As many of you may, or may not know, I’m one of the contributors to UrbanSpoon – Vancouver that has the highest number of restaurants reviewed (I think my latest count was 42). I am not saying that this makes me a food critic, but I would like to believe that I know the restaurant scene pretty well.
I keep in touch with Ethan from UrbanSpoon quite often, we communicate via email and share some ideas and stuff. But even though we correspond, I did not know that they had a blog. And in their most recent post, they review the most romantic restaurants for Valentine’s Day 2008.
While I must admit that I am totally tempted to tell you which ones I think are the most romantic (thus increasing the probability that I will end up bumping into you on Valentine’s Day), I think I’ll just indicate my own suggestions for where to take your loved one for dinner on that special day (or your friends, as the case may be).
However, I thought I’d plan this post in a slightly different way. Instead of telling you the most romantic places to take your sweetheart or go out with your friends, I’m going to give you a few suggestions of places to go based on how expensive the deal may get.
So, say that you are a starving student yet you still want a nice meal out with a loved one (or a group of friends)… or you are getting paid the big bucks and want to surprise your sweetheart… here are my top recommendations for dinner for Valentine’s Day (bear in mind that I will definitely recommend local business over chains).
On the budget-savvy side of things…
The Red Sea Cafe – One of the best, if not the best Ethiopian food in town. Definitely romantic, has a nice atmosphere at night. Great service. Good food for your coin.
The Cascade (I think they’ve dropped the ‘Room’) – Excellent food and service, and not really expensive. However, I don’t expect them to have a lot of space for Val’s Day.
Cafe Luxy – Great Italian food, although with all the Davie Street crowd overflowing with love, I’d probably say that they’ll be fully booked.
The Dunbar – Yes, I know that it may look a bit like a pub now, and have pub food. But it can get romantic, for sure. And it’s not really expensive.
A bit more expensive, yet affordable…
Burgoo – I am afraid they may be fully booked for Val’s Day. Great stews, soups and burgoos.
Ouisi Bistro – Definitely great Creole food. Romantic, and not too too expensive.
Enigma – Oh yeah, romantic for sure. Although a sure destination for UBC students who will want to take their girlfriends/boyfriends out for dinner, I imagine.
Crave – It’s good for dinner – and not horribly expensive. Though I am also thinking it may get a little bit busy.
If you really want to go all out…
Aqua Riva – Many people hate it, but I love it, and it’s one of the nicest views in town. And yeah, it can get expensive.
The Observatory at Grouse Mountain – You’ll pay $ 35 dollars for the lift, but the view is SO worth it.
Horizons – I went there with a very close friend of mine, we probably should’ve waited for a much more meaningful occasion but it was great. And yeah, it’s a bit on the pricey side.
Seasons in the Park – Located at Queen Elizabeth Park, this is one of the best spots for a great view of the city. And yeah, it may burn a hole in your wallet.
Cloud 9 – Enough said. Revolving restaurant, great view. And costly! But definitely worth it.
If you want, of course, you can leave a comment and tell me what you think of my suggestions, or make different ones… or simply tell me where you plan to go out for Val’s Day. Whatever it is that you do on that day, I hope you enjoy it!
So Rebecca (aka Miss604) is organizing a team of bloggers who will be bowling for Big Brothers. As most of you know, dear readers, I have a tendency to volunteer. I’ve done a lot of charity work — literacy campaigns, sex education, meals-on-wheels, etc. Since I became a blogger (and again, thanks to the positive influence of Rebecca), I found yet another avenue to give – the Blogathon. This was one of the most fun things I have done for charity.
Must confess that I was deciding whether I should Bowl for Big Brothers, and I factored a number of elements in my decision. First, it’s a charity and an important one. Second, it would give me a chance to have fun with my fellow bloggers, hang out and do a good deed. Third, it is important for a dear friend of mine (the event itself, Bowling for Big Brothers). And fourth, although I am definitely busy, I’m not as crazy busy as I’ve been in the past couple of years.
Well, I did it. I signed on. I’m not 100% sure that my page is correct, so I can’t link you to my “Sponsor Raul” page right now, but I’ll get to it. The first thing (and most important thing) is that I signed up 🙂
I was considering the possibility of raising funds through carefully written posts. Yeah, kind of what I did for Blogathon. My individual goal is $ 100, so let’s say that I wanted you all to contribute. So I’d basically do a 24 hour Blogathon to raise the funds, and I’d be asking people to say, give $ 0.50 (fifty cents) per blog post (so if I did 48, that automatically would ensure a $ 24 dollar donation). I’m mulling over how to do this. Suggestions accepted.
I will of course be bugging my close friends to sponsor me, but I also kind of want to ‘earn’ the sponsorship, particularly if it comes from my readers. I mean, there must be some kind of reward or incentive for you all, right? 🙂 Anyways, suggestions taken for a fun method to raise funds for Bowling for Big Brothers. My individual goal is $ 100.00 but I’d be more than happy to surpass it.
I *never* win anything. Other than tournaments, of course, when I play a sport competitively. What I mean is that I never win raffles or any kind of contests. Well, recently, the Vancouver-based gossip doyenne Lainey (from LaineyGossip) held a contest for advanced passes to the movie “Definitely, Maybe“
Everyone and their mother know that I really like Ryan Reynolds. Not only he is from Vancouver, he is funny and good looking and has some really cool movies. This one is a pretty sweet one, so I’m quite excited about the prospect of seeing ‘Definitely, Maybe’. Well, lo-and-behold, I ended up winning some sweet swag from LaineyGossip, so I am headed to an advance screening on Monday. I can’t tell you how happy I am!!! If only Ryan was at the advance screening, hehehe… just kidding!
I’ll do a movie review after I’ve seen it. In the meantime, thanks so much to Lainey for the swag, and keep up the great work with the celebrity gossip site!
I had previously written about Canadian content policy (Cancon) and how the fact that Cancon had been implemented as a national policy. In particular, I think that it has allowed me to gain a better understanding of Canada as a multicultural nation. Sure, we do see Canadian actors in American television, but I really enjoy watching Canadian actors in Canadian TV shows.
One of my favorite shows was (and still is) Cold Squad, even though it’s been cancelled. The show’s premise revolved around the Vancouver PD Homicide Squad, tasked with solving cold cases. The main character, Ali McCormick, is played by actress Julie Stewart. It was a good show, with a smart premise, excellent writing and great filming. But the best part is that it showcased Vancouver.
In many episodes you could easily recognize landmarks or elements of Vancouver (such as Commercial Drive, or the Downtown Eastside, Cordova Street, or the bus 20 Victoria). I feel such warm fuzzies about Intelligence as well, DaVinci’s Inquest, and Robson Arms, all shows that depict the day-to-day life of Vancouverites as we know them.
Of course, I’d like the depiction to be realistic yet not so grim. The fantastic movie Mount Pleasant (which I reviewed here a couple of years ago) does have a lot of location work done around the area near Fraser and Kingsway, but it still paints a sketchy neighbourhood, which is getting better and nicer through time.
Perhaps one idea for a new show would be to film something on Mount Pleasant or South Main. Trust me, there’s enough action and day-to-day drama to fill a new soap opera!
As my readership has increased, I had begun to think about how my blog would evolve. I figured I’d start a new series of blog posts, asking a broad question for people to discuss. I know that more people read my blog than comment on it, so this is your chance. You can comment anonymously or leave your name. So, on to the first Question Period…
Considering that I have many, many friends here in Vancouver who are not originally from here, it’s not surprising that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has touched my life. What do I mean by that? Well, that I have had to deal with it at least once, if not more times. Now, how has CIC touched your life? Feel free not to give too many details, but I’m just curious.
Of course, the question is not as much targeted to Canadians who have to wait in line for long for their passports. I am hoping it will be a much broader question. For example, did you immigrate to Canada? Are your parents/friends/family immigrants? Do you have any stories to share on, for example, lost citizenship due to being a war child? Are you sponsoring a loved one to move to Canada? That’s the kind of question I am trying to pose. Looking forward to the responses.
While I’m ultra-busy with my own work, I have managed to still maintain some degree of social life. The weekend recap is coming up, but in the mean time, you can hear the song that is played in the trailer for the movie “27 Dresses” (which I recently reviewed). It’s called D.A.N.C.E. and apparently it includes a homage to the work of Michael Jackson. And I just realized that it’s nominated as one of the Best Dance songs at the Grammys. I love the music that Justice creates!
One of the motto’s of my good friend Nomade Moderne is “just get it done“, referring to the idea that one should just focus on the task at hand and finish it. Coincidentally, one of my sisters-in-law’s motto is a complementary (and rather cheerful) phrase: “… and then it’s done!” (usually uttered with a joyful smile).
So if you were to combine their motto’s in one sentence, you’d say “oh come on, just get it done… just finish it and then it’s done!“. I can almost hear their voices in my head. Well, this morning I applied their motto to a particularly unpleasant task. I hate doing dishes, I really do. Having been totally busy this week and weekend, I managed to accumulate two sinks full of dishes.
Now, it is indeed a rarity for me to have so many non-washed dishes in my apartment, but I just couldn’t bring myself to separate from the tasks at hand to just focus on washing them. Finally, this morning I broke down. Since I had to make breakfast, I needed a frying pan. I had none, all of them were dirty. Guess where they were? Yes, you guessed right… in the sink.
So, I figured “well, I can just wash the frying pan, make breakfast and then wash all the dishes this afternoon when I want a break from work”. However, I thought to myself the phrase I just wrote above, and I figured “I might as well just get them done“. So I can happily report that my dishes are all clean 🙂
Despite the fact that this could be just a waste of three minutes of your life, I think that there is a lesson to be learned here. The initial push to start a new project or to just complete a certain task may be really difficult to overcome. But once you’ve started it, you should just focus your attention and get it done. If you are able to sustain the focus, you can gain momentum and finish sooner than you actually may have estimated. And then, it’s done! 🙂
I know I haven’t blogged anything substantial since Wednesday’s Vancouver Blogger Meetup, but you’ll agree with me that liveblogging can make you really tired. Besides, I really have had a lot of work on my day job, so that’s prevented me from doing anything substantial.
But these two are just excuses. The truth is that this February the 1st was the 9th anniversary of the passing away of one of the persons I loved the most in the world, my aunt. She was pretty much my second mother. I can’t believe she has been gone for almost a decade. I have noticed in my own behaviour through the years (after my aunt passed away) that I can’t really do much or think much around Feb 1st.
I think that sort of mental block applies to everything, including my blog. However, since I have an urgent deadline for Monday, I have had to work really hard even through this past Feb 1st and thus haven’t really had the time to reflect or rest. Once this deadline is over, I’ll be able to focus more on other stuff, including blogging.
At any rate, I hope to be back to my regular blog update as of today.
For the first time in three days, I feel sleepy before 1 am, so I’m just going to ride it and not do anything else. I am just going to go to bed and have a good night sleep. I’m slightly disappointed that, after peaking at an unheard-of all-time high of 160 visits per day, my average has again dropped to 40-70 visits per day 🙁 Where are you people? Come, hang out! Read!
My neighbours upstairs are incredibly noisy and often times, disturb my (and my next-door-neighbour’s) quiet enjoyment. They have a 2 (maybe 3?) year old kid who is unbearable by any measure. Admittedly the kid is cute as they come (beautiful blue eyes, blond hair, ultra cute smile) but his behaviour is totally unacceptable. He throws tantrums like you have no idea and gets on my nerves faster than a speeding bullet. He runs in the house (and there is no noise insulation whatsoever in this house), throws things on the floor, etc. True, if I could afford rent elsewhere in Vancouver, I probably would move. But truth be told, I love Mount Pleasant and don’t intend to move any time soon.
So this morning, I’m having a conversation with my next-door-neighbour where I say that the best moment of my day (when I am working at home, as I did today) is when the kid leaves the house with his parents. On any given day, they’ll give us two or three hours breaks, and then come back and inflict as much noise as they possibly can.
However, today I started to feel strange when by 1.30pm, I was still writing along and enjoying a nice work pace. “Nobody has interrupted me… hmmm… this is suspicious…”, I thought to myself. 3 pm came along… still having a wonderful working afternoon. Very suspicious. Finally, I broke down and told my neighbour “hmmm… I think they’re gone for the day” and she quickly stopped me on my tracks “DON’T JINX IT!!! If you keep saying that they’re gone, they’ll be back!!!“. Quite frankly, I kind of doubted it, but stopped mentioning it anyways.
So, it’s 8.15 pm … and I jinxed it. They are back. And noisy as ever. I did, admittedly, have a wonderful day of working at home, but I could have used a few more hours where I could have had a nap, or keep working. Now, back to my earplugs and my writing…
I started working since a very early age. Working hard has always been both a motto and normal behavior for my family. We are so used to being workaholics that most people who know me ask me “when do you sleep?“. Truth is, I sleep very little, because I really work very hard. But I also play hard. And one of the things I’ve done (one of the jobs I have had) is that of a personal assistant. At 11 years old. I am not kidding you.
This post has two reflections embedded in it. The first one refers to me as a personal assistant to people. For the longest time, I have been helping people succeed. So, I often have wondered “well, after all this helping people out, who helps me out?“. And that led me to the second reflection, which is associated with the title of this post. I have had a personal assistant. And he was FANTASTIC.
On to the first part. Me as a personal assistant. People tend to ask me for help and/or advice all the time. That doesn’t make me their personal assistant, true. But, I have helped my parents, some of my colleagues and my boss to lead their day-to-day lives. That’s because I’m pretty damn organized, and I can recall things very easily (since I have a photographic memory). I am, in some senses, the perfect personal assistant.
However, I have to admit that I much rather have a personal assistant than being one. That’s the second part of this post. My former personal assistant, MV, started out as just an intern (my co-op student, if you might). He then took on more and more duties, and learned to basically read my mind. How did I manage to finish so many writing projects, papers, attend so many conferences, etc. and still have a personal life? MV was there to help me out. He was the one who convinced me to get a cell phone, he knew what my calendar looked like, we shared access to my Outlook to book my appointments, and he even used to call the people I was supposed to meet to confirm.
Having someone to help you with your day-to-day life is a blessing. Trust me on that one, I’ve been on both sides. I have been the one who tells my Mom “you have to give a lecture here, you are supposed to meet with so-and-so at 5 pm, this is the dress I think you should wear, etc.” Same with my Dad “Dad, so this is your 3 pm appointment, then I am going to transcribe your document, see you at seven – we have dinner with So and So, blah blah“.
On the other hand, I have been successful (and as some people have called me, a ‘star’) because of my very capable personal assistant. Now, there are a few questions I have.
First, do people value their PAs?
Second, does everybody need a PA or are we so technologically-advanced that we don’t need someone to help us with our day-to-day lives?
And third, why on the planet does academia fail to recognize the need for a project manager (who will indeed make sure that you don’t overspend the budget of your research grant, and ensure that you’ll be at the conference in the country you are supposed to be delivering that talk)?
9:56 pm – Well, Mom wasn’t available on Skype and I feel as though I let down my neighbour DMcN as I didn’t pick up a jug of cider but we’ll leave that to the weekend. I was too busy with the liveblogging! Exhausted and starving, I had to pat myself in the back for having prepared dinner and lunch for the next three days. Quick defrosting in a microwave and now I’m enjoying a nice curry chicken with basmati rice while I polish my liveblog. 9:06 pm – This would be the end of my liveblogging as I have to run and chat with my Mom on Skype, but I hope you guys enjoy the liveblog. It was fun. Rebecca, if you’re reading this, you can tell me what you think 😉 [Man, am I ever hungry…]
Damn – I almost forgot – had a chance to chat with Jan (the great Dane) who happens to be friends with Tanya (aka NetChick). So… in the chat, Richard is mentioning that he is going to do the introduction to blogging seminar at Northern Voice, YET he is not blogging that much! That is so funny 🙂
Here’s the pic with Richard, Jan and Na’im.
8:56 pm – Even though he’s about to leave, it was nice to chat with John Biehler. John, Al, Monica and I were discussing about what my blog is about, and Al made an important observation when I ranted about the young woman who refused my kindness this morning – he said “you should’ve just asked – do you need a hug?”. I normally would be just that bold, but for some reason, I didn’t feel up to it. But his point is well taken. In the picture you can appreciate John, Al and Monica.
I also had a chance to chat with Carola from The Jem Gallery and Bev Davies. Bev is a photographer and you should totally check her Flickr stream. And Carola is appearing on The Georgia Straight tomorrow, so we’ll have to read it!
8:40 pm – Jonathon and Na’im have left (well, Jonathon is on his way out) but I already made new good blogger friends. Had a very nice (but short) chat with Morten (who has 6 blogs?!)… but it’s really hard to liveblog, pay attention, socialize and then upload photos. Hope everyone is having fun though!
8:27 pm – Unbelievably, I bumped into Jonathon Narvey. You’ll wonder – why unbelievable? Well, because when you start reading someones blog, it becomes a fun phenomenon when you meet the person. And he is so nice to talk to… we have some very similar interests, and of course, we will continue having opposing opinions sometimes, but definitely, we respect each other very much. That’s always fun. And in this photo, you can see Jonathon and Shane (yes, Shane from the contest to reclaim top Vancouver blogger spot). It will be fun to see what happens with the contest 🙂 8:06 pm – Just had a very pleasant chat with Ronald where he asked me why I am on Blogspot. Truth is, first platform I knew. So, now I need to move over to WordPress. But I feel a bit as though I’m breaking up with a partner… it’s hard to let go! But his site is on WP and he says it is awesome so I have to try it. Angela and Morten also were trying to sway me on the WP bandwagon… and they’re right! They are SO right! This liveblog would be SO much easier if I were on the WP platform. *sigh* Lesson learned 🙂 I have to admit that I was very amused with the Pink and Yellow website (since Angela says she’s yellow and Morten is pink – for someone like me, who is an immigrant himself, this type of characterization is fun to make – in my case, I guess I’d be hmmm… red [because of the chillies?] … dunno, maybe stretching the analogy). In the picture, Angela, Morten, Ronald and … I forgot his name, rats… I’ll ask him 🙂
7:52 pm – Na’im kindly collected the names and blogs of the “side tables”. We’re pretty much clustered in two groups (this coffee shop is awesome, but it doesn’t have enough seating for us right now I think). I have been to the Our Town Cafe before only once, but EVERY time I walk by, I see at least two or three people reading a book LEISURELY. I am not kidding. You can tell that they are enjoying their reading and it’s pleasant. The last time I read a book at my leisure was, what… 2001? *sigh* Ok, so in the picture above you see Karen, Na’im, Al, David … I am a bit embarrassed to have had to ask them to write their names and all, given that I have photographic memory, but I think I’m a little bit too excited about being here. Al and I should totally talk, since he is the creator of the Bokashi method, a simple, indoor, hassle-free composting method. And quite obviously I am a student of the environment, so…
* Feel free to submit comments on the liveblog!
7:45pm I begin taking pictures and introducing myself. Maybe a little bit intrusive on my part as I interrupted a couple of conversations. But it’s always nice to actually put a face to the person. I am actually missing Rebecca Bollwitt (aka Miss604) a lot, since I spoke with her on GChat earlier and she mentioned she was super busy before she heads to the island with Keira-Anne. And since she’s not here, I guess it’s up to me to live-blog. I hope I can live up to her high standards, because she IS the top Vancouver liveblogger!!! On the picture you find Isabella and Katy.
7:30 pm Na’im from VancouverVibe.ca just came to kindly introduce himself. Very pleasant conversation, we were commenting about the fact that I hate linking my own stuff on VancouverVibe.ca, but if you feel some of my writing is worth it, then by all means, please feel free to link it there. As for me, I’ll link the stuff I read and I find exciting. Also very exciting to see that Karen Fung is here (the organizer from TransitCamp).
7:15pm – I arrive wet but in one piece at the Vancouver Blogger Meetup. Quickly I get introduced to Isabella Mori and Richard from JustAGwailo (who overheard my blog’s name and just mentioned that he ‘hears’ the voice of the blogger once he meets them). Very fun to be here.
Note – VancouverVibe.ca already has a blog!
I have my digital camera so I’ll try to post some as soon as I can. We are at the Our Town Cafe at the corner of Kingsway and Broadway.
Since Blogspost is going to have an outage, I figured I’d take this opportunity to insert a photograph that I took recently. The photo shown below is looking outside my bedroom window. It does look kinda cute. But OMG, is it ever cold! It’s hard on my eyes, unfortunately. Not because of the beauty (it is indeed beautiful) but because of the sunlight reflected on the snow.
On the way to my office today I saw a young woman who was on the brink of bursting into tears. As I usually do, I pondered whether I should say something or not. Usually, I try to help people out and offer a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. But in Vancouver (in Canada, in general) I find it really hard to do that, because people are quite jealous of their personal space.
I figured “hey, what the heck…” and I approached her gently, asking “are you ok? I saw you a few minutes ago and saw that you were about to cry. I just wanted to make sure you were ok” and she said to me, rather bluntly “I’m fine.” FINE, WHATEVER. That’s what I get for trying to be nice.
This is disturbing. In a city already renowned for being aloof and unfriendly, there are still a few of us who will want to approach random strangers and offer our help. And what do we get? Almost a slap in the face. Sometimes, I wonder how can campaigns like “Free Hugs” succeed in a city like this. At any rate, I learned my lesson. No more “Good Samaritan”-ing.
I promised Rebecca (aka Miss604) that I would write a whole post on the history of Mount Pleasant (the neighbourhood where I live now), but just wanted to give you all dear readers a mini-teaser. I am a bit frustrated because I can’t find the photographs I took from the intersection of Main Street and 12th Avenue, but I’ll take a few pictures and upload them to complement said guest post on Rebecca’s blog.
But for now, let me just tell you that I’m a big fan of industry. Yes, I admit it. Having factories is a necessary element of societal development, and despite the current apparent trend towards a “post-Fordist” society, where industry will decline, we still need industrial plants. And Mount Pleasant used to be an industrial area.
One of the elements that makes Mount Pleasant very interesting and peculiar is that there are still some signs of evident industrial activity. For example, if you have ever been to The Whip (on 6th Avenue and Main), right across from it you can find what used to be a brewery.
I am fascinated by this trend of transforming industrial land to residential zoned areas (this is something I actually analyze in my day job). It was also funny to find out that there used to be two slaughter houses and a tannery (not surprisingly, since these industrial activities are part of the same commodity chain). From the Vancouver Archives, I dug out some information and apparently this tannery was to be built around 1890.
The City of Vancouver’s website provides some interesting tidbits on the history of Mount Pleasant: [City of Vancouver]
The proximity to the business district of Vancouver and the availability of a quality water supply (Brewery Creek) made the area an ideal place for early industry and settlement. Early expectations were that Mount Pleasant would develop as Vancouver’s fashionable “uptown.” The area high above False Creek was named “Mount Pleasant” in 1888, after the Irish birthplace of the wife of H.V. Edmonds. Edmonds, clerk of the municipal council in New Westminster, was the original owner of much of Mount Pleasant.
By 1904, Mount Pleasant was home to a tannery, two slaughter houses, four breweries, and a train station. Industrial expansion brought residential development. By 1912, Mount Pleasant had a thriving residential population and community facilities such as an elementary school (the Kingsgate Mail site), a firehall, a first run theatre, and Vancouver’s first skyscraper (the Lee Building). Mount Pleasant was also a terminus for the streetcar network.
I really hope that development plans for this area will try to preserve the peculiar flavor of this industrial/residential neighbourhood. Have you ever walked on 17th Avenue almost corner of Ontario Street? You will find a wax factory (not sure if it still operating, I would seriously doubt it).
My dream house? The house at the corner of 18th Avenue and Columbia Street. It has a little detached place that I am guessing used to be a corner store. I am sure I shared this story with many of my friends: I would have loved to buy that house, and start a little coffee shop or a dance studio in the space where the corner store used to be.
There are lots of haunts that I could talk about and that I am sure you’d love to visit in your next stop by Mount Pleasant. However, that’ll have to wait until I finish writing the guest blog post for Rebecca. Until then, stay tuned!
Given that my budget for dining out has shrunk considerably, and that my friends and I are trying to be more conscious about that (I’m glad they are, because I am pretty broke right now!), it was nice to find yet another place with good sushi for less than what I would have paid at Tanpopo or one of those other restaurants.
Sushi Sky is a little hole-in-the-wall kind of place on Bute Street, near Davie. If you know the Jupiter Cafe, it’s pretty much right beside it. I have to say that it’s such a strategic location. Three of my closest friends live within three blocks of this place. I went there with J for a quick dinner before watching “Brothers and Sisters” at his place a couple of Sundays ago.
The sushi is really good, and for less than $ 6.00 you got yourself dinner. I think the total for two with tip was $ 15.00. I mean, there are times when I pay that much at brunch! So, I’m pretty happy with this little place. Inexpensive and tasty. I’ll be coming back again, for sure.
I have been trying to attend one of the Vancouver Blogger Meetups and haven’t had a chance to do it (been out of town, triple-booked, etc.) At any rate, I just checked the link (it says the event is full, but I don’t care – I am still going to show up). Here are the details, as shown on the Vancouver Blogger Meetup website.
When: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 7:00 PM Where: Our Town Cafe, 245 E. Broadway, Vancouver , BC V5T 1W4
I hope to see a few of the bloggers whom I have chatted with on email there.
Some of my Vancouverite friends are so excited about how beautiful the city looks with all this snow. I admit it, it looks pretty. But if I tell you what happened to me last night, you’ll understand why I am so angry at the weather. I was working late, but I knew that unless I took the last 99 B-Line, I’d be stuck at my office, so I ran out the door (in the snow, without an umbrella and without a toque) and headed to the bus stop.
As I was making my way to the bus stop, the 99 B-Line started its engine and quickly left. I was literally 4 seconds away from the bus, and the bus driver still didn’t wait for me. I screamed “WAIT, WAIT, WAIT” at the top of my lungs and he still wouldn’t do it. I’m not that surprised, but I got really angry.
So I figured “oh well, I’ll just stay overnight at the office” and what is my surprise when I realize that I don’t have my electronic key to the building. So now I am all wet, my hair is white from all the snow, I’m freezing and have to wait for the stupid bus.
It took me a good hour and 20 minutes to get home (a commute that on a good day is 30 minutes). By the time I got home, I was furious. But surprisingly, I was still in good enough of a mood to do some work until 4.30am. I work really well at night. But this morning I saw the heavy snow and I decided I was going to work at home.
I may (potentially) get out and snap a few pictures, just for the beauty. But I am SO happy that a friend e-mailed me the piece of work I had to process today. So very very very happy! I did not want to go to the office today.
I lost my cell last November, and I’ve refused to buy a new one simply on principle. I hate cell phone companies in Canada (well, don’t hate them, but did you know that whenever you receive a call in Mexico the caller is paying for the phone call and it costs you zero, zilch, nada? Same deal in Spain).
Anyhow, so I want a pay-as-you-go, super cheap, no-frills, nothing fancy, ultra-basic phone. The only thing I really, really would like is unlimited incoming calls. The problem is, with the super busy social life I have, it’s stupid for me not to have a cell. I *need* a cell. If there’s anyone who needs a cell here, is me.
I’ve seriously considered the possibility of buying the 7-11 package (100 dollars phone with 100 dollars worth of air time). I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts. Thanks in advance!
I first heard about this event from the Georgia Straight, then I saw a link at VancouverVibe.ca, and finally I decided to check out the website. Something that really made me happy was to find out that the organizers are raising funds for an important charity: Friends for Life.
This past summer, I Blogathoned in support of ‘A Loving Spoonful’ (I doubt they actually knew that I did this to raise funds for them, but quite frankly I don’t care – I did it because I thought it was a worthy cause). More information about Friends for Life:
The Vancouver Friends For Life Society serves as a catalyst to enhance the wellness of individuals living with a life threatening illness by providing complementary and alternative health and support services.
Friends For Life was built on the belief that no one should have to face the many challenges of serious illness alone. Our philosophy recognizes the connection between the mind and body with a view towards treating the whole person – the mind, body and soul – rather than treating the illness alone. [Friends for Life Society website]
This is a worthy cause and of course I encourage you to participate. It should be fun. The list of contestants (with pictures and all) can be found here.
Even though I didn’t have my usual Friday dinner with C, B, L and J (as we usually do), I ended up being triple-booked. But that’s not unusual in Raul’s life. As somebody would say, another day at work, hehe. My weekend started on Wednesday with a lovely dinner at Kishu Mountain with LB. Since we don’t work together anymore, I had not had a chance to see her and it was so lovely to touch base with her. It was very refreshing to have again some time just to hang out the two of us.
Friday I went to the office party and then we proceeded to go to a post-office party at J/B/P’s house. That was a blast, and I got a nice invite to a party the next evening at B and M’s place. I had such a great time at B and M’s (although I did manage to exact some damage on my liver and my head – note to self – don’t drink and dance). Saturday morning I had brunch with BS at The Nice Cafe, which was also wonderful, and spent part of the afternoon just doing some work around the house.
Sunday morning was my traditional volleyball followed by a very nice brunch with M, L and A. As it has become tradition, Sunday evening was dinner and a movie with J. And strangely enough, I felt a bit depressed/sad after J dropped me off at my place after dinner at The Red Sea Cafe. Not sure why. I think it’s because I’ve had such a social weekend, filled with people, new friends, new bonding processes (friendship bonding, I mean). I am a bit overwhelmed, but at the same time, I kind of miss my friends. It’s a strange feeling. I have seen so many of my friends in the past two weeks and yet I still feel as though I haven’t seen enough of them. Weird. This too, shall pass.
I write this review as I am listening again and again to the song “Who Knows” by Natasha Bedingfield (by the way, I just found out that the song is not included in the soundtrack, which totally sucks – this song would be the sole reason why I’d buy the soundtrack). Anyhow, this afternoon (just before meeting J for dinner and a movie), I had brunch with L, M and A after our volleyball game at a nice little cafe that has one of the cheapest brunches in town ($3.50 for breakfast is hard to beat).
Cafe Seto (on Commercial Drive) is located pretty close to JJ Beans and near 6th and Commercial (if I’m not mistaken). It only takes cash and debit, so that’s a bit of a problem for those like me, who totally love plastic (e.g. credit cards). But the price is almost unbeatable. And the food is REALLY good.
It was very nice to spend some time with L and M (two of my best volleyball players) outside our customary environment (e.g. a volleyball court). I have to say that I am pretty damn proud. My volleyball team this term is super solid, and we get along famously. As S put it very truthfully, “we are freakishly laid-back”.
Back to the review. I had their All Day Breakfast (actually I ordered the ADB but they gave me the 2-2-2, 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pancakes). Awesome, very filling. I think that the only issue I am having with brunch at the moment is that I do need coffee with my toast and a soft drink (e.g. Pepsi) with my eggs. Call me weird, but I can’t really fathom a brunch without those two drinks. Anyhow, I highly recommend Cafe Seto. Cheap brunch – almost unbeatable!
This song is part of a number of awesome songs that are included in the movie 27 Dresses (which I just reviewed). I have to admit that the song, Who Knows by Natasha Bedingfield, sounds SO MUCH BETTER in a movie theatre. Or perhaps it was the fact that I was so into the movie that it just seemed to fit perfectly. You judge. I love the song. The video shown below is not the official one, but it’s one I found on YouTube.
Before I begin, one disclaimer. Well, actually two. First, I *love* Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. They are two of my favourite actors, so anything with both of them will probably fly with me. Second, I am a romantic at heart, so chick flicks and I are very good friends 😉
Ok, on to the review. This review involves also some degree of personal insight into my own life which I thought I’d blog about at the same time. That element is perhaps worth a completely separate blog entry, but I’ll see how the writing comes along and then if I need, I’ll expand.
The movie 27 Dresses revolves around Jane (Heigl), who works for an eco-tourism tycoon (Edward Burns) who in addition to being handsome, is filthy rich. Jane fell in love with weddings. Since she was very young, she proved a phenomenal wedding planner (who doesn’t actually do that for a living, but is always there for her girlfriends who get married). Hence, she is always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Jane is the perfect bridesmaid (and sometimes maid of honor). She keeps being there for her bride friends, in hopes that one day all of them will be there for her. But that special day has never arrived, and now the number of dresses she has accumulated amounts to 27. Actually it’s pretty cool to see all the different weddings she’s been to (a goth wedding, cowboy-themed, under-water, a Californian wedding, a wedding in Japan, an Indian wedding, etc.)
She is hopelessly in love with her boss, who falls for her baby sister. As you can (predictably) surmise, issues ensue. The great thing about 27 Dresses is that there is an entire side plot around Jane and her (predictably hot) suitor, the cynical Kevin (Marsden), dumped by his wife on the wedding day which makes him obviously sour to the whole idea of marriage.
I have to say that I absolutely loved this movie. There are so many clever and witty phrases in the dialogues that I actually would love to use at some point, it’s a really funny and heartwarming movie. Here is the trailer – worth watching. Go see the movie. With a loved one. Now.
Or at least, partially (if my neighbours were a lot more considerate about not letting their kid run in their house, I’d say it has been almost totally restored). Anyhow. Today I went for brunch with BS to the Nice Café. It’s a nice neat little restaurant on 8th Avenue and (almost) Main.
We had (as we usually do) a great time. At some point, as it happens when I’m enthralled with the conversation with my friends, I must have pulled (inadvertently) my house keys off of my pocket. Since it was so cold, I didn’t have my gloves nor toque, the sensibility of my fingers was minimal. Therefore, the keys fell off without me noticing.
When I got home, my keys were nowhere to be found, and of course, I panicked. I re-traced my steps, hoping that someone would have found my keys and left them at one of the places I had just been to. Well, lo- and behold, my keys were sitting in a small wedge on the corner of Broadway and Main.
I have to say that, while I am extremely grateful, am not so surprised. I have always had a good feeling about the neighbourhood, so finding my keys only came to reinforce that positive energy I get from here. Clearly, there are reasons to be grateful to The-Powers-That-Be, and I am indeed very very thankful. Hence why my faith in the world has been restored.
