there with my brother and L YEARS ago, so I didn't know if it was there. Apparently, it's still there.

It's supposed to cater to the hipster community. Now, the only problem is that I have accumulated a list of places that are supposed to be 'hip' or 'hipster-oriented' and I don't have anyone to go with! My good friend H is one of those few people who can be as comfortable having dinner at Lumiere (super-posh) or eat tacos at the corner's taqueria. He does understand hipsters (even though he is not one of them). But he's still away on vacation... come back soon!!! There are tonnes of places we should try!!! [No, I'm just kidding. I know that he needs this time off]

So, next on the list are: Lucy Mae Brown (I think it's on Richards and almost Nelson), the Alibi Room (Alexander and Main) and Section 3 (in Yaletown). A couple of art galleries: Little Mountain Studios (East 26th Ave and Main) and Blim (East 17th Ave and Main) We'll see how soon we get there :)

Restaurant review - La Bretagne The Original Creperie Ltd.

I have been craving crepes for a long while and thus I had been wanting to try this little place in the vicinity of Robson Street. Now, I rarely go downtown Vancouver. Furthermore, I rarely go to the Robson area (I am not much of a shop-a-holic, unless there is a need for shoe-shopping, as I did more recently with A but also with H).

So I had heard of this French creperie place, La Bretagne, which was actually located on Jervis rather than on Robson itself. For someone like me who is interested in things like changes in zoning and land use, this sounded like a perfect opportunity to see a restaurant located where it's really mostly residential. So off we went (A and I) to have a crepe at La Bretagne.

Located at 795 Jervis, just off Robson, La Bretagne is a little beautiful crepe place that will certainly be good for your palate. It's not really cheap, but it's not overly expensive. Two crepes will be about $ 18.00 with tip and all, depending on how fancy you go. I had a banana and Belgian chocolate crepe to-die-for. A had a peach and vanilla ice cream crepe and we were both way too full on our way back.

I would recommend La Bretagne if you don't want to leave the downtown Vancouver area. If you do, I'd recommend Trixi's or if you want to go a bit more 'chain'-like, I'd strongly endorse Cafe Crepe. I am not the only one who loved La Bretagne, here is another review ... and I would agree with the reviewer!

Mother's Day on Thursday May 10th

Although I know that in Canada the celebration is on Sunday May 13th, the tradition back home takes place on May 10th. Therefore, I will be calling my Mom on that specific day. This will be the 9th year in the past 11 years that I will not be spending Mother's Day with her, which is quite regrettable. These are the days (Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.) when I would really love it if Scotty could really beam us up (if you aren't a Star Trek fan, you probably didn't understand my line... sorry, yes I am a geek).

I feel extremely privileged to have the mother that I do. Mom set an example for me and my brothers. She has worked really hard all her life (she still does), but always made time for us. Mom is one of those rare specimens who can make friends with just about everyone. Her passion for life is only surpassed by her love of her children. The ethics and values that Dad and her instilled in me make me proud of being who I am.

I am also lucky because she loves travelling, so usually she comes and visits me for a month during the summer time. And I think I've shared this comment with each and every one of my good friends: just knowing that my Mom is physically there, present, just seeing her watch TV while I am doing something else, or watering the plants, or simply cooking, makes me extremely happy.

These days people seem to have a hard time being happy, or finding ways to be happy. In my case, one of the things that makes me extremely happy is spending time with my mother. And I am very glad that I still have those opportunities, even if only a few times a year. Most of my friends are also very close to their parents, so we often share stories of parents who live in distant countries and how hard it is to know that they aren't physically close to us. But I am very grateful because I have both my parents.

And to my mother (who rarely reads my blog but I know she's going to stumble upon this particular posting) I could say many things, but I think the best one I can say is Thank you for being.

Movie review - Spiderman 3

Fair warning: I have enabled the moderation of comments for this specific posting.

Well, as a superhero fan, I could hardly wait to see Spiderman 3. I wouldn't want to either spoil you or bother you with details, but the movie is packed with action sequences, some romance, some broken relationships (friendships and almost-engagements) and an ending that may seem underwhelming to some, but if it had to be that way, I am glad Sam Raimi was the director. He brought the movie to a close with relative ease, and left us craving more Spidey movies.

I have to say that I've read several reviews of the movie, with a varied spectrum of responses. Some people have hailed it as brilliant and others seem to hate it. There is one actor that really stands out throughout the movie: James Franco. He manages to look broody and vengeful at the beginning, then sweet, warm and caring later and then hateful and insane (and that's as much as I'm going to tell you because the movie is very well worth watching). I had never seen Franco display this broad range of emotions and he made some of the movie's best scenes.

If you are a hard-core Spidey fan, beware: there are some substantive changes to the Spiderman storyline that you should forgive. But the movie is really easy to watch.

Restaurant review - Paesano's (Richmond)

As an adopted Vancouverite (and one who travels on transit), I rarely dine out or have brunch outside of my local domain [Vancouver] (except when my brother visits and REALLY wants to go for brunch at International House of Pancakes, aka IHOP -- since IHOP is really out of the way for me I do this only once in a blue moon).

At any rate, I was out and about in Richmond with a friend and we ended up going for dinner to Paesano's. I wasn't really looking forward to this because I am not as adventurous as I used to be. Normally, I'd do dinner anywhere. But when I am tired, exhausted and all I want to do is eat comfort food with a good friend, the last thing on my mind is to try a new restaurant.

Honestly, I am glad we did. Paesano's is truly a good Italian restaurant. The food selection is, at times, overwhelming. We could have ordered basically, well, anything! [And since I am an Italian food kind of guy, I pride myself in having good taste for Italian restaurants]. The waitress was super sweet and friendly and they spoiled us rotten. The food wasn't overpriced and I only wish I had been hungrier.

If you drive (or even if you commute by bus, since this restaurant is reachable on the 98 B-Line to Richmond Centre), I'd highly recommend this restaurant. It's tucked away in a small mall, but worth the visit.

Restaurant review - The Main

Most of the time, I am lucky when I try to make plans with friends for brunch, but once in a blue moon, things will go awry. L and I wanted to go to Crave on Main (which is definitely one of the most reliable brunch places you'll ever get) but they were closed on that day (this has happened to me twice already with the Crave folks, and with two different friends, so I'm going to tell them at some point).

At any rate, we strolled the streets trying to find a brunch spot that was reliable, and given my reticence to try dim sum, we settled for The Main. As someone who lives in the neighborhood, I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't been to The Main for brunch. Located south of Main and King Edward, I had visited this place for dinner and once for drinks. The Main is a tradition for artsy folks, and at night, they have live music most days, and the food is Greek and Mediterranean.

We went in and crossed our fingers hoping that the food was good. Our prayers were answered. I went with a modified version of 'Huevos Rancheros' (my mother would probably strangle me for eating this but...) and my friend asked for an omelette. I think that the food is really good and the only downside for me was that I couldn't finish it all. The decor is very woody and the atmosphere is cozy. The food is inexpensive (some reviewers call it comfort food). And yes, on their brunch menu, they do have tzatziki!

I'll have to give The Main another try for drinks and live music, but I'll have to organize a night out with friends for that.

Beautiful Vancouver (when it's warm)

For the past few weeks, even though we're well into spring, the weather in Vancouver has been, at the very least, wonky. But today is beautiful. The sun is shining, it's super warm outside (you are not going to believe that it's 20 oC today!). Yesterday, in comparison, it was wet, rainy and cold. This city is unbelievably beautiful, but the weather is really unpredictable. Talk about climate change!

Anti-procrastination remedy: Breaking tasks into smaller bits

Any self-respecting guru on time management, project management and "achieve success in 24 hours" will tell you that the key to getting something done is to break it down into smaller tasks. This is particularly important when you are a chronic procrastinator. We have all procrastinated. Some people ask me if I use my blog to procrastinate (I don't, I use it to take a short break in between tasks).

Today I've gotten a lot accomplished by breaking down edits and revisions to a paper into smaller bits, doing errands (such as mailing rent checks, shopping for groceries, organizing my apartment a bit). This has resulted in increased productivity. I am doing much more and stay focused more instead of dreading the editing process.

Here are a couple of links that might be useful. One is to a very young blogger (Scott Young, 18 yrs old) and the other one is to Carleton University's Procrastination Research Group webpage. Yes, there are people who actually study procrastination!

Restaurant review - Kishu Mountain

Located in one of the weirdest corners I've ever seen in Vancouver (Broadway and Willow), this little Japanese restaurant offers some of this city's best sushi at the lowest prices you can get. I went with C, B, N and J (all good ol' friends from a few years back, when I lived in a residential college whose name I'd rather not cite).

I'll mention about the food first and then anecdotes from the evening. The sushi is excellent, the udon is really tasty (we ordered chicken and beef udon), and the final bill was amazingly low. Kishu is not only a nice place and has great food, but is also really inexpensive. They have Happy Hour after 7:00pm, with 40% discount on selected items. We ordered as much food as we wanted to and ended up full.

Now, in case you didn't know, Vancouver is one of those cities where the owners and staff of a Mexican restaurant will in fact be from Hong Kong. Yes, I am not kidding. I could attest to that when I spoke Japanese to the waitress. She could not understand a word of what I said. *sigh*

This particular group of friends is multicultural albeit with a strong Asian flavor. C is as Canadian as he can get, but speaks fluent Mandarin (he better as his wife is from Taiwan!). J, though American, speaks fluent Japanese given that he just came back from his Monbugakuksho two-year stint in Japan, N is Japanese and B is Taiwanese. I didn't really need to chat with the waitress since both N and J speak Japanese, but at times the conversation really went all over the place. We ended up mixing up languages all night long and had such a fun time I am still smiling. As C would say, "there was much rejoicing"

Learning to ask for help

I had a minor procedure done to my eye recently, and thus had the eyeballs anesthetized. If you ever have had this type of medical procedure done to you, you'll know that you SHOULD have someone accompany you because after the procedure you're basically blind (technically blind, at least). So, I should have asked for help.

I have been scolded by just about every single one of my friends, who said "why didn't you call me - I would've gone with you to the hospital!". And I know I should have. I just have never learned to ask for help when I need it. But the feeling I had after the procedure made me realize that I really should learn to ask for help. It was awful. I really was almost praying that I wasn't going to get run over by a car.

And I didn't, I am here safe and sound. But I should have been careful and phone a friend to have him/her take me home after the procedure. Next time, I promise I will.

Eating out and the construction of Canada Line on Cambie

If you've known me well enough, you'll know that I am all for promoting local business. I had a long conversation with S, B and H while my brother was in town (I won't give out details of the chat, but it was a really fun drive with them on the way uphill to Point Grey). But the thing is, since I am a Vancouverite now, I want local businesses to succeed.

Thus, every time I have a chance, I try to guide people to my blog where I've reviewed several places located along the Canada Line construction. It really makes me sad to read that many businesses have closed down. I won't enter the political debate because that's outside the realm of my blog (and although I have an opinion, I think it's best if I keep myself out of this discussion). But at any rate, I am keen to promote businesses along Cambie because I know that lack of customers is perhaps one of the factors that has been driving businesses to shut down operations.

So, I'll make a quick overview of the places I've been to (or suggest a few places that you can go to) that are directly on Cambie St.

Tomato (near 17th and Cambie)
Trixi's Crepes (the best crepes in town, near 17th and Cambie)
Thai Away Home (great Thai food, near 17th and Cambie)
FigMint (I wasn't pleased with their food but I've read other reviews and they seem to like it, so why not - check it out for yourselves, near 12th and Cambie)

If you have any other recommendations, I'd really welcome them. I have heard from the owners of several establishments along Cambie that they really need their business to pick up, so I'm doing my part to help.

Restaurant review - Martini's

Thanks to the fact that I've lived now close to four of the major streets in Vancouver (Granville, Oak, Cambie and Main) , I have been lucky enough to dine out at many of the restaurants that the Broadway corridor offers between Granville and Main. One of the best, in my humble opinion, is Martini's.

M and I were really hungry just as I was coming back from a recent international trip (she picked me up at the Airport, as she usually does) and since it was on the way to my house, we decided to stop at Martini's for a bite to eat. Funny how it goes, Martini's is famous for their whole-wheat pizza (so that means L and I won't be going there any time soon since she's allergic to wheat). But my recollection of Martini's is always their nice pastas.

Their menu is really broad, and (lucky for me) they have a broad variety of pastas. I had a Chorizo penne sauté that was amazing. The prices are really accessible, so if you want to go for dinner with a good friend and ensure they'll have a good time, take them to Martini's. It's located at 151 Broadway (if memory serves me right and Google Maps isn't wrong, that means between Manitoba and Ontario).

Blogging, social networking and other thoughts

I have been really sick for the past three weeks, but as soon as my health improved I wanted to get online and publish a few things that I had been mulling over while I was out. One of them was a (hopefully) short self-reflection on blogging and the responsibility that it brings with it.

As a researcher, I am naturally inclined to ask questions and to inquire about things. I have an investigative nature and thus it is only natural that I do what I do for a living. I have always been fascinated by the use of new technologies, particularly when younger generations adopt them. Recently, the broad themes of social networking and social software became part of an interesting conversation I had with H on blogs and social networking spaces. We were commenting on how different people use them as data (researchers), as a forum to express emotions/feelings and thoughts (the general public), and as places and spaces to meet.

All these discussions arose from much earlier discussions on how people adopt new practices for socializing and creating networks. I, for example, have been invited to join Facebook just about a hundred times. Friends, students, colleagues, everybody wants me to get on Facebook. The story is the same for MySpace ('why don't you have a MySpace?'). So people keep asking me "don't you want to re-connect with old friends, keep in touch with your students and former students, colleagues and former colleagues?". Truth is, I do. But I am not 100% sure I want to join these sites just yet. I am happy to have a blog, and I am happy if my blog's readership increases. Sometimes, I even think about putting up some witty title that people will be Googling so that they come to my website. But I don't think I want to increase my presence in the online sphere much further than blogging.

Do I want to read about the research that is being conducted on MySpace, Friendster, Facebook? For sure. Do I want to do the research myself? No, most definitely not. Do I want to be part of their dataset? Not really. Am I excited that people are learning the patterns of adoption of Facebook, MySpace, blogging, etc.? For sure! If there is something I'm naturally inclined to is research. I know of the work of danah boyd at University of California Berkeley who has studied MySpace, Facebook and Friendster for some time now, and I also know of the work of Fred Stutzman at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and his study of adoption patterns of Facebook. Since I do have a fairly solid understanding of ethnographic research, and have learned some statistical analysis, I can understand pretty well what danah and Fred are doing (I am sure there are other researchers studying social software, but these two stuck on my head). Their findings are important particularly for an increased understanding of the impact of technology on society. But then again, I don't want to be part of a dataset just yet (although I am sure I am part of a dataset in kind of a warped way).

Lastly, I have a blog for several reasons. The first is that a friend of mine got me hooked up on it. I read her blog (she has closed it since long time ago) and her writing was passionate, exciting, mature. So I thought "heck, why not". I started blogging about my random thoughts (hence the title of my blog). Then it evolved to become more of a repository of restaurant/music/bar/coffee shop reviews. I have lived in Vancouver long enough that I think I have some understanding of the comings and goings in this city. So that's why I kept blogging. Lately, I also blog to keep my writing skills sharp. And, since my readership has increased thanks to some good friends who link my restaurant reviews or my blog URL, I keep writing because I like to provide commentary on what I enjoy the most (music, restaurants, coffee shops, environmental issues).

I have seriously considered to ask to be linked to some local Vancouver blogs to increase the readership and try and reach more people. But truth be told, I don't blog often enough to warrant this type of linking. I am grateful to my friends who've linked me to their blogs, but I will not make much of an effort to increase my readership other than say "hey have you checked my blog lately?". So, to those of you who grace my blog with your online presence, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Restaurant review - Cafe Luxy

I have been to Cafe Luxy for dinner a few times, and the funny thing about it is that I never remember to suggest it when I am asked "where should I go for dinner?". I think that the reason is that I am rarely around the West End. Since moving to the South Main area, I've become more acquainted with (and interested) spots that are geographically close to my place.

In the past few months, with increasing readership, I've felt more of a responsibility to write more detailed restaurant reviews and to carefully choose which restaurants I review. Dining out in Vancouver is sometimes hit-and-miss. One night, you can get a fantastic plate and the next week the service can be horrible. Luckily, Cafe Luxy is not one of these places. It is actually good and reliable.

Very recently, a friend of mine took me for lunch to Cafe Luxy (my first time doing lunch there, though most certainly not my first time to the restaurant). I ordered a linguini con chorizo (really good). Lunch is really inexpensive, but don't be mistaken. This doesn't mean that it's cheap, only that it is affordable. Lunch came with a small salad and was more than plenty. The dinner size portions are slightly more expensive (but still in the realm of $15.00).

It's safe to say that Cafe Luxy is a reliable dining spot around the Davie Village. Located on the 1200 block of Davie Street (close to Bute St.), it's a brilliant choice either for lunch or dinner. I just noticed they have brunch, so I'll have to come back for that.

Upcoming Events - CanThrill CD release and guest DJ

Well, I am going to use my blog to unashamedly promote an upcoming special event. My friend DJ Curious J, whom I know through my very good friend L, is coming from Chicago to spin at Lobby's CD release from Vancouver's own DJ Christian Alvarez. Organized by CanThrill and Jens' team, this promises to be a super event. Friday April 27th, 2007 @ Ginger 62... be there or be square.

Restaurant review - Zesty's

Wow, Commercial Drive... lots of really great restaurants, very few bars (albeit I didn't go south of Broadway - I actually walked in the north direction), wonderful people and a sunny day... what else would you want?

Well, I'd want some service with that, please... I ended up going to a large 'Canadian cuisine' restaurant on Commercial near Venables. Called Zesty's, I can assure you the only thing it didn't have was 'zest'. The service was horrible. The drinks were ok, but I wouldn't have stayed for dinner. The waitress had not an ounce of customer service in her.

Next time I want to roam Commercial Drive I will make sure to check Haremba or the Abbibi Cafe, or Havana, or Memphis Blues... but I am definitely not going back to Zesty's, not even on account of their inexpensive drinks.

Quick general update

I've been super sick (sniffles, coughs and sore throat, general congestion) for the past week and a half or so, thus I've not been really in the mood to blog. Moreover, even though I did venture out for a very brief couple of social nights (one of them rather important since H is gone for six weeks and it was his birthday celebration), we did repeat restaurants (Water Street Cafe, reliably good for dinner with H, K, and M). So since I already reviewed those I didn't want to do a re-review :) (although I had a really nice time!)...

I managed to correct a couple of my posts and Google Personalized Homepage shows them as recent but they are not, so if you've been tricked into believing that I've been posting, no, I haven't. I still have an Earth Day posting in the works... So, slowly but surely, I'll be uploading my delayed posts. All I need is to get better soon :)

Complete and absolute random thought - Sailor Moon

If you happen to have children (or nieces, like in my case) I am sure you've watched Sailor Moon at some point in your lives. My nieces used to love this show and I sat down a few times to watch it with them.

One of my best friends and I always used to make fun of the extra long time it took Serena to transform into Sailor Moon (as though the villain is going to be waiting there, patiently ... "ok, I know you need to transform into Sailor Moon, I'll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs... oh, ok... you're ready to fight now? Oh, ok... give me a minute, I'll be right there with you...")

This one was by and large my favorite transformation. That being said, it still takes Sailor Moon a long time... but whatever, the villains always were kind enough to wait for her...



Completely random thought in the middle of a productive night.

Music Review - Time is Running Out by Muse

I first had an encounter with Muse about three years ago, when my former building-mate (someone who lived in the same building as I did) played this song at a gig in Vancouver. The lead singer was a female, though. I was curious about this song since I felt some dark tones (a-la Smiths' How Soon is Now?) that I thought were worth exploring. Very hard rock-ey, yet experimental in some ways... I really like this tune... worth exploring I think.

Music Review - Pick Up The Pieces by Candy Dulfer

The first version of Pick Up the Pieces I ever heard was that of Average White Band. I used to own three or more MP3 versions of this song, but I had never heard of Candy Dulfer. Dulfer is a saxophonist who happens to be also absolutely gorgeous. The version I found with her is quite 'acid jazzy', funky, upbeat...

The only downside I find is that there's a female singer who screams (and apparently it's supposed to be funny/melodious?) a few times during the song. But overall is a niece piece if you're into funk. I managed to find more Candy Dulfer songs (including 'Lily Was Here'), so hope you enjoy both!



Lili Was Here video below.

Most butchered karaoke song - Love Shack by the B-52's

I love karaoke. Singing is not my forte but I try my best. However, I've discovered that there is a whole world out there filled with people who are intent on butchering one of the best songs I've heard in my entire life - Love Shack by the B-52's. I am happy to report I am not one of those!

Funky, upbeat, exhilarating and filled with energy, this song is also apparently in the repertoire of hundreds of singer-wannabes. I dare you to go online on YouTube and find a good karaoke version.

For those of you who actually enjoy listening to the original one, instead of suffering through the myriad samples of horrid interpretations, here is a video link. This is from their 2000 induction to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.



-- update - I take that back. I found a version a capella that is actually worth listening to. You can find it on YouTube using the keywords "Love Shack".

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!

Nostalgia

I was feeling a bit nostalgic tonight (for several reasons... dear friends in town whose life has been changing in the past few months, spending time with other friends with whom I had lost touch due to a past heartbreak, and trying to finish a lot of work and projects) so instead of spending my Friday night relaxing and taking it easy, I am home and working. But I also was looking at some tidbits of 70s and 80s TV shows. Here are a few of my favorites (note the fantastic music of each one of these TV shows intro's).

Spiderman (TV Show)


The Gemini Man (TV Show)


Hart to Hart (TV Show)

Music review - This Love - Cocteau Twins (Elizabeth Fraser/Craig Armstrong)

I usually hesitate to post music reviews since I am not really a music junkie. I love different styles and have quite a broad variety of music. Nevertheless, I don't think I'm an expert. But I do know what I like. I would say that the Scottish band Cocteau Twins was a much welcome addition to my collection. While I first heard one of their tunes when I was 'oh so totally in love', I ended up gelling so well with their music that it doesn't bring any bad memories.

The tune I'm including here is perhaps best known as one of the songs in the soundtrack for the movie "Cruel Intentions" with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair, Reese Whitherspoon and Ryan Philippe. The soundtrack credits only mention Elizabeth Fraser and Craig Armstrong but the sound is very much along the lines of CT.

A funny tidbit many of you may or may not know... Liz was famous for singing in some form of "gibberish"(but meant in a good way!)... and the Cocteau Twins capitalized on that unique characteristic of their lead singer. If you like this type of chill-out music, you may find Slowdive, Monster Movie, Weathertunes, and Enya quite appealing.

UPDATE.- I made a mistake. The title of the posting didn't coincide with the actual video I uploaded (which is indeed "This Love")... it's been fixed.

Restaurant review - Dockside Restaurant

Located on Granville Island, the Dockside Restaurant is one of the nicest places you can find for dinner (or drinks). Directly located beside the waterfront (hence the name), you can look over Science World, Yaletown and False Creek all without having to leave your seat. The Dockside Restaurant is part of the Granville Island Hotel.

The food is really good and the service is super attentive. I had stuffed the Chevre and Apricot free range chicken breast, which was unbelievably tasty. I saw a few other items with meat, fish but no full vegetarian option. My dinner did have cheese (a tiny bit) but I survived because the food was so good. The pricing is fairly upscale from the last time I remember ($24-$30 for main courses) and they completely got rid of their pastas but their menu is fairly good, so no reason to complain. Worth visiting if you have a special occasion.

Restaurant review - The Whip Gallery

I find it fascinating that a perfect example of the transformation of industrial land into urban/residential use is located so close to my house. The Mount Pleasant area used to be quite industrial. There are a few industrial buildings remaining (one of them used to be a candy factory and then became a brewery?!). At any rate, the building where The Whip is located I am guessing used to be another factory. It has that 'industrial flavor' to it. The building is fully red (for starters, that's kind of odd -- but I digress). And yes, the decor has lots of art (presumably local artists). This neighborhood tends to house lots of funky artists, I must say.

Given its location (6th and Main, but on the 200 block of 6th Avenue), I wasn't really expecting a restaurant. Funny how it works, according to several reviews that I have read online, it is an art gallery too. I fully thought it was a bar (a sports bar, for that matter) the first time I walked by. But now I think that this is a hipster place. I had a long conversation with H about the concept of hipster... non-conformist but all-conforming in their own non-conformity. Complicated enough? Think of scruffy beards, shaggy hair, wicked t-shirts, baggy jeans, aloofness and "I don't really care what you think of me but you should think I am super cool" kind of attitude. That's what transpired around us when we went to The Whip.

I found other Vancouver bloggers' reviews of the Whip and apparently this place used to be different. I didn't know The Whip before so I have no counterfactual. I found the pecan pie was really good and their beer was definitely drinkable. The waitress wanted perhaps to give an image of aloofness, but I managed to make her crack a smile (she was beautiful by the way).

However, as H would say, the atmosphere is hipster, the menu is not. The menu actually looks and reads a bit too upscale (a lot of martinis for $7.50 apiece, a few dinner items). Actually I found the pecan pie portions very small compared to when I go to an actual dessert place but it was a nice touch. I had never had pie with beer, and it turned out ok.

From the reviews I have read, this is the favorite gathering place of a group of Vancouver bloggers. I am not sure I might be crashing their party any time soon considering that I am a total non-techie and non-geek, so my blogging is at its very early stages. But it's nice to know that if I want to meet a group of Vancouver bloggers, I can always walk down to the Whip when they have their gatherings.

Restaurant review - Fassil

For those of us who are fascinated with geographical concentration, Fassil and The Red Sea Cafe offer an interesting phenomenon. The Ethiopian community seems to gravitate around these two restaurants, located basically within one block of each other. I had already eaten at The Red Sea Cafe (amazing food) and since H was interested in trying some Ethiopian we decided to go to Fassil. Located in the 700 block of East Broadway (near Fraser), it is a little spot that you could easily overlook if you don't have the address with you.

The food was amazing and the atmosphere was really nice, clean, comforting. Contrary to the Red Sea Cafe (which has a more subdued atmosphere with darker lighting), Fassil offers much more light and it makes a big difference when you are able to appreciate (visually) the dishes you are being offered. We ordered two meat dishes (wot) and a vegetarian combo and that was more than enough food for two people. Their injera is fluffy and perhaps a tiny bit less sour than The Red Sea Cafe's (whose owner dropped by Fassil the same night we were dining there!) but I like it that way. Their wots are not as spicy (but then again, we asked them to prepare them mild)

Since both places have their own specials and their own dishes, I would not want to rank one above the other, so I would recommend that you go for dinner to both of them (one each night, of course!) and decide for yourselves. The place is fully licensed and offers many vegetarian dishes. They take all credit cards, debit and cash... quite convenient!

Hot upcoming event - Miguel Migs, Lisa Shaw, Marques Wyatt

For those of us who are deep house lovers, this event is a "must attend". Miguel Migs is one of the best house DJs of our generation. He is well known for his numerous deep-house tunes. Among my favorites - Secrets.

I found the promotional video for his upcoming gig at The Commodore (downtown Vancouver). He will be joined by awesome singer Lisa Shaw and fellow DJ Marques Wyatt. The even will take place on Easter Weekend (note that the event takes place on Saturday April 7th, 2007 rather than Sunday - I thoroughly believed it was Sunday!) . The promotional video for this event shows last year's party to the tune of Andy Caldwell's "Don't You Love Me" in the Ronan's Disco Vocal mix (listen to a sample here). The video is shown below.

I found the website for the organizers, Blue Print Events. Tickets are $ 35 Canadian on Ticketmaster. I am tempted to go (VERY tempted, that is), even if only because I don't think I'll have another chance to see Miguel Migs, Lisa Shaw and Marques Wyatt in the same event. If you are in the area, I would encourage you to go (and full disclosure - I do not receive any money for promoting this event, I just found out through the great grapevine and thought I'd share it with my readers).

Coffee shop review - Cedar Cottage Coffee House

I had considered the possibility of starting a new line of reviews (work-places, those little cafes where we can sit down, relax, have a cup of tea or coffee and do work on our laptops). While there is a website that summarizes all the coffee shops in town with wireless access (Vancouver WiFi Mug), the purpose of my reviews was to provide an idea of where one could work.

So the first one is a coffee shop that I fell in love recently when out with S for a cup of tea. Located at 3728 Clark Drive (corner of Clark Drive and Kingsway), the Cedar Cottage Coffee House is a small coffee shop that serves some of the best tea and munchies I have had in a few years. Fully equipped with wireless, reading materials (please don't take the books or magazines!) and big windows, this little cafe is the definition of organic and friendly.

The staff is really nice and they will spoil you to no end. At least, S and I had a really good time when we were there for coffee. I haven't really worked there for a long period of time so I can't really assess that element, but it looks like a good place to work on the weekends (since I come into the office most weekdays).

Restaurant review - Shabusen

Ok, so I am a sushi lover. And I am a lover of all-you-can-eat sushi. Furthermore, I love the South Granville area (four of my very best friends happen to live all within a block of each other in this neighborhood). However, I am always wary of sushi places. I think everyone needs to have his/her own favorites, and I am now quite clear that there are some that will definitely not make my cut. Shabusen is one of them.

Don't get me wrong -- many people simply love Shabusen. For numerous Vancouverites, their definition of all-you-can-eat-sushi is heading to this place located at the corner of 14th Avenue and Granville Street. I will admit I'm one of the skeptics. For the quality of food I ate the last two times I went there (one of them with L and the other with B), I really would've gone elsewhere (Tanpopo, for example). It didn't help that their prices are relatively higher than any other places I have been to.

That being said, I am willing to give Shabusen another try - perhaps in a few months. For now, I'm going to steer clear. And some of my closest friends (Copper Lioness for example) agree with me that Shabusen is overrated. I still need to find a good sushi place in Vancouver that I'll be happy with (other than the 18 pieces and miso-soup cheap eateries on Cambie and Broadway!).

Restaurant review - Ouisi Bistro

Vancouver has lots of really good places for all sorts of ethnic food. When I lived in the South Granville area, I was completely shocked that I had a restaurant that served Creole food very close by. My friend T was the one who introduced me to Ouisi Bistro, a cute restaurant located on Granville I think between 14th and 16th Avenues (can't recall the exact location but you can use the link I provided to locate it with Google Maps).

Since I have a love for all things French (including the language), I thought it would be nice to spice up my life by having dinner at Ouisi. Their Creole cuisine is excellent (I would particularly recommend it for dinner -- I wasn't completely sold on their brunch menu). Creole (cajun) food is characterized by hot, spicy flavors. The jambalaya here is to die for (only rivaled by two other places as far as I am concerned - Cactus Club and The Fringe Cafe). I have also tried their sea-food chowder, amazing.

The prices for large plates aren't definitely higher (in the $ 20-25 price) but the portions are generous. You also have the option of smaller plates, which are enough for dinner and cheaper ($12-15). Moreover, the atmosphere is excellent, and the waiters really know how to narrow down your menu options so that you actually enjoy whatever you want. Definitely worth a visit.

Restaurant review - Cafe Barney (South Granville)

Cafe Barney is the epitome of reliability. D, I, A, H and I went for burgers and fries recently since we do know that we can find excellent fries and burgers at this place. Cafe Barney always deliver. I happen to know one of the staff members since a few years ago because I used to live in the neighborhood (now known as South Granville, though I think the technical term would be Fairview Slopes).

The strip between Broadway and 16th Avenue on Granville has usually been touted as one of the nicest shopping districts. However, you can also find reliable good food in this area. If you want to go for pricey (albeit excellent food), you can do Star Anise or West, or you can do cheap eats (Cafe Crepe, Cafe Barney) or somewhere in between (The Red Room).

Now, the fact that the burgers aren't expensive doesn't mean that Cafe Barney is some sort of cheap joint. On the contrary. The ambiance is great and the service is top-notch. Their burger and fries are to die for. Their pasta (penne with chorizo) is definitely not bad, although I would say that Cafe Barney has more of a reputation for their burgers.

I have had brunch here before and it is consistently reliable. Definitely one of the best places if you want to eat fries, scrambled eggs, chorizo, and of course... burgers! They seem to have a good variety of beer (I am clueless here as I don't drink beer). Their wine selection seems good albeit perhaps a bit pricey (their martinis seem a bit expensive too). But the rest of the food is quite affordable.

I would strongly endorse Cafe Barney for a night out :-) Beware that the music can be a little loud and the atmosphere is relaxed. I read elsewhere some critiques to the servers, but I can't agree. Any time I have been here the service has been really good. I am sorry to hear that other people have had bad experiences, but I've been to Cafe Barney enough times to actually say that it's been consistently good.

Dessert place review - True Confections (Denman)

Admittedly, whenever I go out for dinner I usually ask for dessert at the same place. I could have done this last time that I was downtown (Dining Out for Life), but instead H and I decided to walk around and ended up at a dessert place called "True Confections". This place gets packed because it is truly designed as a dessert/coffee/tea gathering venue.

I had a trifle for the first time in my life, and wow was it ever tasty! The prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly, although honestly speaking, you can really overdose on sugar. I don't like comparing among dessert places because really, their function is the same (provide you with a nice comfortable cozy spot where to share some time with friends over dessert). So, I'll just praise "True Confections". The location we went to was Denman and I think Barclay, but you can just the same go to Broadway and Alma and their desserts are just as good. Not overly expensive and definitely cozy.

Movie rental place review - Happy Bats Cinema

Going along with recent reviews of brunch places along the Main Street neighbourhood, I have neglected to publish a review of the Happy Bats Cinema movie rental store. I am all for 'organic', local business. Therefore, while I recognize the value of Rogers Video or Blockbusters, I'll probably want to rent a movie from my corner movie rental store.

Happy Bats Cinema is not only my corner movie rental store, it is a top-notch, unconventional place where the owners are real experts on the movies. They have foreign, cult, British, Japanese, horror movies, documentaries and if you really really need them, they also have the traditional flicks that we all need to see from time to time. They have the latest season of Alias too ;)

Located at 198 East 15th Avenue, Happy Bats Cinema is your choice for inexpensive, local, organic, specialized service if you want to rent a movie that really suits your interest. Very personalized service and rather friendly staff. Worth checking.

Restaurant review - The Nice Cafe

While this could be categorized as "cheap eats" (the food is really inexpensive), I think I'd like to call The Nice Cafe one of the two best brunch places I've been to recently (Rhizome and Crave being the other two). Surprisingly enough, all these three are located within 5-10 minutes walking distance, around Main Street.

H and I had talked about trying The Nice Cafe since a couple of weeks ago so we finally made it. The only down side - the wait in line can be substantial (20-30 minutes) if you arrive during peak time. But, there are several upsides.

First, the service is absolutely fantastic. Even though their place is packed and people keep ordering food, the staff will always have a smile in their faces and wish you "Good Day".

Second, the food is really good (did I mention inexpensive too?) - I had 'burger steak with eggs, hashbrown and toast' (burger steak AKA ground meat patty), and it was enough to fill me until 7 pm.

Third, the location is almost unbeatable. Hidden on East 8th Avenue and almost Main Street, The Nice Cafe is technically "off the road". However, you can still do a lot of shopping, art gallery viewing and walking around Main Street and you won't be bored. And if you need a mall, there's always Kingsgate Mall.

At the end of our meal, the lady who apparently owns the place came and talked to us and gave us pointers as to when to arrive next time (peak time 10am to 2 pm). Since my brain doesn't start functioning until after 10.30am, I doubt I can get there any earlier.

I would strongly recommend The Nice Cafe for anyone who would like to come visit East Vancouver (Main Street) if they live in Kitsilano/Point Grey/Fairview Slopes. To those friends of mine who muster the strength and face a long commute to come join me for brunch around my neck of the woods, thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. You know who you are :)

Music review - Cool - Gwen Stefani

While this song has nothing to do with my romantic life, I absolutely loved the music and the way in which Gwen Stefani sings. Funny how it works, there is a Wikipedia entry discussing the tune. I have rarely seen this on Wikipedia. At any rate, the video is below, hope you like it.

Music review - If I Hadn't Got You - Lisa Stansfield

Lisa Stansfield is, in my humble opinion, a contemporary icon. She is the doyenne of disco-influenced soul and rhythm/blues music. In this piece, she does a cover of another singer, Chris Braide (really good too). Completely different again from other songs I have posted before... this is just to show the range of tunes I am into... I have to admit that I prefer this version but I also like Chris Braide a lot... Judge for yourself.

Music Review - Sola Sistim by Underworld

In a very recent conversation with H, we discussed our respective music interests. I think that while my taste is quite varied, my repertoire is not as vast as his. That being said, in complete contrast to other tunes I have looked for, Sola Sistim by Underworld is the type of experimental, new-age song that people could very well associate me with.

While "experimental music" doesn't seem to be a phrase that many of my friends would have in mind when talking about my music, I can completely see myself writing at a downtown coffee shop at 11 pm (I am a creature of the night) while listening to this tune. I managed to find a video with the song as a background (still have yet to find the actual album!).

Update - I read some reviews and apparently this is downtempo, chill-out. Wow, I really need to amp up my terminology!

More music from the 90's - "Don't talk, Just Kiss" by Right Said Fred

Right Said Fred was best known for "I'm Too Sexy", a song often associated with catwalks and beautiful models. However, they also had a rather sweet tune that I have loved ever since I first listened to it. Since I'm stuck in the 90's for a short while, here is the tune. Judge for yourself.

Music Review - Gonna Get You by Lonnie Gordon

For those of you who are 80's music lovers (and who love to dance to really contagious music), below you will find the video to the opening sequence to the movie "Cool as Ice" starring Vanilla Ice. Touted as the first white (Caucasian) rapper (and perhaps this was true, I've never actually checked pop culture history books), Vanilla Ice had a few tunes that stuck in a lot of people's minds. This video features Naomi Campbell (pre-maid hitting behavior) singing with Vanilla Ice. Rhythmic and contagious, this tune makes me want to dance every time I listen to it. Hopefully it will have the same effect on you :)

Moreover, I found that Lonnie Gordon had done a song in the same soundtrack, so I tracked it down to ... a YouTube segment of a Vanilla Ice movie ("Cool as Ice"). Whomever uploaded the video wasn't very happy with the female lead! Lonnie Gordon has achieved much success, and is a wonderful singer. This type of music is sort of high-energy, rhythm and blues, mixed with a bit of house. Check it out.

Dining Out for Life 2007 - Vancouver

For the past few years, I have made a point of going out for dinner on a special night: Dining Out for Life. This event takes place this year on Thursday, March 29th, 2007. Participating restaurants will donate 25% of your food bill to A Loving Spoonful and Friends for Life, two charities in the Lower Mainland that support local people living with HIV/AIDS. If you live in the Greater Vancouver Regional District area, I would strongly encourage you to participate in the event. Any contribution (small as it might be) counts.

A glorious day of Spring in Vancouver

This is what today looked like in pictures :) To your right, the Rose Garden at UBC, overlooking the Burrard Inlet and the North Shore. You can now understand why people want to live in Vancouver despite the super expensive and over-priced rental units here!

Eatery review - Curry Point (UBC and Cambie)

Those of us who love Indian food and happen to be all the time on the go really appreciate having a place where you can go, consistently find good food, very filling and at a reasonable price. I have been a customer of Curry Point for perhaps a decade (not 100% sure on this one, but I am sure that I've eaten here at least since 2000).

The original Curry Point I knew is located in the basement of the University Village (often called the 'Food Court', although there are so many new restaurants in the village that I think they'll need to actually name that area so that people can recognize it!). The owners must have been super successful because they recently opened another branch, located on Broadway between Cambie and Ash.

I have been to both locations. The downside of the UBC location is that it is ALWAYS packed. The line to order food sometimes blocks other establishments, which I find quite annoying. It's almost impossible to find seating if you want to eat on site at lunch time. The downside of the Cambie location is that it is small and can make you feel a bit claustrophobic. The upside of both establishments is that the food is consistently good.

Their butter chicken, curry chicken, curry lamb and potatoes and onions are must-haves. Lunch can be around $ 7.00 if you order a combo with two meat items, pop and naan bread. The only things you need to keep in mind are: First, when you eat lunch at Curry Point, you have to forget about dinner. I have had lunch at 11.30am and still feel the need to continue processing food by midnight of the same day. Second, if you eat at Curry Point UBC, arrive early (or late) so that you can actually seat. The food is excellent! And they have plenty of vegetarian options.

Eatery review - The Papaya Hut

Strategically located on Burrard near Broadway, the Papaya Hut is a true gem of good Thai food. The place is small. Very small, although I am sure it is certainly bigger than some establishments in the downtown Vancouver area. The food is amazing and the service is quick and corteous.

A combination # 1 will be hovering around $ 11.00 (plus tax and tip) and you get to enjoy satay, salad, good quality rice and one menu item. I ordered the yellow curry, and quickly discovered that Thai food can be extremely hot even for my palate! My complaint is not with the actual quality of the food, but with the spice in it. Salads are not supposed to be hot. This salad was. So was the dip for my chicken Satay and I don't even want to mention the yellow curry.

I got to the point where it was clearly inedible. I had to take my food to go and come home and mix it with coconut milk. So, if you happen to order at the Papaya Hut (they have delivery within reasonable distances) or eat in, I would recommend to make sure that your food can be eaten (mine was too hot).

Still, lots of people have praised it and I enjoyed the food (while I could eat it). I have seen that they have lunch for $ 5.95. Now, that's what I call good food at a reasonable price!

Note to my readers: Please be informed that the next few restaurant reviews will discuss fast-food, cheap-eats. Not fast food in the way of McD or BK, or KFC, but local haunts with small places that provide sustenance in order to go on with our daily activities. I've decided to name these posts "Eatery review", and the label for this type of post will be "cheap eats".

Long distance calling and technological hindrances

If you agree with the assumption that everyone in Vancouver is an immigrant (regardless of whether you left another Canadian province or arrived from a foreign country), you will have to agree that we all have to make long distance phone calls. At one point, I had to call Spain, the United States and Mexico.

In order to keep in touch with my family, I signed on to an e-mail account more than 11 years ago. I started using online messaging systems (aka Microsoft MSN, or Yahoo! Messenger) a few years later, still with the purpose of keeping in touch with my family and more recently, my friends. For a while there, I even wondered why my family would keep calling me over the phone (from the US, Mexico or Spain) if we could communicate over the Internet. Truth be told, after a few years, I have realized that I enjoy phone conversations much better.

Well, the fact that I live in a different country to that of many of my friends and family has made me a reliable customer of phone cards. Many (not sure if all of them) use Voice-Over-IP technology to connect long distance. I do have Skype and I am aware that there is Skype-Phone now, but for some reason (perhaps the fact that I am slightly technology-challenged) I still prefer to either have a phone plan or use phone cards.

This sort of random self-assessment is very much the result of a realization ... I am getting old!!! My nieces had cell phones before I did. They have MSN accounts since they were 13 years old. I still don't own an iPod and I'll confess that, up until I actually sat down and played with a digital camera, I was totally puzzled as to how I was supposed to download the pictures from my camera (don't worry, I now know that all I have to do is plug a USB cable to my laptop!).

It is surprising that I am so adept (and eager to adopt) new technologies in my own field of research, I am totally incompetent in others. I love Geographical Information Systems, GIS and I am quite happy to use systems modeling software such as Analytica, Stella or Extend. I feel confident using new qualitative or quantitative research software (Atlas.ti, or STATA) but I am still reluctant to adopt Skype.

I often wonder why I make these choices. From an economic standpoint, it probably doesn't make any sense that I do not use Skype, given the frequency of my long distance phone calls. But I believe that adopting new behavioral patterns is also dependent on comfort levels and particular consumer preferences.

Do we get the same degree of satisfaction/pleasure from talking with our loved ones online (on MSN or the more recent three-dimensional alternate world Second Life) or over the phone? I would have to go with the phone.

Taking this reflection one step further, that's perhaps one of the reasons why I thoroughly enjoy going out for brunch with my good friends (like I did with H just recently to Rhizome). I could have chatted with him over email or even on the phone. But we do enjoy going out (we are both brunch lovers and really appreciate good food -- what do they call it? we are foodies). I doubt we'd have the same good experience if we did most of our "hanging out" online.

I keep a really busy social schedule because I enjoy my friends company, something I don't think an online world would give me. L and I often go work at a cute coffee shop on Main Street. I could work at home or the office, but I enjoy her presence, in real life. My Sunday nights are usually movie nights with J. I could just as easily pop a movie in my laptop but I enjoy the post-movie discussion. There is a lot to be said for enjoying the physical presence of loved ones. And technology can't really replace it, no matter what. Even over the phone, you can feel your loved ones closer to you than using webcam, I think.