The Grouse Grind

*** Sorry for the slightly delayed posting -- I needed to find WiFi access ***

So out of sheer will, I decided to do the Grouse Grind. For any Vancouverite who prides him/herself of being truly Vancouverite, this is a must-do. The Grouse Mountain trail (Grouse Grind) is a 2.9 km hike, with an elevation gain of 2,800 feet. Some people say that for a fit person it should take about an hour to complete. In my case, even though I think I am pretty fit, I took longer because I had to stop more than once. I actually stopped more to talk to people than because I was tired. You can get to the bottom of Grouse Mountain by bus, and it is one of the most frequented hikes in Vancouver. Worth doing it, even if just to say you did it. And yes, it is a way of connecting with nature (hence the sustainability tag).

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

Backtracking comments?

I have to confess that I’m a non-expert blogger. I create my posts and link to websites, and post some YouTube videos, but that’s the extent of my blogging savvy. When I’ve been browsing other bloggers’ sites (mainly because we are all doing Blogathon) I have noticed that people can track who has linked to their site. How do you do it? I use Blogger, so perhaps my platform isn’t the best suited (I don’t know). I know some people like Typepad or WordPress. But I have grown used to Blogger. And I kind of like it.

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

Water scarcity - Saving the world one drop at a time

With so much rain year-round, it would be tempting to think that there is no water scarcity in Canada. This thought could be misleading. Tofino, a small town in British Columbia, almost shutdown last year because of water droughts. Water scarcity is a reality, and just because we don’t see it we can’t deny it. Click here for a website chock full of resources on water (the World Water Assessment Programme, based in Paris).

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

Caffeine crazed - The tradition of working at coffee shops

The phrase “working at a coffee shop” has often triggered a few strange comments from my friends. “Are you actually working as a barista?” is often one of them. The truth is no, I don’t work at a coffee shop, but I do work AT a coffee shop. Yeah, I know it sounds strange. What that statement means is that I often bring my laptop and some papers to work with and start my work. That’s what I mean by “working at a coffee shop”. And on that note, two things.

• Caffeine is not working. I’m very sleepy.

• Vancouver has LOTS of coffee shops with wireless that you can work at.

I found a really neat webpage that tracks WiFi in Vancouver (coffee shops particularly). Check it out.

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

Environmental behavior in Canada

In a relatively recent (March 2007) poll, the CBC quoted Angus Reid Global Monitor’s figures saying that 4 out of 5 Canadians believe in global warming. Angus Reid Global Monitor further reported that class and education are associated with environmental behavior. They find that “…the more education a person had, the less likely they were to live an environmentally-conscious lifestyle…” (page 2 of the news release). What do you think of these results? Where do they place you (skeptic, activist)?

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

Music review - Jetstream by New Order

I hadn’t been much of a fan of New Order up until I heard Bizarre Love Triangle. Then I heard about Electronic and how Bernard Sumner had teamed up with Neil Tennant and Johnny Marr and created awesome tunes such as “Getting Away with It”. Then somebody sent me a link to this tune, and I became instantly hooked. Jetstream makes me want to dance, so I always enjoy listening to this tune. The video doesn’t thrill me much, but the song is totally worth it. Enjoy!

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

The video starts here.

Solid waste management - Take that trash back!

Some people call it the “waste hierarchy”, others call it the 3 Rs (reduce, recycle, reuse). Whatever name you want to assign to these waste management strategies, these are intended to minimize human impacts on the environment. The principle is that we should choose to prevent generation of waste, reduce amounts that are being generated, and dispose of waste only as a last resort. With the recent civic strike in Vancouver, the 3Rs seem like one of several possible strategies to cope with the disruption of service. But I would argue that waste minimization shouldn’t only occur when garbage collection is disrupted. It should be part of our daily lives. However, behavioral changes are hard. Our consumption and waste generation patterns may be very powerful. Nevertheless, I believe we can effect change, one less plastic bag at a time.

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

Strategies for Blogathon 2007

When I told him I was entering Blogathon 2007, H suggested that I choose a theme for my blog posts. At first, I toyed with the idea and thought “oh yeah, I should do that”. He suggested looking at some environmental issue in a different time zone than mine. And then I thought “well, to actually write a meaningful post I’d have to really do some research”. And once you start the Blogathon, let me tell you, there’s really very little time in between posts. You think “oh yeah, I got 30 minutes until the next one” and then all of a sudden, you find yourself scrambling to gather some thoughts and write a meaningful one.

I think other bloggers had been better prepared than I have – some at least sketched some ideas beforehand, came up with a theme, etc. In my case, it was a really last-minute decision. Had I thought about this more, I would have

• Contacted a few local blogs such as Beyond Robson, Metroblogging Vancouver, etc. and asked them to link to my site.

• Contacted A Loving Spoonful much more in advance so that they could advertise my efforts.

• Contacted my friends who are actually on Facebook and asked them to post a link to my blog.

• Thought about the theme for my posts.

• Prepared a few ideas in advance.

But … I didn’t. So I’ll just have to go with the flow. There’s really nothing I can do about a, b, and c (though Miss604 was very gracious and nice by linking to my blog on hers, so I am hoping some of her readers will go through mine).

As for d and e, I think that the best thing I can do is to follow H’s advice every hour. That is, starting at 9:30am Pacific Standard Time, I will be posting on environmental issues every hour (10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, and so on). This post does not count because this is the one that explains what I plan to do.

Then, every hour on the hour I will post about what I usually post – my random thoughts, some restaurant reviews (yes I eat out a lot and no I don’t feel guilty about it), some music reviews, and some local content that is not food-related, but still is Vancouver-centric.

I also thought that I should post a link to the “Sponsor Me” page on every post so that you don’t need to scroll up and down to find where the link is. Hope you are enjoying the posts, that you’re feeling in a giving mood and that you sponsor me (or other bloggers, for that matter. We are all doing it for a good cause). Come by, leave a comment...

“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.

More random thoughts...

I thought this Blogathon was going to be piece-of-cake, up until the moment when I realized that my mind had wandered so much that I didn't have enough content to post a very coherent essay. So I'll have to post what I had on my mind before, which was a little rant on the fact that there are no 24-hours Safeways or Superstores. We need those! What if I wake up (as I did today) and I don't have food in my fridge for breakfast?

-- Next post will be more coherent, once I have had some food...

Movie review - The Simpsons Movie

I am not sure how other bloggers are doing it, but in my case, I am getting inspiration pretty much from very recent experiences (time spent together with friends, activities I've undertaken, my Mom's visit, etc.)... This post will not be the exception. I recently went with a very good friend of mine (J) to watch The Simpsons Movie. Now, full disclaimer: I had no idea about the Simpsons until he loaned me Season 1. I was perhaps one of the very few people in North America who didn't understand references to the Simpsons (M used to tell me "thank you, come again" with an Apu-like voice and I wouldn't get what she was referring to).

Anyhow, J wanted to watch it and I wasn't about to say no (he's sort of a die-hard fan and it was nice to share the movie together). Anyhow, I loved it. I laughed like I had not laughed in years, and at one point I couldn't stop until tears welled my eyes. It is a really funny movie. Granted, it has an environmental theme and given that environmental affairs are issues that are near and dear to my heart, I was particularly pleased that these topics were touched upon.

Of course, it would really help if you actually had watched The Simpsons before going into the movie, but in my case, I was a neophyte and I still could understand everything that was said in the movie, so no complaints here.

On opening night, the Rio Theatre (on Broadway near Commercial) had organized a movie launch party, so I am guessing you can still see it there. Other venues include the Scotiabank Theatre (Smithe and Burrard). I'd seriously recommend the movie. And "thank you, come again".

Restaurant review - Favorito Pasta Trattoria

I am known for my love of Italian food, and I jump at every opportunity that I get to either make it or go out for dinner and have it. With my Mom’s recent visit to Vancouver, B and C offered to take us out for dinner and we settled on Favorito Pasta Trattoria (552 Broadway, pretty much between Ash and Cambie). Favorito has pretty much every Italian dish you want, although I again settled for something a bit fusion – penne with curry. I know, oh the heresy!

With all the construction around the Canada Line, I have made a point of eating around Cambie more often (support local business is one of my mottos). So, I was pleased to go to Favorito (even if it isn’t technically located ON Cambie, it’s close enough). The food was excellent, and the service was impeccable. Of course, the best part was the company. C and B are married and they have always made me feel part of their family, and I am very grateful for having friends like them.

I would recommend Favorito, although I found that the music was a bit too loud for me. But I am sure they’d compromise if you asked them to turn the volume down, as the service was excellent and attentive. And the best part of it all? The food is not expensive. So, good food, great service and your wallet won’t have a hole… what else can you ask for?

PS – In addition to another friendly reminder to sponsor me and encourage you to donate for A Loving Spoonful (again, the money goes directly to the charity – Blogathon only keeps track of who has raised how much money) I would also like to encourage you to comment. Many people are awake already (I noticed comments on Miss604’s blog and other Blogathon-related blogs, so I decided to open up my comments and leave them non-moderated). Throw ideas, comment on the content, encourage us.

PPS – I hate that most corner stores will open until 9 or 10 am. Didn’t anybody tell them that I need breakfast food? I’m getting hungry! So now I’ll be forced to go to one of the 24 hours stores that charges a premium for the mere fact that they are open 24 hours (well, that’s the convenience right?).

Restaurant review - Capricorn Restaurant & Grill

I had wanted to come to Capricorn for years, even before I moved out of the neighborhood (I used to live around the Fairview Slopes area, and for a while there I moved closer to Cambie and Broadway). The décor is beautiful and sophisticated, and I can’t really remember why I never got around to eating here in almost a decade.

We had tried to come here on Sunday night a couple of times, but they’re closed on Sunday nights, so it hadn’t worked out. Up until recently, when we actually ate here on a weekday. And I am going to have to say that I don’t understand why I hadn’t come here earlier.

I ordered Cajun penne pasta with chicken, and it was really good. The food is well cooked, and the décor is very pretty. Granted, we got there too early during the day to actually see the lights but it was overall a very nice experience, not only for the company (a great friend of mine) but also for the actual meal. It wasn’t expensive, contrary to what you could expect on the Broadway corridor. Apparently this area is filled with nice inexpensive restaurants. I had dinner at Favorito Trattoria recently and it was very good too (but that’s the subject of another review).

Located on Broadway close to Ash (656 Broadway), on the south side of the street, I would very much recommend Capricorn for dinner. Never been for lunch, though I am curious about their lunch features. Will tell you more about it later.

The meaning of "forever"

Taken out of context, I am almost 100% sure everyone who reads this blog will define the word forever pretty much in the same way as Dictionary.com would: "without never ending". I think just about everyone would agree with that definition. Forever would mean sort of "till death do us part". In recent years, I have learned to use this word sparingly, even though I know I love hearing it, particularly in the context of friendships or romantic relationships.

Guilty as charged. I have used it in the past without any degree of measure. The phrase "I love you. I always have, I always will" was frequently uttered by yours truly (and in the same way, I loved hearing it). Yep, I used to be the one who promised to love [XYZ] forever. The key word here being forever. Nevertheless, I never thought about the fact that forever is a bloody long time.

You may ask yourselves "why do you ask yourself this question? why now?" ... well, honestly, this is not something I just started thinking about today. As a matter of fact, my life at the moment is really fulfilled in many ways. No, the thing is that recently, I have become keenly aware that geographical distance, time elapsed and bi-directionality are factors that influence the meaning of forever (whenever used in the context of friends and romance). Can you really love someone forever if that someone is thousands of miles away from you, you haven’t talked to him or her in a very long time and the relationship was pretty much unilateral (where you loved them more then they loved you)? I would doubt it.

In promising someone that you’ll love him/her forever, I would argue that you are implicitly forgetting about the potential challenges that may loom in the horizon, particular circumstances that may separate you from the loved person, etc. The truth is, things change, and we change. And expecting people to love us “forever”, while extremely sweet in theory, is somewhat impractical. Now, the problem is that saying “I love you for the time being” isn’t really that practical either. Would somebody propose an alternative to saying “I love you forever” or “I love you, I always have, I always will” that would work? I’m listening …

PS – Remember to click on the link at the top to sponsor me for Blogathon … I’ve seen a few of my fellow bloggers offer prizes, rewards and goodies… I’ll think of something throughout the day.

Music review - At Seventeen by Jann Arden

Well, this is my kick-off post for Blogathon 2007, and what a better way to start the 24 hour marathon of blogs than doing one of my music reviews. I had the opportunity to watch The Simpsons' movie recently, and just before the movie started, during the previews, we had the opportunity to watch Jann Arden's recent video "At Seventeen".

Now, I want to first stand corrected, because I told a very good friend of mine that I thought this was an original song by Jann Arden. It actually isn't. "At Seventeen" was a Janis Ian song that Arden covered in her "Uncover Me" album. According to Wikipedia, Ian won a Grammy in 1975 for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for this tune.

I love this song, even if I find it sometimes a little bit depressing. It does bring tears to my eyes when I listen to it. However, that's the case sometimes with Jann Arden's songs. An accomplished songwriter and singer, Arden is capable of bringing out very strong and powerful emotions.

Here is the video rendition of Jann Arden, "At Seventeen". Hope you like it. Happy Blogathon! And to my fellow blogathoners, go bloggers go! :) Vancouver participants of this year's blogathon that I know of are Miss604 and Open Up.

I'm now officially on the Blogathon 2007 roll

I just checked Blogathon's website and they have updated their website, so now you can find me on their list :)

I've got a list of potential topics, but I'll appreciate thoughts and ideas for blogging content. Furthermore, I'll appreciate donations to A Loving Spoonful :) -- Remember, you have to go through the Blogathon website to register your donation (for statistical purposes), but your donation does not go through Blogathon nor I. There's a direct link to A Loving Spoonful donations website.

Thanks for your generosity, thanks for reading my blog and more than anything, thanks for the support! :)

Blogathon 2007

Well, it's going to happen. After hearing that Miss604.com would be blogging for Surrey Food Bank and learning that I could do some good as well, I decided to join Blogathon 2007. I will be blogging for A Loving Spoonful (Vancouver) (they don't know just yet. I haven't yet sent them an e-mail saying I would). So, while my profile is still getting set up, I thought I'd just tell you a bit about Blogathon and give you the URL to my sponsor page.

Blogathon is an effort to make a difference through blogging. Bloggers all over the world will be blogging for a specific charity. In my case, I chose A Loving Spoonful because I believe that this charity makes a difference. They deliver meals for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Vancouver area. I remember that I learned about A Loving Spoonful at the Elbow Room, a wonderful diner located on Davie and almost Seymour. Their owners require you to make a donation if you don't finish your (usually huge) meal.

Since I am just setting up my account, I can't do the beautiful buttons where you can click and sponsor me, so I'll just have to go with ... if you want to sponsor me and contribute to the charity of my choice (A Loving Spoonful), click here.

Mole con Pollo

There are a few perks associated with having a mother who knows how to cook well. First, you learn when you observe (or when she shares her recipes - and my mother has lots of them). Second, you get to eat tasty yummy food all the time (or at least, when she visits). Third, you learn the tricks of the trade for when you need to cook dinner for guests. Only problem? You end up having A LOT OF FOOD IN YOUR FRIDGE.

During my Mom's recent visit, she taught me how to make mole con pollo. Mole is considered a traditional Mexican dish. The way my Mom serves it is with chicken breast, red rice (arroz rojo) and refried beans (frijoles refritos). She cooked it when H came over for dinner, and I did it recently when I invited another very good friend for dinner.

The only problem with being single and living alone is that most days, I cook for myself. And since I don't know how to cook very small portions, I often make food for a bunch of people and end up having to throw some of these into the freezer and then warm them up for a later occasion.

At any rate, I am glad I can make my own food. For the most part, it works well. And luckily, it works well for my guests too :) My friend M is often the one who checks whether my food is edible or not (she has not had any food poisoning so I must be doing something right).

BC Cancer Foundation 2007 Tour of Courage

I am always amazed at the number of events that are organized in Vancouver, particularly those that support many relevant causes (amongst those that I am passionate about are HIV prevention and treatment, poverty alleviation, sustainability and cancer treatment). I found out about the BC Cancer Foundation 2007 Tour of Courage recently and thought I'd throw in a call for support for this worthy cause.

Having lost three members of my family to cancer, and having one close family member currently afflicted by the disease, I know first-hand its devastating consequences. I blogged last year about the 'invisibility of cancer'. In that post I wrote that sometimes, close family members of the person who is afflicted with cancer may simply not want to talk about it and 'wish it were gone'. Cancer thus becomes a non-spoken word, stigmatized and feared.

All this brings me to the event I wanted to promote - the BC Cancer Foundation 2007 Tour of Courage. In this event, you sponsor a biker (or you bike yourself and raise money) that goes to support cancer-related research. So I'd like to ask you, dear readers, to consider the possibility of supporting this event. Full disclosure - I am in no way associated with BC Cancer Foundation, although someone I know is biking in the event. But I am also someone who has lost family members to cancer. Thus, I'd like to help, and it would be great if you could help too.

Restaurant review - Burgoo

While Burgoo is highly touted as "the" place in Vancouver where you can get any type of soup(s), we decided to try for brunch. K, M, H and I went there recently for brunch and we weren't disappointed. Well, at least I wasn't :-) I think they liked their breakfast too.

I have to say that, besides Crave on Main, I don't think I have tasted better scrambled eggs than those of Burgoo. I ordered the Mesa Scramble and I loved it. The potatoes were amazing, the chorizo was spicy and the eggs were very well done.

By the way did you know that a burgoo is a Kentuckian stew? I certainly did not! Burgoo was recently voted Best Restaurant for a Rainy Day and it certainly shows. The staff is super friendly and they took good care of us. They weren't pushy with the bill or anything to that extent. The food is reasonably priced (brunch for two can hover around 30 bucks after tax, coffee included). I was surprised at their Pain Francaise, but then again, I've seen other versions. But their brunch menu, while not all-encompassing, is good for many different palates.

This beautiful gem is located in Point Grey (yeah, a bit out of the way for those of us who live more in the central area of Vancouver). But it's definitely worth the trip uphill. Besides, what else do you really have to do on a rainy morning? :)

Music Review - Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5

I think the last tune I heard from Maroon 5 was "She Will Be Loved", somewhat nostalgic and a bit sad. But "Makes Me Wonder" is the type of tune I love listening to while writing or at a bar/club. Funky enough to dance to, and not too crazy, so you can actually concentrate on whatever you are doing. Do you like it?

Restaurant review - Incendio Pizzeria

Finding good Italian food in Vancouver is a challenge. Not for lack of restaurants, but sometimes for lack of consistency. Nevertheless, I've been very lucky in that I always end up finding good Italian restaurants. Incendio is one of the best, and it has two locations that I know of: Incendio West on Burrard and 6th and Incendio in Gastown (on Columbia near Water).

Truth be told I have only had pasta here. The name Pizzeria means that it sells pizza, but I've never had it here. Shame on me, yeah. But hey if I am going Italian, I might as well have pasta! Anyhow, I have read some mixed reviews, but I'm going to have to say that this is a solid place. Every time I've had dinner at Incendio (both locations), the food has been great.

Pasta is hard to do well because sometimes it may be overcooked or undercooked. I find that Incendio's pasta is consistently good. Their portions are generous. Furthermore, they seem to be willing to experiment with flavours. More recently I've sampled some non-traditional pasta, like penne with curry. And I've got to say I like it a lot. Incendio likes to experiment with these non-traditional flavors too, which I appreciate. The Dragon's Breath pasta is unbelievably good. And their Puttanesca is very good, a worthy rival to that of Water Street Cafe. Their Pancetta pasta is excellent too.

Again, I admit I have nothing to say about their pizza because I have never had pizza there. But the service (bread and water refills) is top-notch. Many people like this place for dinner and a movie at 5th Avenue Cinemas.

Coffee shop review - Higher Grounds

If you love hanging out and drinking coffee in Kitsilano, and eavesdropping on loud customers' conversations does not bother you, you'll love Higher Grounds.

The coffee is really good and I always have a fun time watching customers. Drawbacks - wireless is not officially theirs (you might catch some signals here and there) and not enough electrical energy plugs. So this is perhaps a good place for a nice read, work on something that doesn't require much internet and/or just relax sipping a nice coffee. It still remains one of my favourite coffee shops.

Location I have been to: Broadway at Vine.

Restaurant review - The Sunset Grill

This is one of the best places for brunch. Consistently reliable, great service, friendly, not overpowering. I love the Sunset Grill's Huevos Rancheros and the standard brunch fare they offer. The best thing about this place? Location. It is so close to Kitsilano Beach and to other amenities/restaurants that it's almost impossible to miss it. Located at York and Yew (if I am not mistaken, which I think I am not), the Sunset Grill offers comfort brunch food.

I remember reading that they offered burgers, beers, and specials. So if you are a Kitsilano resident and want to just go rent a movie (there's a Rogers Video right beside) and then have some lunch at the Sunset Grill, that sounds like a nice lazy afternoon for me!

Music Review - Gonna Catch Ya by Lonnie Gordon (Version 2)

Well, I finally found the right version on YouTube. This is Lonnie Gordon's "Gonna Catch Ya"... if you ever watched Vanilla Ice's movie "Cool as Ice", it's included in the soundtrack and the movie. This is one of the most dance-able songs of the early 1990s (I think it's 1993). I have never found the MP3 though :( I suppose that when I transition to iPod (which I am fairly soon) I'll be able to find it on iTunes. All this is still theoretical, though! In the mean time, hope you enjoy it as much as I do. The sound and video quality aren't stellar but hey who am I to complain? :-)

Restaurant review - The Mongolie Grill (Broadway and Cambie)

One of my close friends (T) is leaving for Ottawa, so a bunch of us agreed to go out and have dinner with her before she left, and we settled for The Mongolie Grill. I can't recall the last time I ate there, but it seems like a popular location and I hadn't had Mongolian food in a long while so I thought "why the heck not". Furthermore, it was T's farewell so I am not one to complain about location choice when my friends are leaving town.

Anyway, the deal in this restaurant is that you choose your meats, veggies, noodles and sauces and then they weigh your place and stir-fry it. Quite simple. Surprisingly for me, all my friends (all of them female) knew the weight of their food, approximately. So did I, but I think it's because I cook too. I think that helps :-)

So we had the patio, our server was attentive (I wasn't shocked at the high level of service, but she was nice enough) although splitting the bill was a bit of a hard time. Nevertheless, if you think about the fact that it came to about 12-15 dollars per person, and they serve complimentary rice, it wasn't that bad. We weren't served the soup, though (now that I think about it - I did not even remember!) but I am sure we could have if we had remembered to ask.

The food is nice and the cook is a really nice guy, but I am not entirely sure people are satisfied with the level of service of this particular location (Broadway and Cambie). I read some pretty nasty reviews that are here and here.

I can't complain much because I got what I wanted: tasty food and the company of awesome friends, in a well ventilated space (we got the patio). But I suppose that there are good and bad elements to this restaurant. In my view, it's worth coming with lots of friends... there are discussions around "what are you having for dinner" all the time :)

The reversal of roles in parenthood

I am just back from taking my Mom to the Vancouver airport, and I have to say that I feel quite nostalgic. We had a really good visit (as we always do) which was even better because two of my brothers came to visit as well. Therefore I got to see at least 3 members of my family. We always have great times when we are together.

As I was seeing my Mom off to the gates, it occurred to me that I was experiencing a reversal of roles. As a child, I am sure my mother was always worried that I would get into trouble, or that I would hurt myself (I did a lot of tree-climbing in my younger years). She had to see me and my brothers off to different countries many a time and I am sure that, in the back of her mind, she was always worried.

However, now that I'm grown up, I worry about her (naturally). You should have seen me, I was right at the gate before security clearance waiting to see if she had made it safe and sound through security. This is not a really challenging task, and she has traveled the world, so she is quite comfortable taking planes, making connections, reading departure and arrival computer screens, having her stuff searched while going through security, etc. Yet I was worried.

How funny that as children our parents worry about us and as adults, we worry about them. And the funniest part is that they'll never stop worrying about us. However, we seem to have a heightened sense of worry because now we realize that there is a world out there and that nobody is invulnerable. Moreover, if we have children, we now worry as parents for our children, and as children for our parents. So the chain never stops... who said that parenthood was easy?

It's all about the equipment - installment 3

I'm not sure if this is actually the third installment in the series of blog posts where I've talked about the need to have the right equipment for whatever activities I undertake. Yesterday, I bought two non-stick teflon frying pans (I'm not going to tell the make so that I don't get into trouble). At any rate, these were the two best purchases I've done recently, because now I can do scrambled eggs for breakfast and not have to work for an hour cleaning them.

Another piece of equipment I recently found very useful was a pair of sunglasses (excellent sunglasses, by the way). Given Vancouver's recent hot weather and sunny skies, I have really given them excellent use. Particularly because I use contact lenses, so I really need to use sunglasses when hanging out outdoors.

Really quick update :)

As you may imagine, there's something else that has had me occupied for the past couple of weeks. I've had family visiting me and therefore I have been basically occupied and unable to blog. Moreover, while out with my family, I've eaten out in some repeat restaurants, so I won't review them again. I'll be back with more restaurant reviews, random thoughts, music and movies after a short break. Stay tuned :)

Restaurant review - Moxie's

The more I have dinner at this type of restaurants, the more I realize the broad variety of food we have in this city. Vancouver is unique in that regard. Unfortunately (or luckily) for me, I have started to become a repeat customer of many restaurants, so I am running out of restaurants to review!

One of those restaurants that I've become very used to is Moxie's. The one location that always comes to mind is the one on Georgia and I think Hamilton or Seymour (more likely Seymour). But recently I've discovered one on Broadway and almost Burrard and of course, Davie between Thurlow and Bute (in the West End). This is the one I've been to most recently.

Touting itself as "casual dining", Moxie's service is top-notch. I was very pleased that the chef and the waitress were very accomodating with my summer feature: tandoori wild salmon. The food is not that terribly expensive, with entrees hovering around the $20 dollar mark, and it's filling and tasty. I really liked the tandoori salmon but next time I think I'll stick with pasta.

As I was writing earlier reviews of Cactus Club, Milestone's, Earl's and others, I would think that Moxie's is the same type of restaurant: reliable, good food, excellent service and atmosphere.

UPDATE - I included both gadgets from Urban Spoon because I have been to both locations, the Broadway one and the Robson one.

Oh Canada! Happy Birthday :)

O Canada! These are the first two words of Canada's national anthem. I have to say that every time I have heard these words I get goosebumps. Particularly when I am traveling in other countries. [Note to self- check before posting - I was missing a few sentences in this paragraph!]

Having lived here for over a decade now, I would say that I live a pretty Canadian life. Many people would ask "what is a Canadian life". The way I have defined it is perhaps not very scientific and maybe a bit biased. But that is how I see my life now. Most of my closest friends are Canadian (either born, raised or educated in Canada). I owe to this country many things, amongst them education, good friends, fairly good health care (at least eye care), an open and friendly environment to live in. The list could go on.

Other friends of mine have blogged about the values of Canada (such as a universal health system, an immigration-friendly atmosphere, multiculturalism), so I won't really go into that. I have also read some analysts speaking about the country as though they know it inside-out (which really bothers me because they don't live here and know very little about the realities of day-to-day life in Canada). But this is not the place to criticize their work.

I think that, out of the things that I am grateful to Canada for, one of the most important is the friends I have made here. Notwithstanding my deep love for my friends who are not Canada-based, I have made a life for myself here and been welcome with open arms by many Canadians. Even some non-Canadian life-long friends, I've met them here! Thus, it is just appropriate that I say I'm quite thankful.

So, happy birthday Canada, eh? :)

It's all about the equipment again...

Tonight I went to the Coastal Jazz Festival (TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival) with H and my Mom. Funny how things go, I did not foresee many things but I shall be prepared next time...

a). It was really hot and sunny. I wore a black t-shirt. Bad idea.
b). The concert was held outdoors was outdoors and no seating (chairs) was available. Note to self - bring along a mat or a towel.
c). The weather was really hot and sunny (again). Note to self - bring running shorts, t-shirt, sunscreen, cold water or other drink.

So in conclusion, next time I do an outdoor concert, I'll come prepared. After a really cool rumba performance by Rumba Calzada (they played Guajira and a few other tunes that I've danced to before with my salsa partners). It was a really great experience.

We stayed for about an hour then dinner at La Bodega, which was unbelievably awesome. True to my Spanish roots I went for the typical patatas bravas, chorizo, albondigas, montaditos de cerdo... Ah, good times were had by all!

Restaurant review - Coppertank Grill (Kitsilano)

Ok, so since we're on the topic of watering holes, it would also be unfair not to review Coppertank. I recently went to Coppertank with M and A, but I had also been there a few times with other friends. In reading some reviews of Coppertank, it appears as though people love the fact that it's an unpretentious, boisterous place where you can have a beer and a burger.

I would compare it to The Five Point on Main Street and almost 15th Avenue, but I have to say that Coppertank feels a bit more cozy. It's perhaps the fact that they have live bands sometimes. And I really enjoy the burgers there. I just wish they had the $10 burger-and-a-beer combo. Speaking of which, I know Stamps Landing Pub and the Five Point DO have said combo.

Coppertank is great to meet your Kitsilano friends or take an out-of-towner who enjoys good beer and food. Just about everyone fits here! Of course you can come here just for the beer, but I would never do that. I need my burgers :)

Restaurant review - The Fringe Cafe

Best place for a jug of beer and hang out with good friends? The Fringe Cafe, hands down. I love this place. I have been here numerous times (quite obviously since many of my friends live in Kitsilano). The Broadway strip from Alma to Macdonald has lots of interesting places worth visiting. Since I went to the recent Greek Festival for a very brief period of time, I thought it was just timely that I write a review of The Fringe Cafe (or The Fringe as we call it).

I raved about Cactus Club's jambalaya recently. Well, honestly, The Fringe Cafe has a jambalaya that rivals that of Cactus. My brother is quite a picky eater and he loves it. My friends love the beer (I am not a heavy drinker, but I can appreciate a good draught).

The Fringe is a really cool place to hang out and just have a good time. I know for a fact that I'll be coming back. My closest friends used to toy with the idea of coming down here for drinks as they knew I had some negative associations (heartbreaks). But I never stopped loving the Fringe. I never will :) And apparently, neither will these reviewers [I love Martiniboys' reviews :)]

Restaurant review - Cactus Club Cafe (Various locations, Vancouver)

I have previously reviewed Earls on Robson, and Milestones. In both reviews I briefly mentioned the Cactus Club but never got to write a specific review. It would be unfair for me not to do a review since I've been a customer of numerous locations. First, I would like to say that I have been to the Broadway and Granville site many, many times. The second most popular location for my friends is Broadway and Ash. The third location is on Robson and I think just past Thurlow (across from Milestone's on Robson). I can't recall if I have been to Cactus Club in Yaletown (but I just remembered that I have indeed visited Milestone's on Hamilton - I think?)

Anyhow, Cactus Club is a consistently reliable restaurant. Not expensive, not cheap. But to be quite frank, they have one of the best jambalayas you'll ever eat. I've had lots of salmon dishes there, curry plates and my brother loves their fajitas. If you need to take someone out to dinner I'd recommend Cactus Club. You'll get lots of good food. Ah, their slushy drinks are excellent. And you can't help but wonder how can so many hot people work in this restaurant!

Note to those who are uninitiated. Cactus Club is not really a cafe. It's a full-blown restaurant.



UPDATE - I didn't include all the gadgets from Urban Spoon because there are way too many locations. All of them are good ;)

Coffee shop review - The Wicked Cafe

Who wouldn't dare to have coffee here with a slogan like this: "Coffee You'd Sell Your Soul For". I kid you not. That's the slogan of the Wicked Cafe. I mean, I am not ready to sell my soul as of yet so I figured I'd try it and see if it is all worth what they say it is. To be honest, it didn't go well with me that they said they had just run out of regular coffee (I only buy the lavish mocha or capuccino's when I really want to give myself a really nice treat, and tonight I am only doing work so no excuse, really).

So I settled for some Apple Amaretto tea. The second thing that didn't go well was that since I had a loose-leaf tea, they gave me a small container to leave my bag. The only problem is that the container is so small that to leave your bag you need to really be a master maneuverer. And since the container is metal-based, if your bag is hot you're bound to get burned.

Those two things out of the way, on to the really nice things about Wicked Cafe:

First, it's off the beaten path. It is located on 7th and Hemlock, so even though this is South Granville - Fairview Slopes, it's not really all that crowded. You do find lots of people as Hemlock is one of the major routes to get to downtown from the Granville and Broadway area, but the coffee shop itself is not located along a 'common' route.

Second, the cafe has wireless internet, and that's a great advantage. The actual signal was quite powerful and I could work really well there. There are two small problems (for me) working there. One is that there aren't lots of power outlets. The second one is that a lot of really interesting people walk in and out of the coffee shop. So I get easily distracted (as I love people-watching).

I would definitely come here to have a coffee and chat with friends of mine who live around the South Granville area. I probably wouldn't sell my soul for this coffee but I really enjoyed it. I am quite puzzled about the fact that there's an eatery right beside that I should really try at some point.

Bar review - Oasis

I took two of my out-of-town friends to this bar on the premise that it was a really good bar (located along the Davie Village) and it had a nice atmosphere. While I am guessing that Oasis also has food, I thought it was more appropriate to indicate that this was a bar, rather than a restaurant. Well, perhaps the category should be more "bar-lounge". The place advertises itself as a cocktail lounge.

I had been here before with A and S before S went to Africa for a short stint, but I hadn't been back in a long while At any rate, The Oasis has fairly good, not-too-expensive drinks. There were two things that I didn't really like. Smoking is permitted on the patio, and lots of people take advantage of that fact. I am a non-smoker and of course that spoils my evening. Second, our waitress got to a point where she just simply slapped us with the bill before even waiting to ask whether we wanted to go or not. I actually did not appreciate that.

But to be fair, the service is always good (except this last time) and the bartenders are sweet. I ordered a sweet drink and since it wasn't sweet enough, the bartender added some grenadine. So, really, who can complain? :) And the place is so beautiful and has such a nice atmosphere, I'll definitely be back.

Restaurant review - Cloud 9 (The Empire Landmark Hotel)

Cloud 9 is one of the two revolving restaurants I know of in Vancouver (the other is located at the top of Harbour Centre), and it is a popular destination for visitors. Since I have recently had lots of visitors from out of the country, it was just fitting to bring my friends L and V to Cloud 9.

There are many things that make Cloud 9 an excellent location. The drinks are good (even if rather pricey - I had what was perhaps one of the most expensive martini's I've ever had), although I can't really comment on the food as we thought the menu was really expensive. The service was impeccable. Bear in mind, of course, that this is a tourist destination and thus it may be the case that prices are high.

The view of Vancouver is phenomenal, although come to think about it, perhaps I should have taken them to Harbour Centre as you can't really see East Vancouver or Gastown from the current location of Cloud 9, at the top of the Empire Landmark Hotel. But if you're looking for a special experience for out of towners, I'd recommend Cloud 9. I took L and V there and we had a phenomenal time. Ahh, good times :)

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).