My newest musical obsession is Tracey Thorn (formerly of Everything But The Girl, though she has built a fairly decent career for herself). This song, Get Around To It is totally the type of music I love for listening and for dancing to. Or to listen at an urban, chic lounge while drinking martinis. For your listening pleasure.
There are restaurants you need to try at least once in your lifetime. They might be slightly pricey, but it’s worth going there with people you love, as I said, at least once in a lifetime. I should preface this post with my usual disclaimer: I don’t do lineups. I don’t wait in line even for a bathroom. This is horrible and I know I’m a snob. I know, I am terrible and I admit it fully. But it’s true – I hate having to wait in line. Well, this past weekend I waited for more than 45 minutes in line, but at least I was waiting for a fantastic brunch and with the wonderful company of Chris and Ashleigh. I love these two and waiting in line with them was just a lot of fun. And the food was totally worth it. We also managed to chat with people around us. The lines at Cafe Medina are a little bit of an exercise in community building themselves, as people chat and joke amongst themselves. The staff at Cafe Medina make the wait bearable by providing witty commentary when calling for the next set of people in line.
For brunch, I ordered a Paella (at $13, the Paella – 1 baked egg, curried orzo, Hungarian chorizo, zucchini, red pepper, roasted corn, grano padano, watercress, tomatoes, avocado, is about at the same price point as other higher-end brunch places, so this is reasonable). The amount of food was perfect for a big morning appetite like mine. The staff were kind enough to change my order from baked egg (which I don’t like) to full hard-boiled egg. The curried orzo was genius (instead of using rice which would have been the Spanish Paella, Cafe Medina used fluffy, warm, almost-melt-in-your-mouth orzo), and the Hungarian chorizo combined with avocado, tomatoes, and grano padano made the combination of flavours spicy and rich. Mouth-watering, complex flavours with a beautiful appearance.
For drinks I ordered a Moroccan mimosa, which in hindsight, I probably would have preferred the standard mimosa. At $8, perfectly on price point, but the flavours were kind of weird, I found. The Morrocan Mimosa has fresh orange juice infused with Sumac, star anise and fig mixed with sparkling. Between Chris, Ashleigh and I we ordered a couple of Belgian waffles with mixed berry compote and pistachio/rosemary dip ($3.50 per waffle + $1 for each topping). Cafe Medina had me at Belgian waffle. Delicious.
Overall, yes it’s a bit pricey and you have to wait in line, but the staff’s friendliness and lovely service, the quality of the food, portion size, excellent flavours and overall atmosphere make Cafe Medina one of the hottest destinations for brunch. I’m glad I came here with Ashleigh and Chris, and I will come back for sure. Totally worth the visit.
Disclosure: Each one of us paid for their own brunch items on our own dime.
I do feel seriously embarrassed that I almost missed World Theatre Day 2012. Me, yes. Someone who regularly attends theatre performances, writes about, reviews and promotes local theatre shows. I know. At least I have a good excuse: I was incredibly ill for the better part of a month.
Created in 1961 by UNESCO, World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on March 27 by theatre communities around the globe. The impetus behind World Theatre Day is to honour and further UNESCO’s International Theatre Institute’s goals to:
- Celebrate the power of theatre as an indispensable bridge-builder for mutual international understanding and peace.
- Promote and protect cultural diversity and identity in communities throughout the world. Each year, a renowned theatre artist of world stature is invited to craft an International Message to mark the global occasion.
World Theatre Day begins the GVPTA’s campaign leading up to Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27. Bookending a span of three months with these two celebrations creates an extended opportunity to recognize the creativity of theatre artists in cultures and communities around the world, and grow local awareness of just how many of these cultures are at home here in Metro Vancouver.
This year’s actor’s message is by John Malkovich. Check out his message below. To my fellow theatre actors (yes, I used to be a theatre actor), stay strong. Even in a political and social climate that isn’t particularly conducive to artists, Vancouver (and British Columbia) actors have proven the quality of theatre we have in this wonderful city of ours. I look forward to checking more of your performances in the future.
My sixth year blogging is coming up next month (April 2012), and today was my fourth year anniversary on Twitter (you can follow me should you wish as @hummingbird604). It’s been 4 very interesting years and it coincided with my 4,001 blog post. I’m not 100% sure why almost 9,500 people would choose to listen to what I post on Twitter, but the reality is, at the core, I think I have always been a community builder. It’s in my blood and in the way I relate to people. As I joked on Twitter today, I may not know everyone, but I am sure I know someone who knows someone who knows someone who may be able to help you.
I am very privileged to have solid business, personal and collaborative relationships with a number of brands, individuals at all levels of government, businesses and startups. I love the connectivity that Twitter has brought to me. I love having the opportunity to support non-profits, the arts community and the local food industry, highlight the beauty of this province and this wonderful country that adopted me.
It’s not been without its challenges. I have had attacks online on a regular basis ever since my blog’s readership grew. And on Twitter, there is always someone who will dislike me and what I have to say. See, that’s the beauty of social media: you choose who to follow. You choose to listen (or not). And I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities that I am afforded and for the contributions the people who chose to be connected with me make to my life. I hope I enrich their lives equally and in the same way.
Happy Twitter and blogiversary to me!
Once again, I am happy to be reviewing a play at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria for Hummingbir604. This time, I saw one of the four main plays at this year’s Spark festival: Fish Eyes.
It’s a shame that all tickets were gone for the first two days, but I do hope you’ll stop by your local theatre if Anita comes to present this play in your town.
Anita Majumdar here serves as both playwright and actress (it’s a solo play) and explores what it means to have a cultural heritage far away from home. Switching between a conflicted teenager, Mina, and her old dancing teacher, Anita touches themes of cultural appropriation, colonialism and assimilation in the Western world.
The story on its own is fairly simple and straightforward: Mina, the 17-year old Indian dancer, wants to date Buddy Kane during the summer when she is supposed to go compete in a dance competition in India. Mina is good at what she does, but she sees her Indian heritage as an obstacle to being “normal”. When a dance component in phys.ed. gives her a chance to shine, she realizes her talent but also sees how “white people” can viciously misappropriate her culture for their own benefit.
What makes this play shine is not so much the story as the way it is performed. The hand gestures of Indian dance are traditional storytelling gestures (something I learned during the play!), and she uses them liberally to tell this story. And she dances too. A lot. And well, I imagine… but I am no judge of good Indian dancing. In any case, Anita’s movements are as carefully choreographed as those of a dance and they enhance the story in really interesting ways. It’s hard to describe in words—you should just see it for yourself.
The set is simple and let Anita be the focus. There were some problems with the sound though—sometimes the music was too loud and we couldn’t hear Anita speak in the back. We missed a few lines because of this.
The play definitely made the audience laugh. There’s something so naïve about an otherwise talented teenager being in love with boys like Buddy. I wish there had been more emphasis on the cultural appropriation theme (why is there no more indignation about a white girl going to learn Indian dance at the “Coventry School of Bhangra” in England?). But overall, I left both entertained and educated about the vagaries of being of a certain cultural heritage far away from home. In certain ways, I could identify with Mina’s love/hate relationship with Indian culture.
This guest review was provided by Anabelle Bernard Fournier exclusively for Hummingbird604.com. You can follow her on Twitter (@AnabelleBF) and on her blog. Thanks so much for helping me provide coverage to the SPARK Festival 2012!
While I’m not 100% convinced with the lyrics (which I find a bit too racy, and let’s face it, I’m a little bit of a conservative and a prude), it’s undeniable that Insatiable by Darren Hayes is a nice song. For your listening pleasure.
When I was an MBA student I used to go out and live the good life of a graduate student. Meaning, I spent a lot of money going to bars, lounges and restaurants. I suppose it’s part of the “training” (I don’t know why, but my fellow MBA students used to go out ALL THE TIME. And spend LOTS of money). So when I started my PhD, I changed my consumptive (and spending) patterns. I decided not to go out to places that looked expensive. And CinCin used to look expensive to me. I was proven wrong recently.
A winding stone staircase leads from bustling Robson Street to this celebrated Vancouver dining room, recognized for its contemporary Italian menu and award-winning wine cellar. An ingredient-driven, seasonal focus sets the tone for the menu, with distinctive dishes embracing the traditions of Italy. Guests are greeted by an antique Roman statue, fresh floral displays and the long, elegant marble bar with its comprehensive collection of grappas. Tall arched windows open onto a secluded al fresco terrace. Housed in the private dining room, part of CinCin’s value-driven wine collection is on display: deep and global with boutique finds, and an extensive half-bottle selection. The main dining room, with its Ken Wallace original triptych painting, overlooks the open kitchen with wood-fired forno, grill and rotisserie—the feeling is warm and intimate, refracting the sights, sounds and smells from the cucina, and the comforting food that comes from it.
In fact, it’s kind of ironic that JT spent LESS on CinCin for dinner (and we were fully satisfied) than we have at other local restaurants (dinner came to less than $45 for both of us!). I think I was prejudiced with the notion that CinCin Ristorante + Bar would be expensive, when the reality is that the prices are yes, along the side of the medium-to-high-end restaurants, but the quality of the food is outstanding.
I ordered my usual (Linguine Puttanesca). I use Puttanescas as a baseline for comparison. The Linguine Puttanesca that CinCin Ristorante + Bar serves is the most delicate, exquisite and best made of them all. Even though it uses tuna confit (bizarre as they should use anchovies). The other Puttanesca (well, Puntanesca) I adore is the one Chef Alex Tung used to make at Tapenade Bistro (which I reviewed last summer).
I can say with confidence that I will come back to CinCin Ristorante + Bar again for a full-on meal (we only had a main course, and didn’t order wine as we had to go somewhere for a movie). But I definitely loved the food quality and the service was beyond impeccable.
Disclosure: JT paid for both of our meals on his dime.
I actually don’t speak Romanian, but I found this song on the comments of the video of Tracey Thorn’s “Why Does The Wind” (a commenter was arguing that the two songs were too similar and that Tracey had based her song on Crush featuring Alexandra Ungureanu‘s). I sincerely don’t care as I love both songs.
Arguably, the beginning of Spring is associated with the emergence of the first cherry blossoms. The reality is that we have had such cold weather that I’m not confident that having cherry blossoms signals warmer weather. Regardless, they’re starting to appear in our fair city and that reminded me of the upcoming Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2012 which will take place from April 5th through 28th.
Canada’s cherry blossom festival the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Society is a non-profit charitable society established in 2005 in the province of British Columbia. The City of Vancouver declared March and April the months to honor the more than 37,000 ornamental cherry trees generously gifted from Japan in the 1930’s. As the quintessential symbol of spring, the universal theme of the cherry tree inspires new poetry, art, music, film, design, crafts, photography, and cuisine while inspiring the artist in us all. Through a wide array of diverse programs from Cherry Jam Downtown, Haiku Invitational, Bike the Blossoms, Japan Fair, BC Blossom Watch Photo Contest, Cherry Scouts Program, Tree Talks and Walks and the Cherry Blossom Viewing Map the festival captures the exuberance of the blossoming with cultural programming for the whole community to enjoy. Inspired by the age old Sakura festivals of Japan, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival uplifts spirits in the city, while the ephemeral nature of the blossoms remind us all to take time now to celebrate life.
Check out the list of awesome events associated and hopefully you’ll be able to take in some of them, and walk around the city and enjoy some cherry blossoms. I remember that the VCBS used to map them out by week so you could find out where they would blossom next, week by week. I can’t find the map right now but it’s a good one.
So, I willingly went out for Chinese food (well, fusion Chinese if you want to say so). I have always liked Wild Rice, but as I’m not really crazy about Chinese food, I rarely go and seek to eat at Chinese-themed restaurants. Thus you can imagine JT’s surprise when I actually said “well, you seem to enjoy Chinese food, so why don’t we eat at Wild Rice Downtown before going to the movies?”. As expected, we had a fantastic time and the food was excellent.
wild rice began as a simple thought from Andrew Wong. his wish was to create a socially conscious restaurant serving local cuisine with influences from his Chinese heritage. The space is a blend of yin and yang, east and west, traditional and modern. as in traditional Chinese cuisine, the menu offers numerous dishes for sharing. where they diverge from tradition is in the ingredients, presentation and style. As a proud member of OceanWise, Green Table and Shark Truth, wild rice is committed to serving ingredients that are local, seasonal and sustainable. the wine list reflects a thoughtful selection of the best from BC and west coast vineyards.
We probably ordered way too much food (and way too-large-sized plates), but I have no shame in admitting that I brought dinner home for 3 days in a row and I did not repeat a dish each night. It also helped that I was sick, so having leftovers was extremely useful. And the overall bill (about $56 for two people) wasn’t also huge if you consider the large size portions.
We began with a buddha’s curry on jasmine rice $14 with maple hill chicken (an additional $6), a chinatown sweep ($15) and we completed our meal with a spicy maple hill chicken kung po ($19), twice cooked peanuts, broccoli, rice noodles. My photos are not of the best quality as I did not have a macro lens with a DSLR (I only used my iPhone camera!) and there was mood lighting so it was pretty dark. Since I don’t really eat Chinese I can’t comment on the actual preparation of the food, but I loved the taste, and the portion size was quite reasonable.
I definitely enjoyed dinner and will look forward to visiting again some time soon.
Disclosure: I paid for both of our dinners on my own dime.
I have dedicated the better part of the past 8 years (since 2004) to the scholarly analysis of applications of social sciences to the study of humans’ relationships with water. My academic research has explored a variety of ways in which we deal with water. I spend the better part of my waking hours wondering how can I improve people’s uses (and avoid misuses) and increase access to water all the while protecting water quality.
This year’s World Water Day theme is Water and Food Security. The relationship between water and food is quite an obvious one: water is an essential component of food, and access to sufficient water is necessary not only for productive purposes but even so for consumptive ones.
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
I will be writing about World Water Day on my research blog throughout March 22nd, and will be hosting a Twitter chat around my scholarly research on water governance.
Today is World Down Syndrome Day, and several activities were planned to raise awareness. While my life hasn’t been touched with Down syndrome, a number of friends of mine have children with Down syndrome, and they have fought really hard to empower their children and remind them that they have the same rights, and can achieve great things in society. I strongly agree, and thus I’m happy to promote World Down Syndrome Day. Below some information from the UN site.
Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always been a part of the human condition, exists in all regions across the globe and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics or health. Adequate access to health care, to early intervention programmes and to inclusive education, as well as appropriate research, are vital to the growth and development of the individual.
In December 2011, the General Assembly declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day (A/RES/66/149). The General Assembly decided, with effect from 2012, to observe World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March each year, and Invites all Member States, relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to observe World Down Syndrome Day in an appropriate manner, in order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.
I strongly believe in inclusiveness and thus I encourage you to learn more about Down Syndrome today.
About a year ago, I went with my good friend Minna Van (The Network Hub) on a really long walk around the Commercial and Venables area. We walked by the offices of posAbilities and ever since, I’ve wanted to write about this wonderful charity. I found out about the Wide Angle Media Festival 2012 recently (which is I think a product of KickStart, the Society for Disability Arts and Culture), and thus the direct connection with posAbilities made me think that I hadn’t written about this fantastic organization.
We are committed to building and participating in a community where all persons are welcomed and where all members are valued for who they are and for the contributions they make. This is the vision of an inclusive community — a place characterized by diversity, hospitality, belonging and respect. Persons with developmental disabilities have historically been excluded from our society and segregated into institutions. This has weakened our communities because it has deprived us of the richness of their perspectives and abilities. It has also deprived us of the beauty of their friendship. Inclusion creates a better, stronger and safer community.
We are also committed to persons with disabilities having and exercising the same rights to self-determination as other citizens. To be selfdetermining means that one has control over one’s life and future—and this includes the right to make decisions about where one lives and how one lives. This is essential to self-esteem, meaning and hope. This is essential to quality of life.
Our services are guided by a set of core values that describe how we work with persons served, families, community partners and each other. They are a part of all that we do, and a reminder of the “heart” that is in our work. A strong set of values ensures that our organization can continue to evolve with the changing needs of our persons-served.
I grew up in a household where we were taught by my parents that anybody with a disability can also be capable of being functioning in society, given the right circumstances and support, and I am a firm believer and supporter in organizations that empower people with different capacities (I’ve written about KickStart and the Developmental Disabilities Association before). I encourage you to learn more about posAbilities, follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.
Learn more about posAbilities through their Annual Report video:
I’ve been a big supporter of non-profits, but some of the ones that I love to promote are those that have a component towards what in Mexico we call “people with different capabilities” (in Spanish, personas con capacidades diferentes – we don’t use the term ‘disabled’). This year, the very first disability-oriented media festival, the Wide Angle Media Festival, kicks off on March 22nd (until the 25th).
Kickstart is excited to announce the Wide Angle Media Festival (WAM), the inaugural disability media festival featuring commissioned shorts, international films and workshops. Mark your calendar for March 22-25 2012!
The theme of the Festival – “wide angle” – refers to the spirit of expansiveness and inclusion that lies at the core of disability arts, and to the widest range of media genres and formats. The intent is to broaden audiences for works by media artists with disabilities; to celebrate the spectrum of genres, styles and vision of those artists; and, to support the creation of new works.
Audiences will enjoy a privileged glimpse of the world through the lens of the disability experience. The themes of these works will be unlimited – they are not necessarily films about issues of disability; they will be about anything under the sun, as seen by filmmakers with disabilities.
For a full schedule of the Wide Angle Media Festival 2012 please check online here. A UBC graduate (Matthew Kowalchuk) had a film commissioned in the Wide Angle Media Festival 2012, and the trailer is shown below.
Penguins (Are so sensitive to my needs) – Official Teaser from Matthew Kowalchuk on Vimeo.
I have always struggled with whether to be an academic or an activist. But there is one thing I am always: a mentor and someone who supports his students’ initiatives. So, while this is my personal blog, it is in the spirit of encouraging a student-driven initiative to fight climate change that I post about Storm the Riding: Demand Christy Clark Oppose the Northern Gateway Pipeline on March 31st, 2012 (several of my own students are involved in UBCC350, and I am a fan of Kids for Climate Action). Details below, copied and pasted from the site
Come join UBCC350 and Kids for Climate Action in a day of action on climate change. We will storm the Vancouver-Point Grey riding, held by Premier Christy Clark, urging that the BC government take responsibility for carbon exports. We’ll set up information stations at busy intersections and go door to door in teams, informing voters about BC’s growing carbon exports and asking that they sign a petition demanding Premier Clark take a position in opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline. We gather at 9 for quick training (location TBA), canvass from 11-1. At 2 PM we will march/cycle to Christy Clark’s constituency office and deliver our petitions and letters in person.
Come help us stop the carbon pipeline!
Join UBC350 in swaying the mind of Premier Clark and demonstrating that we want a different future for BC.
Commit to our event and get more information:
Caroline McGillivray, the Executive Director of Beauty Night, is one of my very close friends. Caroline and I became friends years ago, almost about at the same time when I started blogging (which is coming on 6 years), and we hit it off almost immediately. We both started volunteering front-line very early in our lives (in my case, I taught illiterate adults living in gang-riddled areas in Mexico how to read, write and do basic arithmetic operations).
Beauty Night builds self esteem and changes lives of women and youth living in poverty through 3 streams of programming: wellness, life skills development and makeovers. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Regardless of socio – economic status, no one deserves to be invisible and isolated from community.
In 2010, I interviewed Caroline to learn more about what Beauty Night does, and in 2011 I invited her to speak to my students in Public Policy, so they could learn about all the different ways in which non-profits provide basic public services and contribute to society.
I recently found out that she is organizing a fundraiser, Beauty Night Out 2012 this Thursday March 22nd. Because I had been so sick I hadn’t been able to write about it until now.
Dermalogica and Beauty Night Society present: Beauty Night Out.
An opportunity to mix, mingle and raise money for a great cause… Beauty Night Society. Beauty Night Society builds self esteem and changes lives for women and youth living in poverty. Through 3 streams of programming wellness, life skills development and makeovers, Beauty Night Society has given over 16 000 life changing makeovers in the past 11 years.
Since Beauty Night Society moved into a new location in September 2011, they have increased the amount of women they support each week from 100 to 200! With the increase in opportunities for the participants, Beauty Night Society is aiming to continue to meet the growing need in the community for its programming.
Beauty Night Out gives you an opportunity to a tactile sense of the cause you are supporting. Hair styling, make up application, relaxation massage, and skin bar are some of the services you will get an opportunity to sample. Connect with like minded people at the beautiful Dermalogica head quarters over looking Coal Harbour.
Silent Auction, raffle and other opportunities are available.
You can get tickets to Beauty Night Out through this link.
There is something humbling and instructive about having been sick (yet again) for another solid 10 days. After a brief recovery of 5 days, I fell again sick to the point where I had to be pretty much unconscious for most of the past 10 days. Falling in and out of a deep sleep, I used the past 10 days to give my body as much rest as I could, overdose on cold medicine and isolate myself. Sadly, at about the same time, I felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion with regards to blogging. I considered quitting (yeah, I know I consider it quite regularly, every 6 months to a year or so). But this time, I was pretty serious.
And then I started feeling better (this weekend). And realized that despite my detractors, despite the mishaps and challenges, and in spite of all the drama that (unfortunately) surrounds the Vancouver blogging and social media scene, I love writing. I love having a voice. And it would be really sad and stupid to let anyone silence my voice.
Worse off? It would be stupid to silence MYSELF.
So, in a few days you can expect that I’ll be back to a regular blogging schedule. How soon? I am not sure, but it will come, in due time.
I am, for the most part, back.
There’s a lot of “doom and gloom” discussion going on in Vancouver’s theatre arts scene. With the Playhouse closing –the latest in a series of high-profile and sad departures from our dear burg – concern has turned to downright mirth. After all, it isn’t just theatre and dance companies that are disappearing, but the tech companies which are the backbone of many of these productions are also vanishing. Why are these vibrant theatre and dance companies shuttering their doors or pulling up stakes and heading to other markets?
Vancouver is really, really expensive.
In some ways, that expense makes sense. We have an amazing quality of life here. Vancouver is a beautiful place to live, with stunning mountains, rolling seas, great food, awesome culture, an amazing climate and until recently, a powerful, thriving theatre and dance scene. Lots of people want to live here, and as a result it’s now one of the most (if not the most) expensive city in the world.
For a theatre artist, dancer or tech pulling in $8-10 per hour, having to work more than one job to ensure that they can put food on the table, paying $1000/month rent isn’t tenable over the long -term. The middle class too is leaving in droves, driven out by sky-high real estate prices and a job market where people are bringing home less in real money than they did 25 years ago – not adjusted for inflation. So Vancouver isn’t just losing the artists who together make an amazing arts community, but also the audiences who make the artists’ struggles bearable.
Not affordable, mind you.
Bearable.
When you’re earning a poverty wage doing something back-breakingly hard that you love with all your soul, an appreciative audience is sometimes all that will keep you going, night after night, show after show.
Here’s the secret about dance and theatre in Vancouver that you never hear about. Ticket sales revenue does not (and cannot) support companies in entirety. It can’t. World-quality productions simply cost too much for Vancouver theatre goers to afford. Without government support (and corporate sponsorship) these shows would not go on. And all levels of government should support these productions, because a vibrant theatre and dance culture is part of why people come to Vancouver in the first place.
While some of the big players have departed Vancouver’s scene there are many excellent smaller companies who are eking out a living bringing passion and drama to our stages. And they’re good.
Really good.
It’s time for government at all three levels – Federal, Provincial and Municipal, to step up to the plate and invest in these companies to keep them in Vancouver, now, before we lose them too. An investment in these companies is an investment in Vancouver, and a down payment on the culture that draws the best and brightest from around the world here.
In the meantime, you should make a dancer or artist’s day. Reward their bravery and courage for struggling it out as an artist in the most expensive city in the world – go to a show.
And applaud.
Loudly.
And then, tell your friends. And have your friends tell their friends. And be one of the people who collaboratively works with the arts community to sustain a vibrant, culturally-rich Vancouver. A Vancouver we can all love.
FOOTNOTE:
– These are some preliminary thoughts, I’d like to hear your thoughts and maybe they’ll help me reformulate my thinking. I’m open to feedback on how we can make our arts community not only survive but thrive.
If you’re looking for a play that is pure enjoyment and isn’t going to make you think, then don’t see Michael Redhill’s “Goodness.” Ross Manson directed this more than two hour play at the Belfry March 13-18 will take you on a journey about identity and redemption. The six actors, stark set, and lighting offers a provocative examination into Paul Braunstein, played by Michael Redhill, attempts to find himself after his wife has left him for his best-friend, Colin. Per his therapist’s suggestion, he decides to go on vacation. Does he choose Bermuda or Hawaii? No, he opts for a trip to Poland to the village where his Grandparents and seven of their children were slaughtered during the Holocaust. His hope is to find out more about his family and thereby about himself.
This isn’t Eat, Pray, and Find Myself. The trip to Poland is for naught and leaves disappointed and later finds himself in a London bar seated by an old codger who mocks him and inspires him to look up an old friend of his across the street. I didn’t want to laugh when he said that Holocausts are popular, but I do think that I gasped. He’s right–they are common. The codger, played by J.D. Nicholson does such a good job of goading Paul. He reminded me that we have witnessed many genocides covered on the news or at the very least ignored due to it messiness. But Paul is curious and crosses the street and meets with Althea, played by Lili Francks, and the play makes a turn into the tragic–where Paul hears about more genocide. Althea was a prison guard and is a survivor. As they chate, we get a peek into: Why good people rush to make evil. Althea is survivor of the purges and there have been so many during the last 100 years–Google the purges and pick one of your choice. However, the one she speaks of is most likely the purges in Rwanda.
The play asks the viewers to think about who owns an atrocity and who has the right to tell the story? These are complicated questions and the six actors and stage as an additional actor offer ample opportunity for introspection. I found that at times the lighting was haunting, as it made me think about how powerful hate is and what it does to people. Will you choose to be a witness to genocide? What would you do? I was not surprised to see that a few couples did not return after the intermission. It is a Wednesday night and the play is making you think about tough subjects. I left completely awake and sit here thinking about genocide.
This guest review was provided by Dr. Janni Aragon from the University of Victoria Department of Political Science exclusively for Hummingbird604.com. You can follow her on Twitter (@JanniAragon) and on her blog. Thanks so much for helping me provide coverage to the SPARK Festival 2012!
So, I used to have an issue with Chill Winston. Yeah, I had a really bad experience there a few years ago. And then tonight my friend Robyn Hanson and I decided to go for drinks to Chill Winston (full disclosure: after we found out that Six Acres didn’t open until 5pm, The Diamond didn’t open until 5:30pm, Guilt and Co. was closed, so was L’Abbattoir). So we kind of went well, if we MUST, Chill Winston: you’ll do”. And I have to report – I absolutely LOVED IT.
Drinks were reasonably priced ($7-11 for good, strong 2 oz pours and sophisticated/complicated drinks) and the ambiance was fantastic. The music rocked, and we had a wonderful time. Admittedly, it is quite likely that we had such a great time because Robyn and I share so many viewpoints on things, we come from similar academic backgrounds. But the reality is, Chill Winston offered us a really relaxing environment, and good drinks. The service was fantastic (Nick, sorry we focused on your Green Lantern tattoo, we totally nerded out).
So yeah, Chill Winston: I think we’re good. I think it’s about time I come back more often.
Disclosure: We paid for our own drinks.
As someone who cover the Vancouver arts (fine arts and performing arts, both), it saddens me that the Vancouver Playhouse is shutting its doors. I was giving a talk on how to pitch bloggers at Simon Fraser University’s Public Relations Program when the news broke, so I was unable to attend the press event. But I am copying what I received in the press release below. It saddens me that this happened, but it doesn’t surprise me. Vancouver is NOT an arts mecca, whatever the BC government and the local government want to tell you. I have lived in cities worldwide with a stronger arts scene (not in terms of quality of artists, which we have by the ton, but in attendance to events). It’s amazingly difficult to bring paying customers to theatre plays, dance shows, arts exhibits.
The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company has been British Columbia’s premier regional theatre company and artistic mainstay in Vancouver for 49 seasons. The Playhouse has played a major role in the theatre community’s ecology by helping smaller arts groups and community members to grow, expand their knowledge, skills and services, and progress into larger and more complex productions. The Playhouse has also staged many major productions, including many world premieres, and provided theatre patrons with wonderful memories for several decades. Therefore, it is with much regret that the Board of Governors of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company announces that the company will commence to wind down operations March 10, 2012, at the end of Hunchback.
Through diligent efforts by the Board, management, staff, and the City of Vancouver, every effort has been made to improve a long-standing working capital deficit. This deficit arose in previous years from a combination of challenging economic times and an inefficient operating model within the downtown theatre space, and the cost of temporary production facilities. Two years ago, with the City’s generous help, the Playhouse was able to successfully restructure the operating parameters and generate renewed interest from its supporters. Over the past year, with this support and diligent operational control, the Playhouse was able to reduce its deficit. However, the Playhouse has found that in the short-term, they have been unable to get past the legacy deficit sufficiently to continue operations. Therefore, at the end of Hunchback, the Playhouse Board of Governors and the City of Vancouver will work together to wind down the operations of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company in an orderly fashion as expediently and effectively as possible so as to minimize the impact on our creditors, employees, patrons, and partners.
On my Twitter feed, I suggested that maybe Telus could takeover and rename the Vancouver Playhouse maybe as the Telus Vancouver Playhouse (instead of BC Place, and thus save the Vancouver Playhouse) or maybe Minister Ida Chong (whose Ministry apparently has $3 million dollars to spend before the end of the month) could do something. I don’t know. I just feel very sad about this development. Farewell, Vancouver Playhouse. It’s a dark day for the Canadian theatre and arts community.
When I was a child, I used to get extremely painful canker sores. Even as a teenager. Mostly, they were associated with stress and excess work. But I remember very clearly once when my Mom told me that there was someone who theorized that canker sores were (in part) a result of keeping secrets (secrets that weren’t yours to keep) and/or keeping stuff bottled inside (e.g. not speaking out when something was bothering you).
Whether the theory is true or not, I have to fully admit that I now rarely suffer from canker sores, and that is probably the result of the fact that, given that now I have a blog with a pretty large audience and a voice that is heard, I rarely keep my mouth shut. That’s also part of why I tweet and have other social platforms. In order to NOT keep things bottled inside. So in that spirit, I should admit that I have been my circles of friends narrower, and that the number of people whom I trust is diminishing in number.
This is not at all a reflection on me or my value as a human being, but the direct result of (a) clearly knowing that I no longer can count on some people on whom I thought in the past I could count, and (b) the shift in my priorities and the subsequent change in my routines and goals. This is also the result of (c) people’s priorities shifting too. I am no longer part of the list of priorities of some people, and neither are they.
I have decided in 2012 to only focus on the people, projects and things I am really interested in. I am intent on stopping myself whenever I want to say YES to everything people ask me to do, invite me to do or request that I help with. Now, I am only interested in the people who are interested in me with the same intensity I am interested in them. The people (even if they are only a handful) whom I can trust and ask for help whenever I need it. And those who are part of my circle of priority friends know they are there, and know the reason behind.
Yes, I am learning to say no. I am learning to not accept pressure to do anything I don’t want to do. And yes, I’m narrowing the circles of friends, and speaking out about it too. And speaking out never felt this good.
The truth be told, I am wondering if the owners of Kiso Island must be the owners of Kishu Island (which got burned at the corner of Broadway and Main). I say this because the name sounds familiar and similar, and the sushi also tastes similar. Good sushi, but not something to call home about. It’s of good enough quality and I would definitely stop here for the gyoza and some of the special sushi pieces, but for traditional, standard rolls, I am still a fan of MoMo Sushi. Kiso Island is decent sushi for where it is and what you need it for.
The avocado roll and the yam tempura roll were both good, I won’t deny it. But the spicy tuna roll was meh.
The gyozas were delicious, that I will concede. Overall, I’ll come to Kiso Island again, but mostly when I’m away from MoMo Sushi or Sushiyama or Hime Sushi (all in the vicinity of Main and Broadway). It’s inexpensive sushi, but it’s not the best in town.
Disclosure: I paid for my sushi dinner on my own dime.
As you know, I’m a devoted fan and promoter of both the arts and mental health issues. The work that Theatre Terrific does is completely underrated and I am glad that they are doing this fundraiser, Barn Dance. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun, as it will include silent auction, live theatre and music. It promises to be a fantastic event. Did you know that Theatre Terrific brings together artists who would normally never work together. As per their motto, “our diverse ensembles include professional and emerging artists with or without developmental, physical, or mental health issues, gender or language challenges.”
Theatre Terrific was founded in 1985 by Connie Hargrave to provide theatre training and performance opportunities to disabled persons in the Vancouver region. At the time, no theatres in Vancouver were accessible, and the idea of disability and theatre interacting in innovative ways had yet to gain hold. Theatre Terrific was a pioneer; it is Western Canada’s oldest theatre company that works with mixed abilities casting.
Please consider attending and spreading the word about this fundraiser. Barn Dance promises to be A LOT OF FUN. And it’s for an amazing and worthy cause.
Barn Dance
Where: Performance Works, Granville Island
When: Thursday, March 29th.
Who: Mana Mansour (The Express, Shaw TV Media Personality)
What: Barn Dance, a Fundraiser for Theatre Terrific
When: Thursday March 29th, 7-10pm.
How Much: Tickets are $45
How To: Call 604-440-2037 for tickets.
Why: Because Theatre Terrific is actually a fantastic charitable project.
UPDATE – I found a little bit more information about Barn Dance:
Theatre Terrific Society is hosting Barn Dance 2012, a fundraiser to support opportunities for people from many minority and disability communities to produce original, compelling drama. Our work also supports opportunities for theatre professionals to expand their craft while also challenging and entertaining Metro Vancouver audiences.
At this fundraising event, we will invite guests to Performance Works for a spectacular evening of fun food and festivities. A live band will get your toes ‘a tapping and your heart ‘a thumping. Barn Dance 2012. Will have a silent auction which will combine a variety of donations to create many fabulous “experience” items, from a book-lovers’ basket to destination prizes with hotel, dinner, movie. We will also have a live auction and our infamous cake auction! We very much appreciate community partners’ support in providing many worthwhile items, and our experienced team of organizers will ensure that your organization is shown in its best light to prospective clients or customers.
For the last twenty-seven years, Theatre Terrific has been providing opportunities for many people through cutting-edge theatre, classes and workshops. Barn Dance 2012 will assist us in continuing to offer high quality, serious theatre to Vancouver and high quality theatrical training to people who might otherwise not have this opportunity. We have expanded our reach in the last year, and will continue to do so into 2012 and beyond.
There are few people in this town whom I trust blindly when it comes to their food choices. One of them is my very good friend Cassandra Anderton who writes Good Life Vancouver. Cassandra suggested that whenever I am tired and coming back from the university towards my house (on the 99 B Line) I should stop on Arbutus and Broadway (now that the 99 B Line stops right there) I should eat sushi from Temaki Sushi. Her recommendation was spot-on.
Our definition of Temaki Sushi is “Japanese food hand-made with passion and creativity”. We are simple people with a strong passion for good food. We believe good food means enjoying every bite. It is important to us that you taste the freshness and quality of each ingredient, the combination within each roll, the sauce and little details that goes with each dish. Opened since 2003, we consistently strive to create high-quality food at reasonable prices, within a casual and friendly atmosphere.
I found the prices of other items (not the rolls and the nigiri) a bit more expensive than other sushi places I know, but as far as rolls and nigiri, I am definitely delighted. The rice is well made, fresh, not cold, just the right temperature, the right amount of vinegar, and the spicy salmon roll was really interesting (my favourite is still MoMo Sushi)
Disclosure: I paid for my dinner on my own dime.
