Victoria’s Atomic Vaudeville Theatre is presenting Ride the Cyclone at the Revue stage on Granville Island starting this week. This will be the first showing outside of Victoria on this tour, as the play moves across the country towards Toronto. [EDITOR’S NOTE – Elliott Loran is a friend of Raul (me) so this play is particularly special, as Elliott has a role in the show). And of course, who doesn’t love a show with rollercoasters!
The premise is a bit eerie – a Saskatchewan high school chamber choir die suddenly in a roller-coaster ride accident. A mechanized fortune telling machine is able to give them one last chance to say goodbye as a final chorus, and the ghosts express their goodbyes and exit their short lives.
Cross Glee with a freak show and what do you get? Ride the Cyclone, probably the most uproarious and outrageous piece of musical theatre Canada has ever produced… -Globe and Mail
Ride the Cyclone runs September 28 – October 15, 2011 and tickets are available here. Hummingbird604 will also be doing a giveaway for a set of tickets! To enter, leave a comment with the name of your favourite roller-coaster or Tweet the following:
Posted my favourite roller-coaster 2 enter 2 win tickets to Ride the Cyclone via @Hummingbird604 and @AtomicVille http://is.gd/K0vPH7
While the show opens on Wednesday, we will run the contest until Thursday September 29th at 2pm and we will arrange for tickets to be for the Friday show.. Check back here and your Twitter account to see if you won once we have drawn the tickets!
I really need to brush up on my geography of British Columbia! Despite the fact that I knew that Quadra Island was one of the islands in BC, I was really not aware of the fact that it wasn’t a “Gulf Island” but one of the Discovery Islands (I know, I should have done my research BEFOREHAND!). The beauty of not knowing exactly what to expect, though, is how much you learn about your destination once you travel.
When I arrived into Campbell River’s airport, a shuttle was ready to take me to April Point Resort and Spa in Quadra Island. Also, one of those moments where ignorance is bliss. I knew I had to take a water taxi to Quadra Island, but I did not realize that Quadra Island is literally 5-10 minutes maximum by water taxi from Campbell River. I came to Quadra Island’s April Point Resort & Spa for their Tastes of April Point 2011 wine and food event (you can read all my coverage here).
While I arrived late and my late check-in meant that the photos I took of the wonderful bungalow where I stayed are taken with a tired eye, I think they do show how beautiful this place is.
April Point Resort & Spa is a west coast paradise away from the crowds, bringing you into the heart of BC’s pristine coast. With just 56 rooms, each with an oceanview, April Point Resort & Spa has a boutique, laid back feel. As soon as you step onto the dock, you’ll feel all the bustle of the busy world slip away. April Point is an idyllic island getaway, perfect for romantic getaways, family vacations and everything in between. The resort got its start as a fishing lodge, drawing guests from around the world eager to take on British Columbia’s mighty salmon. Now, it is Quadra Island’s premier resort, complete with world-class dining, an Aveda spa, stunning waterfront accommodation and countless adventures at your doorstep.
Upon arrival, I was promptly taken to my room (in all reality, a full bungalow! even if it didn’t have an actual kitchenette, my room was much bigger than my own apartment in Vancouver). I loved the French style doors (much like the ones I saw when I stayed at the Kingfisher Spa & Resort in Royston, near Courtenay, BC, in mid-Vancouver Island) and the cozy environment.
Did I mention my room/bungalow had a jacuzzi? No? Yeah… THAT.
The staff at April Point Resort were so incredibly generous with their time, helpful in every way possible, and made my stay so incredibly comfortable that I really want to come back in the Spring 2012 (April Point Resort & Spa is a seasonal resort, opening on May 12th). And given the excellent service I had while I stayed, I am sure they’ll be just equally as packed as they were this weekend (the event Tastes of April Point 2011 seemed sold out and everyone I talked to absolutely loved it).
Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Tastes of April Point. I flew into and from Campbell River compliments of my hosts, the Oak Bay Marine Group. This post was neither paid for nor expected, but I do think that Tastes of April Point is an excellent event and so do the numerous people I interviewed while on site. As always, all views are mine, and I retain editorial control on anything I publish on my site. You can read more of my coverage of Tastes of April Point 2011 in Quadra Island here
While I have been a guest host on Lip Gloss and Laptops a few times (the podcast/blog headlined by my good friend Airdrie Miller), talking mostly about colognes and the male perspective on the cosmetics and beauty industry, it’s been a long while since I wrote about a fragrance. And when I saw a Twitter exchange between Meg Fowler and Amber Naslund about fragrances, I thought about the one that I find unique to me: Herrera for Men by Carolina Herrera.
Normally, when I am sent a cologne for review, I am also provided with a writeup including the high, medium and base notes. In the case of Herrera for Men, I don’t have them, but I’ve read other reviews that mention them. From the product description available on Amazon:
Launched by the design house of Carolina Herrera in 1991, HERRERA by Carolina Herrera possesses a blend of fresh citrus, tobacco, musk and amber.
From the Carolina Herrera website I found the following notes about Herrera for Men: fresh aromatic top notes: natural neroli, lavender and rosemary. Spicy green middle notes. Base notes of sandalwood, tobacco leaves and amber.
A base note of tobacco leaves along with the sandalwood and amber provides the element of elegance and sophistication. While some websites seem to think Herrera for Men is a casual wear kind of fragrance, it’s not. It’s a “night out on the town” or “I have an important meeting and want to smell nice” cologne.
I have reviewed many other colognes on my blog, for a few samples see my reviews of Euphoria for Men (Calvin Klein), Tokyo (Kenzo), La Nuit De L’Homme (Yves St. Laurent), Envy for Men (Gucci) and L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense (Issey Miyake) and Eternity for Men Summer (Calvin Klein). But no matter however many colognes I try, I always settle back on Herrera for Me. It’s MY fragrance (it’s the one that makes me feel ME to a T).
Do you have a particular fragrance that defines you?
I was very, very pleasantly surprised with the attention to detail that the organizers of Tastes of April Point put on organizing every single detail of this festival. And clearly, my table companions (Barbara from Mission and Mary from Abbottsford, a mother and daughter pair with whom I had the pleasure of seating) were just as impressed. One of the things I do whenever I cover an event is ask the attendees why they participated and how they heard about the event. Barbara and Mary had heard great things online about this event and had already been to Quadra Island so this was a no-brainer. And they both loved the festival as much as I did.
I met Ingo Grady a few years ago at Parksville Uncorked, and I have drank Mission Hill wines for a while now, so I kind of knew what to expect (amazing food paired with fantastic wines). I also attended an event earlier organized by Tastes of April Point called the Affinities Experience (you can read about it on my blog). Dinner was served, first of all, with a booklet that had space to write comments about each wine, as well as the tasting notes.
A booklet like this is a brilliant idea, and I can tell you from seeing my fellow food bloggers/writers, we all DO take notes about the meals we are getting served, so facilitating this process really enables the writer to focus more on what they are eating and less on trying to remember how it tasted and what kind of wine these delicaces were paired with.
To open our apetite, dinner started with a First Course of butternut squash soup, Quadra Island scallosp, hazelnut oil, garlic puree and creme fraiche, paired with Lucien Albrecht Cremant Rose. You simply can’t go wrong with butternut squash soup, although I will fully admit that the scallop was a surprise in and of itself. The garlic and hazelnut oil complimented perfectly the sweet flavour of the butternut squash, while the scallop maintained a very firm texture that enriched the soup. I could have had that dish for a meal and be content. The Lucien Albrecht Cremant Rose wine was another surprise because it tasted almost briny and salty, with a hint of sour/tart (probably coming from the green plum) and fizzy bubbles. Strange for a rose, but very nice compliment to the background scallop in the soup.
The Second Course was by far my favorite: Moroccan spiced albacore tuna “Nicoise”, Russian blue potato, taggiasche olive, quail egg, salsa verde, preserved lemon and champagne vinaigrette, paired with Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling. The wine last-minute substitution proved a smart move, as this apricot-flavoured, sweet and nimble Riesling was chilled down to almost zero degrees Celsius, which liberated the sweet flavours of the Riesling. I am in love with Rieslings, I’ll have to say. And this particular one, the Fritz, was a great compliment to an albacore tuna that was chock full of flavour (the Moroccan spices gave it a great spicy and almost hot kick, whereas the taggiasche olive tapenade fully rounded up the ‘Nicoise’. I wouldn’t have cared much for the quail egg, although it was tasty, and the Russian blue potato was tart and fresh, which proved a nice counterpoint to the salty/spicy Moroccan spiced albacore tuna. Pairing a sweet wine with a spicy fish: beautiful.
The Third Course consisted of pan-seared Pacific halibut, Manila clams, fennel puree, pea coulis, bacon jam paired with a Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay. Now, admittedly, you can’t go wrong with bacon. And this dish was my second favorite. The vanilla and spice hints in the Chardonnay compliment very nicely the robust, well-cooked and nicely spiced halibut. The choice of bacon jam was spectacular here, because it provided a nice salty flavour to the halibut, that also combined well with the Manila clams. I’ve never really been a fan of fennel puree or pea coulis, but I’ll say that they provided subtle hints of mild flavour that neutralized a somewhat stronger bacon jam.
The Fourth Course would have been a winner with JT, since he loves his meat almost blue rare. But I don’t, unfortunately. So, while I can appreciate every other element of the dish, the meat was not my favorite. A slow-roasted Island bison strip loin with parsnip puree, porcini mushrooms, Pattinson Farms organic baby red beets, flat leaf parsley and black truffle sauce was overall, incredibly well-assembled. All the strong flavours of the porcini mushrooms, the black truffle oil, went very well with the Antinori Il Bruciato red wine, which is extremely intense, deep in colour and has a little hint of menthol and lots of hints of sweet spices. That Il Bruciato red wine is a delicacy in-and-of-itself (a little too robust for my taste, since I’m more of a white wine kind of guy, but delicious nonetheless). While I only had a bite or two of the bison, I could appreciate how nicely done it was, but I could have just eaten the garnish elements (porcini mushrooms, parsnip puree, black truffle oil). I wish my bison had been a lot more cooked. But that doesn’t detract from the quality of the dish nor the assembly.
I would have stopped at this point (and so would have my lovely table companions) but we were promised dessert and we weren’t about to waste it. So we waited for the Fifth Course (dinner took a solid 3 hours, which went by so fast it was incredible). A chocolate tart with strawberry coulis, sugar tuile and vanilla ice cream topped a delicious evening.
Paired with Cockburns Special Reserve Port (a port that while it can be consumed alone, it went really well with the vanilla ice cream), this dessert was worth the 45 minutes run I will have to do the next day (and my photos of the dessert actually turned out horrible so I am not posting them!).
Listening to Ingo Grady explain each one of the pairings as well as seeing the whole (packed) room (with people of all ages, I must add) give the Head Chef a standing ovation was an absolute delight. I asked Mary and Barbara how they liked the dinner and they would just not stop gushing about the whole experience of Tastes of April Point. Frankly, neither can I. Absolutely loved it.
Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Tastes of April Point. I flew into and from Campbell River compliments of my hosts, the Oak Bay Marine Group. This post was neither paid for nor expected, but I do think that Tastes of April Point is an excellent event and so do the numerous people I interviewed while on site. As always, all views are mine, and I retain editorial control on anything I publish on my site. You can read more of my coverage of Tastes of April Point 2011 in Quadra Island here
So I love Melanie Fiona, my latest discovery. Her music has a very similar sound to Jully Black, whom I saw in concert at the Surrey Fusion Festival a few years ago. The one thing I love the most is that Melanie Fiona is also Canadian (and that this tune was played at the premiere of Charlie’s Angels (the new TV show). Clearly I’m not the only one who loves her as somebody else wrote a Wikipedia entry on the song itself.
I (Anabelle) was lucky enough to attend the fully-sold-out premiere of the National Ballet of Canada‘s 60 Year Tour at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Friday September 23rd as a representative of Hummingbird604.com.
Let it be known: my most extensive experience of dancing is through So You Think You Can Dance. I did ballet as a child, but only for a year or two. So as much as I can’t criticize the show technically, I can tell you that it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen on stage.
The show was divided in four different numbers. The first, titled the second detail, is a contemporary ballet piece by William Forsythe that had interesting elements. The music, composed especially for the piece, was engaging.
The second piece is composed of six Chopin numbers (played live by a pianist on stage) and danced by a couple. There were two couple dances and each dancer also had two solo pieces. This was a bit more traditional pas de deux with flowing baby blue costumes. It was fun but not especially ground-breaking.
The third piece was something original: ballet on some of Johnny Cash’s later covers that included elements of traditional country line dancing. I think that emotionally, this was my favourite number. Cash’s nostalgic and powerful voice was beautifully interpreted through intricate choreography involving three male and one female dancers. We could feel the pain and emotion of Johnny Cash’s songs through the dancers’ movements.
The last piece, titled Emergence, is worth the price of the ticket on its own. Featuring the entire National Ballet of Canada company, this amazing choreography by Vancouver’s very own Crystal Pite left me on the edge of my seat. The music, by SFU music grad Owen Belton, was cavernous and mysterious and amazing. The choreography is meant to evoke a hive of insects; the movement on stage was meant to look random–and achieved it. I felt like I was watching a hive of bees moving and reacting to the forces of nature.
Another great feature of the choreography was the subtle way in which it broke the fourth wall. How can dance be meta, you ask? Well, Pite has the dancers counting time. It became a fascinating exploration of the way social forms are created through movement and sound.
I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at the ballet and now I want to see more! If the show comes to your town (it’s on a Western Canada tour right now) I strongly suggest you get tickets!
Disclaimer: Anabelle attended the ballet on media tickets graciously provided by The National Ballet of Canada and Ballet BC. We were not otherwise paid, expected or required to write a review. Raul maintains editorial control at all times.
Generally speaking, I don’t go up Grouse Mountain unless I have something exciting to do. Doing the Grouse Grind is something I do once a year just because I have to. I am, after all, a Vancouverite. And it’s a strenuous hike. So, when I go up Grouse Mountain it’s usually for something fun. I had told JT I wanted to try The Observatory (I had eaten at Altitudes Bistro before, but never at The Observatory) for my birthday. Gentleman that he is, he wanted to fulfill my birthday wish, so he made reservations for the evening of my birthday at The Observatory in Grouse Mountain.
First off, you DO want to make reservations. We saved $70 just on the lift tickets to get us up the mountain. I was somewhat shocked at the price, but after all, it’s a nice ride up.
Your Grouse Mountain Admission is complimentary with advance dinner reservations and includes admission to the Skyride and mountaintop activities such as Ranger Talks at the Wildlife Refuge, Scenic Chairlift Ride, and the Theatre in the Sky.
We arrived too late to take in any of the Theatre in the Sky shows, but it was a really beautiful chairlift ride (plus, it’s always about the company, and JT and I always enjoy each other’s company). Besides, we both already knew much about Grouse Mountain (he hikes it regularly, I certainly don’t). The view is simply spectacular from inside the restaurant, and even from outside.
We could have chosen off the menu between a Prix Fixe ($125 with all the pairings, a 5-courses meal much like the ones I’ve had at Chefs Across The Water in Salt Spring Island, Parksville Uncorked in Parksville or Tastes of April Point in Quadra Island) or choosing A La Carte. We chose the latter because (a) JT doesn’t drink and (b) I wasn’t about to do a 5 courses meal for a dinner on a Monday when the next day I have to wake up early for work. It’s a really good value for your money, though, so if you have a chance, you should try the Prix Fixe.
We started with an Appetizer ($16 price point, which is on the higher-scale of Vancouver’s restaurants, from my experience). Having had good experiences with cold soups (I’m a die-hard fan of Spanish gazpacho), I ordered a Squash Velouté with brown butter croutons, pumpkin seed purée and burnt sugar gastrique. JT ordered Vancouver Island Venison Loin with walnut gnocchi, apple, celery root purée, licorice jus. Admittedly, I had just about everything I expected in the squash velouté: a cold mini-soup that was refreshing, sweet and cleansed my palate for a solid main dish. Just as an aside, I did not expect a large portion as velouté‘s tend to be sauces rather than main dishes, but it was interesting having it as a first course.
What annoyed me the most was the lighting, and after that, a screaming baby. As for the lighting, I know it’s lovely for a romantic dinner, and it really enhances the mood, but it made my photos look pretty crappy, even with the Macro setting. Oh well. It was all about the company, and the meal itself. And it was my birthday, so that was what made it all great. On the crying baby note, I did not appreciate having a little baby screaming in the same room, and I’m pretty sure my parental audience will not appreciate me posting this comment. Unfortunately it’s true. I totally understand going out for dinner as a family, and I get it, but it really did detract from my experience. It was, at points, impossible to talk with JT without getting distracted with the little baby screaming at the top of his/her lungs. Luckily it only lasted about 20-30 minutes.
For my main dish, I ordered a Pacific salmon (Ocean Wise, as The Observatory is certified) with 2 types of beans with a bacon reduction (this dish is not available on the website’s menu). Had I had the menu that is posted on the website, I would not have chosen the salmon and would have gone for Mission Trout with carrot ravioli, salmon roe, rose petal sabayon or the Albacore Tuna with bonito onigiri, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, shiso leek emulsion. Hands down. While the salmon was really good (and who can go wrong with bacon), at a $39 per main dish price point, I expected a lot more in regards to presentation/assembly. The green beans’ texture didn’t really go well with a delicate dish like the salmon.
Also, while I totally get why servers recommend a particular type of cooking style (e.g. for my salmon he advised me that it would come medium rare and I asked him to ask the chef to bring it up to medium well), it’s my dinner and it’s my food, so I do not appreciate being told what style my food should come (he did mention JT what he thought was the right cooking point for his dinner. Fine, that’s alright – not me). For his main dish, JT ordered Fraser Valley Duck Breast that was presented with ravioli and a greens salad (not the herb spätzle, cauliflower, hazelnut velouté that I expected from the online menu).
While from my write-up it may sound as though I didn’t have a good experience, that’s not the case at all. I did love The Observatory. The food is great, the service is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC (one of the servers took several photos of JT and me until we were satisfied with the outcome and how beautiful the evening showed on the photo), and the view is bar-none. That I am picky (sometimes annoyingly so) and that I like my food a certain way and an environment where I can eat without being disturbed, it’s also true. But I am pretty sure that having a baby that little and that was screaming to the top of their lungs is such a rare occurrence, it’s just unfortunate it happened on my birthday.
Verdict: Would I recommend eating at The Observatory at the top of Grouse Mountain? Absolutely. It’s an experience you must have at least once in your lifetime. And I’ll definitely be back, particularly when I see a different menu that I might want to try out.
Sustainable Dining: We are dedicated to sourcing the finest and freshest regional ingredients available, creating memorable dining experiences.
Ocean Wise & Green Table-Certified: We are proud to be a member of Ocean Wise, a conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. Look for our ocean-friendly options highlighted on our menus. All the restaurants at Grouse Mountain are also certified by the Green Table Network, which puts sustainability on the menu through innovative solutions that measurably reduce the impact we have on our environment.
And the view is simply spectacular. My photos don’t do justice to how beautiful Vancouver looks from the top of Grouse Mountain. Dining out at The Observatory in Grouse Mountain is something you must try, definitely. I’m glad I did, and I’m glad JT took me there for my birthday.
Disclosure: JT paid for both of our dinners on his own dime, as he was taking me out for my birthday. Grouse Mountain did not know that we were coming for dinner so I’m sure we did not get any special treatment. As always, I retain editorial control at all times of anything published on my blog.
If you’ve read my blog for long enough you’ll probably realize how much I love Paris. Even though my French is not precisely perfect (and in spite of the fact that both of my interns have French background, Jessica being of French heritage and Anabelle being a Montrealer), I still struggle with fluency on the language. Thus, I make a concerted effort to listen to music in the French language. One of the French duets I love the most (and I owe it to The One Whose Name Shall Not Be Written to know about them) is Les Nubians.
Que le mot soit Perle is a song I often have on repeat on my iPod because it’s sophisticated and danceable, and makes my body sway (I’m pretty sure I could mount a contemporary dance choreography with Que le mot soit Perle as musical background). While I own the song with only The Nubiens, when searching for the song on YouTube I came across their piece featuring Henri Salvador, who unfortunately passed away in 2008.
I think Salvador provides an extremely sweet richness to Les Nubians’ wonderful vocal chords. For your listening pleasure.
We previewed True Love Lies earlier this week and last night I (Anabelle) had the chance to see the premiere of the play representing Hummingbird604.com.
The plot, which follows up on a play written 20 years earlier, follows the life of Kane’s (played by Greg Armstrong-Morris) family after his daughter Madison (Lara Gilchrist) meets with an old (male) lover of his: David (Andrew McIlroy). The play explores the effect of David’s return into Kane’s “perfect” nuclear family life.
The play explores themes of traditional family, love, women’s place in society, metal illness, queerness and sexuality. It is insistent in underlining the inadequacy of the traditional nuclear society in the contemporary world, where sex is omnipresent and love can move from one gender to another. It also explores the life of the ageing gay man as he sees himself replaced and discarded by younger, better looking guys.
The first half of the play is fast paced and moves a little like television; sometimes the scenes last only for a line or two. I was a little annoyed by this at first, as the text and the scene division was a little bit too close to a sitcom for my tastes (Brad Fraser, the playwright, worked for 3 years on Queer as Folk). But this pace slows down significantly in the second half, where the script takes time to explore the relationships between the characters a little more in depth.
Despite the hard truths exposed in the play, I was a bit disturbed by how lightly it took certain secondary topics like eating disorders, Alzheimers’ and sexual abuse. If there’s no space to develop a meaningful message around these subjects, maybe it’s better to leave them alone.
The actors were all excellent, with Anton Lipovetsky as Royce shining for me. He has the difficult job of bringing a deeply disturbed teenager to life and he was very convincing. The cast had a great chemistry that came in handy in the first half of the play, where characters often end each others’ sentences. This requires a lot of timing, and they pulled it off well.
The set was ingeniously used as both a family house, a restaurant and David’s apartment. The play provides both entertaining witty repartees and thoughtful development of more challenging topics. Catch it before it closes on October 1st!
Disclosure: Anabelle attended the premiere of the play on media tickets for Hummingbird604.com graciously provided by Touchstone Theatre. We were not paid, required or expected to write a review. Raul maintains editorial control at all times.
This song is one of those oldies I can’t get enough of. Alone by the Bee Gees is part of the repertoire of songs of the Bee Gees that doesn’t bring me down even though the theme is actually quite sad. I think it has to do with the fact that, as per the Wikipedia entry, the Bee Gees actually had a good time creating it.
I was a midnight rider on a cloud of smoke
I could make a woman hang on every single stroke
I was an iron man
I had a master plan
But I was alone
I could hear you breathing
With a sigh of the wind
I remember how your body started trembling
Oh, what’s a night it’s been
And for the state I’m in
I’m still alone
And all the wonders made for the Earth
And all the hearts in all creation
Somehow I always end up alone
Always end up alone
So I play, I’ll wait
‘Cause you know that love takes time
We came so far
Just the beat of a lonely heart
And it’s mine
I don’t want to be alone
Well, since I got no message on your answer phone
And since you’re busy every minute.
I just stay at home
I make believe you care
I feel you everywhere
But I’m still alone
I’m on a wheel of fortune with a twist of fate
‘Cause I know it isn’t heaven, is it love or hate
Am I the subject of the pain
Am I the stranger in the rain
I am alone
And if there glory there to behold
Maybe it’s my imagination
Another story there to be told
Chorus :
So I play, I’ll wait
And I pray it’s not too late
We came so far
Just a beat of a lonely heart
And it’s mine
I don’t want to be alone
And all the wonders made for the Earth
And all the hearts in all creation
Another story there to be told
[Chorus]
Gone, but not out of sight
I’m caught in the rain and there’s no one home
Face the heat of the night
The one that you love’s got a heart that’s made of stone
Shine and search for the light
And sooner or later you’ll be cruising on your ocean
And clean out of sight
I’m caught in the rain and there’s no one home
The opening night of this musical (The Light in the Piazza, for which we did a giveaway earlier this month) packed the house at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on Tuesday. Director Peter Jorgenson was very happy to greet everyone and express his gratitude and relief that the production had come together to it’s opening night, and the excitement was very real.
Photo Credit: David Cooper for Patrick Street Productions
The musical is set in Italy, mostly Florence, when a mother and daughter explore the tourist sights. Among the artifacts and attractions, a classic story of girl meets boy happens. Clara meets Fabrizio when he picks up her hat, and an epic love-at-first-sight song breaks out. Throughout the performance the operatic music was beautiful and moving, and extremely well executed. I especially loved the Italian language, which sounded authentic and romantic, and added an extra layer of interaction with the audience as it was interpreted by different members of the cast at different points.
One thing that I found amusing and a bit original was the costumes. Each scene seemed to have a colour palette, where the actors would all match. Maybe it was just me and it was unintentional, because it was very subtle, but it was very cute. The set design was also great because it was fluid and worked well with the movement of the cast. At one point a small chunk of the styrofoam Roman pillar flew off, but Fabrizio’s character enthusiastically and somewhat awkwardly picked it up, as fitting with his personality.
Right before the play started when I went to get my seat, I overheard two ladies chatting. One asked her friend if she should grab some tissues, and the other replied that it would be unnecessary because it was a love story. She was very wrong – the emotion and drama associated with two families dealing with the relationship of their children was overwhelming. I definitely shed a tear or two, which is a rare occurance. Interactions between mother/daughter, sister/sister-in-law, and lovers were heartbreaking but would bounce back with a charming or heart-warming moment within 5 minutes. I really enjoyed this musical, and would recommend it, but with a couple of tissues, just in case.
Disclosure: Jessica attended and reviewed The Light in the Piazza on media tickets in representation of Hummingbird604.com. A review is neither paid for nor expected, nor a favorable review is guaranteed. At all points Raul maintains editorial control over anything posted on Hummingbird604.com
That I am a fan of Charlie’s Angels is no secret to anyone, but the most amazing thing is that I actually like this re-imagination of the iconic 70’s show. In this version, after a successful rescue, the Angels (Abby and Kate) are faced with the loss of one of their original members (Gloria) who is killed by a villain that shares some dark secrets with Gloria’s cousin, Eve. Much along the lines of Executive Producer Drew Barrymore’s previous incarnations of Charlie’s Angels, this version isn’t excessively gory. Although, contrary to the Barrymore-produced Charlie’s Angels movies, in this TV show you will find gun-toting Angels.
I did not expect the show to have an extremely thoughtful, articulate dramatic saga. It’s Charlie’s Angels, after all. Minka Kelly (Eve) is excellent as the somewhat vulnerable Eve, a rogue street car-racer. Rachael Taylor (Abby) is brilliant as the blonde, physically-nimble-and-strong cat burglar. Kate (Annie Ilonzeh) is perfect as the former tough cop (fallen from grace) who is now one of the 3 Angels. And finally, a hot man personifies Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez). And this Bosley does not pull punches.
The first episode opens with a successful “mission accomplished” that goes nicely until Gloria’s car explodes. The rest of the episode (and season opener) deals with how Abby and Kate need to learn to trust Eve, and how Eve fights to put her demons to rest, and avenge Gloria’s death. For a show that is as campy as its original, Charlie’s Angels (the 2011 reinvention) doesn’t disappoint. I had a great time watching the premiere.
The festival presents flamenco artists performing in a range of styles – from traditional to contemporary, and soloists to ensemble works. As a gathering place for the ever-growing local and national flamenco community, the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival takes the audience from flamenco’s origins as a blend of cultures through to today’s continual evolution of music, song, and dance.
Wednesday, September 28, 8pm · Local Favourites: Tradition Meets Contemporary, Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island, $30/$25
◦ Moraima: Peter Mole, Jose Lara, Michelle Harding, Maria Avila
◦ Rosanna Terracciano solo performance
Thursday, September 29, 8pm · Local Favourites: Ensemble Work and the Soloists, Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island – $30/$25
◦ Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre
◦ Palma Bjarnason solo performance
◦ Angela Gomm solo performance
◦ Alice Gerbrecht solo performance
Friday, September 30, 8pm · The Nationals, Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island, $30/$25
◦ Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
◦ Flamenco Rosario
Saturday, October 01, 8pm · “Baron” by Javier Baron Company, Vancouver Playhouse, Hamilton & Dunsmuir, $60/$55
Along with shows, there will be free lectures and even a free demonstrations at the Vancouver Public Library downtown for free on Monday at 7PM.
We have a pair of tickets to giveaway for Saturday night’s (October 1st) big show at the Vancouver Playhouse. Javier Baron is a very famous figure in the flamenco world so it should be a blast!
To enter, tell us in the comments about one awesome thing from Spain (in our case, we really like sangria!). For an extra entry tweet the following:
Told @hummingbird604 about great Spanish things to enter to win tix to the Van Int’l Flamenco Fest. Enter at http://bit.ly/oipIHj
We’ll be drawing a winner on Wednesday, September 28th at 2PM. Check the comments, your twitter feed and your email!
I learned recently about the upcoming Ride For Our Future of the youth organization Kids For Climate Action on September 24th, as part of the 350.org Moving Planet international day of action. The Ride for our Future is a youth ride all the way from the Scott Road Skytrain station to the provincial legislature in Victoria, BC. On September 24th, 350.org’s international day of climate action, the youth of BC will be pedaling to the British Columbian government offices to deliver their petition calling for real action on climate change. What I find most exciting about this project is how all of this is moving forward as a youth movement. As someone who teaches young students, I’m really excited about them taking action.
We’re riding for a future with green jobs. We’re riding for better transit and cleaner energy. We’re riding to say no to coal exports, the Enbridge pipeline and more oil tankers off our coast. But most of all, we’re riding to show the commitment of BC’s youth – that we won’t let our government’s inaction today jeopardize our future and the future of generations to come.
Please follow this wonderful youth group’s actions by signing on to the Facebook page and if you can offer encouragement on the route, that would be most amazing.
I love travelling, as everybody who reads my site knows. I do a lot of travelling because of my academic work, but frequently I am also invited on media trips (you can read some of my travel coverage here). The most exciting part of being invited on a media familiarization tour is to go and visit places I have always wanted to go visit but haven’t had the time. Quadra Island is one of those places. Located pretty close to Campbell River, Quadra Island promises to have a fantastic set of experiences that I’ll be very happy to relay to my readers.
I will be attending Tastes of April Point 2011, at the beautiful April Point Resort & Spa on Quadra Island.
Join sommeliers, chefs and connoisseurs alike for a one-of-a-kind wine and food celebration weekend at April Point Resort & Spa on Quadra Island. The weekend will showcase Vancouver Island, British Columbian and International wines, champagnes, oysters, cheeses, gourmet foods and more. On Saturday night there will be a feature five-course dinner with wine pairings in the resort’s oceanfront dining room. The weekend is topped off with a luxurious Sunday brunch at Painter’s Lodge.
Photos courtesy of the Oak Bay Marine Group and used with permission.
The weekend package offers the following:
Weekend Package – $389
two night’s oceanview accommodation
wine & cheese tasting on Friday night
exotic coffees on Saturday morning
oyster and champagne pairings
culinary and wine selections
house of atypical pairings
wine crush on April Point lawn
5 course dinner with wines in Saturday night
brunch on Sunday at Painter’s Lodge
The weekend will showcase wines provided by local Vancouver Island wineries, exotic champagnes, and a selection of VQA’s finest wines. Guests can enjoy a variety of coffees, espressos, lattes as well as a wine crush on the April Point lawn. The afternoon will also feature the ‘House of A Typical Pairings’ and other interesting culinary and wine selections. On Saturday night there will be a feature five-course dinner hosted by Mark Anthony’s Ingo Grady with wine pairings in the resort’s oceanfront dining room. The weekend is topped off with a luxurious Sunday brunch.
Photos courtesy of the Oak Bay Marine Group and used with permission.
Having already attended a dinner hosted by Ingo Grady at Parksville Uncorked 2010 and 2011 I can already tell you that this will be an amazing experience. And I can’t wait to be a part of this celebration. You will be able to follow all of my coverage by clicking on my Tastes of April Point 2011 tag.
Start off in style with a wine and cheese tasting on Friday evening in the oceanfront room overlooking Discovery Passage. Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is bringing a magnificent selection including their award winning Island Brie, selected as the Great Canadian Grande Prix winner and voted the best Brie in Canada!
Some of the featured vineyards include: Alderlea, Averill Creek, South End Farms & Vineyards, Beaufort Vineyards, Mission Hill, Lucien Albrecht, Rodney Strong, and Antinori.
On Saturday morning, sleepy guests will be delighted to find Frog Coffee brewing up masterful coffee selections to get the day started. Breakfast and exotic coffees will be the warm up for the delectable day ahead.
Saturday afternoon sessions include: “Seafood and Bubbly” featuring three types of local oysters paired with champagnes from Spain, Germany and France. “Atypical Pairings,” including Porter and ice cream just to get started! Finally, challenge yourself during the Sensory Tasting Experience to discover the scents and aromas infused in 5 different glasses of wine. Developed by some of Canada’s pre-eminent wine experts, this is a clever and very interactive experience…put your palette to the test!
After a not so serious seaside grape stomping session on the lawn, Ingo Grady, Director of Wine Education for Mission Hill will host the five course dinner with wine pairings. “Ingo brings over 25 years of international wine experience and knowledge to this spectacular dinner,” says Susan Barcham of the Oak Bay Marine Group. “We are delighted he’s a part of Tastes.”
And, just in case you haven’t indulged quite enough, the weekend event finishes with the magnificent Sunday Brunch at Painter’s Lodge.
Photos courtesy of the Oak Bay Marine Group and used with permission.
From my experience at this type of festivals, this will be an amazing visit. Can’t wait!
Disclosure: My travel to and from Quadra Island as well as my participation in Tastes of April Point 2011 are complimentary courtesy of Oak Bay Marine Group. You can follow my experience at Tastes of April 2011 by clicking on the tag here
There’s always something good at The Cultch; for the last weeks of September, the historical theatre is showing True Love Lies, a dark comedy by Edmonton playwright Brad Fraser.
Credit: Emily Cooper
Brad Fraser’s Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love was a huge hit for Touchstone in the early nineties, and True Love Lies meets up with two of its characters – Kane and David – twenty years later. Kane is now straight, married and living in mortgaged suburbia with two kids. David’s reappearance outs dad to his kids and forces the question, does true love ever die? With the crackle of lightning fast one-liners, acidic exchanges and wickedly witty characters, this hilarious new play shatters our illusions about the “perfect” Canadian family.
I’d be curious to see (or at least read) the other plays just to get the back story, but the play can be understood on its own without any trouble.
Hummingbird604 will be at the premiere and will review the play for you on September 22nd, so stay tuned!
What: True Love Lies by Brad Fraser and Touchstone Theatre When: September 22nd to October 1st; post-show talkbacks on September 24, 25, 27 and October 1st Where: The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6
More info: The Cultch website
I’m just getting to know Covert Affairs, and I’m liking it. You know, despite the striking similarity with Alias (headed by Jennifer Garner, someone who has demonstrated that not only can she be a great actress but also a fantastic athlete), I’m enjoying Covert Affairs. Piper Perabo, whom I’ve seen as the conflicted bi-sexual-turned-lesbian girl in a couple of films before (and convincingly so) is here Annie, a CIA recruit (much like Sydney from Alias fame) who joins the agency to help capture her ex-boyfriend Ben. Close to help is her mentor Auggie (a blind geek personified by the always handsome and strikingly hard-bodied Christopher Gorham, of Popular fame).
What makes Perabo a lot more convincing in Covert Affairs is that she does not seem to be well-trained in gun usage. Annie is good at fighting hand-to-hand but she shies away from guns. A small and subtle element that makes a substantial departure from Alias, as Sydney is quite comfortable toting guns. While I’m just getting to a couple of shows in the second season, I have read that a third season is in the works.
I love the fact that Kari Matchett (a Canadian actress whom I’ve loved for a long while) is Joan, the boss of both Auggie and Annie, and she plays the tough boss with gentle care. And of course, Peter Gallagher is phenomenal as Joan’s husband. A great cast and good storylines have kept me captivated with Covert Affairs.
One of my favorite DJ’s is Tiësto, a Dutch DJ and musician who also happens to create some of the best music I have heard, ever. I can’t exactly remember where I heard this song (Who Wants To Be Alone by Tiësto and featuring Nelly Furtado). But that’s the kind of music that I like. And every time I heard dance-able music I am reminded of how much I miss dancing. Not dancing as a recreational activity, but dancing in competition. Crazy, eh? The YouTube below for your listening pleasure.
As part of the recent Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House, Aeriosa offered a free preview and I couldn’t make it, but my intern Content Manager, Jessica Brodeur was able to take a few photos. All photos are credit of Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com, so if you use any of them, please provide credit and link back.
Aeriosa’s spectacular aerial dance events combine the athleticism of rock climbing with the grace and artistry of dance: the company was one of the highlights of Scotiabank Dance Centre’s opening festival in 2001 and now returns for the 10th anniversary with a new work. The company will give a sneak preview of excerpts from the second half of the piece where 6 performers dance down the seven-storey exterior wall in cascading duets, trios and quartets.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Thanks to Jessica for being able to capture the beauty of this spectacle, I’m so sorry to have missed it! You can see Jess’ photo set here.
On September 19th, Jessica and I (Anabelle) took a drive down to Abbotsford for the EAT! Fraser Valley festival and expo.
Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604
Excited and looking forward to great food, we got in and started going around the large space of the Tradex in Abbotsford. There were quite a few booths and we were impressed by the quality and variety of the food and services available.
We tasted a lot of things, but the most memorable products for me were a variety of tasty balsamic vinegars. Not everything was edible (there were sellers of kitchenware and accessories) but most booths had something to do with food. It made us really hungry!
The floor was divided in two main sections: one section where the samples were free and the other section with restaurants and wine where you needed to use food tickets to try things.
I personally used most of my tickets on the wine section (there was even mead–it was delicious!), and Jessica also had some salmon from the BC salmon farmers’ association. A few restaurants and restaurant chains had a booth as well and we saw lots of yummy-looking food.
We also saw a cooking lesson and even caught the end of an Iron Chef competition that seemed to attract a lot of people! There were also workshops about wine and cheese given for free if you could get a seat. We couldn’t attend any of them but a lot of them seemed very interesting.
There were so many booths and things to taste that it would be hard to go through everything and keep this post short, so here are a few pictures from our Eat! Fraser Valley Flickr stream to give you an example (and maybe whet your appetite!)
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
We had a lot of fun during our afternoon at Eat! Fraser Valley and we look forward to next year’s festival in both Vancouver and Abbotsford!
Disclaimer: Anabelle and Jessica attended on media tickets provided to Hummingbird604.com for the Eat! Fraser Valley festival. Anabelle and Jessica paid for food tickets our of their own pockets. We were not required nor expected to write a review. Raul maintains editorial control at all times.
Pacific Theatre invited the theatre production company Gallery 7, of Abbotsford, to restage “Tuesdays With Morrie” in Vancouver, after a successful run in the Fraser Valley. Pacific Theatre has a strong legacy of presenting thoughtful plays that have a faith-based focus, but which are not specifically religious, and Tuesdays With Morrie falls comfortably into this category.
I knew that the 1997 nonfiction book “Tuesdays With Morrie” had been a hugely popular bestseller, and I had heard bits and pieces about it from time to time. This play, first staged in 2002, is adapted from the book, and very true to the bookís content. I was slightly concerned that I’d find this play to be excessively saccharine and trite. But I need not have worried. The play is about friendship, about accepting weakness and human frailty, and what aging and death can teach us about life. If a moment is about to become maudlin, some caustic sarcasm or embarrassing incident intervenes.
The two lead actors are well-cast. Glen Pinchin plays Morrie Schwartz, a witty, mild-mannered, and compassionate sociology professor suffering from the debilitating ailment ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Ken Hildebrandt plays the sometimes glib and selfish Mitch Albom, a highly successful sports journalist and Morrieís former student.
Mitch reconnects with his former professor, who had been a dear friend during Mitch’s college years, by happenstance. Mitch feels obligated to see his old mentor, and makes what he intends to be a single, pro forma half-hour visit. This becomes a series of weekly Tuesday visits during which Mitch and Morrie discuss life, aging, humanity, death, and other profound topics. Morrie has spent a lifetime caring for his students and his family, and has collected hundreds of aphorisms, both of his own design, and from his reading and personal experience (both Buddhist philosophy and the Yiddish language are significant here).
The play is more than Morrie spouting aphorisms, though. It explores the nature of love between two men, often a fraught subject. Morrie craves touch. As Morrie says, when one is an infant, touch is required, and when one is old and dying, touch is required. So why is it that touch is seen as optional in the time in between? Mitch obliges when his friend wants a hug, a kiss on the forehead, a massage. Without overtly saying so, the play suggests a reconsideration of how relationships between men are constructed in Western society.
Morrie is insistent that he not be defined by his illness. He wants to hear his visitors’ problems, and although he famously ‘never offers advice’, he listens and suggests. Why does Morrie just not accept that he should be the one accepting sympathy? “Because taking makes me feel like I’m dying. And giving makes me feel like I’m living”.
Morrie is not perfect, and does not seek to portray himself as such. He points out a sad flaw that has haunted him all his life. Mitch must forgive himself for not keeping his definite promise to keep in touch. Morrie easily forgives Mitch, but not so easily himself.
The set, which is unchanged throughout the play, looks like a comfortable and old-fashioned living room. Morrie indicates that much of the contents have not changed since the 1950s. Throughout the play, neither actor leaves the set, and there are only the two of them throughout, making for a sometimes intense experience. The two actors have good chemistry, and make the relationship between Mitch and Morrie believable.
This is not an action-packed play. Its pace is contemplative. It’s suitable for a chilly fall evening that you want to spend in a cozy living room.
Disclosure: Lois (and her guest) attended the play to write a guest review on media tickets courtesy of Pacific Theatre. This review is neither paid for nor expected. Raul retains editorial control of whatever is published on his blog. Lois saw Tuesdays with Morrie on September 14th. Thanks for the review, Lois!
In previous years, I felt bad writing about today being my birthday (a birthday I share with a few good friends, both from the online world and from academia). In a complete twist of academic surprise, my good friend and academic colleague who ALSO studies Mexican environmental policy, Dr. Donna Lybecker, has the same birthday as I do (today). My adored Meghan Warby, communications and citizen engagement specialist whom I met through Twitter (and who hosted me in Toronto last year) also turns a new year-round leaf today. And Mandy Gratton, whom I met through the blogging world, mom, HR specialist and entrepreneur extraordinaire, also has a birthday today.
So, what did the past 12 months teach me? In summary, I think what I learned in the past year was that charting a new destiny for myself and a completely different pathway from what I had planned originally has in fact made me stronger, wiser and happier. It’s been a year of personal loss (especially with the passing of my good friend Derek), but it’s also been a year of enormous professional growth, particularly in my academic and consulting lives.
And in an incredible twist of cruel irony, I *have* to work on my birthday (I teach today, and I am speaking at the Blogging Summit of Social Media Week Vancouver). But at least, I get to spend all of today with special people in my life, both in the social media world, in the academic world (my students) and in my personal life.
So, off to work I go. Happy birthday to my fellow astral twins, and of course, I’m quite happy to be alive. Given how difficult my birth was (I was breech and had the umbilical cord around my neck and had to be brought into this world with forceps) I am incredibly grateful to be alive. And I hope it shows.
“Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism.
— David M. Burns”
The husband of one of my best friends is a PhD in psychology who has studied perfectionism for a very long time. The irony is, despite the fact that I had him near me to have a conversation about his research every day when we lived on campus residence, I never really paid much attention to what he was studying, even though I am a perfectionist myself, in spite of the fact that I come from a family of overachievers who are very much perfectionists themselves, and despite the reality that I sometimes have found myself self-berating for not achieving some sort of semi-impossible perfect standard. While never paid much attention to it, I did find it fascinating that psychologists would be interested in understanding perfectionism.
I KNOW I’M A PERFECTIONIST. I always have been. I really sometimes don’t know why, but I know I am. I like things well done, and sometimes I have a hard time when I fail. This is not news to me. But I am far from perfect. I am quite imperfect. I am fallible. And I’m quite ok with that.
I’m ok with it now.
Before, I would continue to self-flagellate until I achieved some sort of inner peace. I would work twice, three times as hard. But lately I have come to the realization again that perfection is not the goal. Success is what I strive for. I want to be successful, not perfect.
Recently, I realized that I put an inordinate amount of pressure on myself, on doing too many things for too many people. I’m quite successful at completing multiple projects, but sometimes things slip. Blogging is one of them. This weekend, I realized that I hadn’t blogged about some events, theatre shows, etc. Even after the fact that now 2 interns collaborate with me, sometimes that’s not even enough and I have to say NO, SORRY, CAN’T DO IT to way too many pitches I receive. I’ve dropped the ball in more than one case, and while this is improving with having Anabelle and Jessica to give me a hand, sometimes things slip through the cracks.
AND I FEEL HORRIBLE.
BUT THAT’S OK.
Because my income doesn’t depend on it. My livelihood doesn’t depend on it. If I can’t blog about something, well… I can’t blog about something, period. If sometimes I drop the ball and a post is published after the point where it’s useful (or it is not published at all) that’s my call to make, and it’s my right to NOT be perfect. I feel awful when something with my contests goes awry (as it did this weekend), particularly because I feel that it reflects poorly on me and my work ethic. And I hold myself to really high standards.
But the truth is that, long as I continue to give my clients, my students and my colleagues my best, I don’t see why I need to be perfect, an overachiever, or do everything. I’m a human. And I’m quite ok with being a human, and with not being perfect.
I had the pleasure of attending a mini version of Stack the Rack (#StacktheRack) at Ensemble on Wednesday afternoon, a benefit for Qmunity and a chance to meet and mingle with local media personalities.
Stock up on wines perfect for the holiday entertaining season & enjoy fabulous food from Chef Dale MacKay Amuse Consulting + Vancity present the 1st annual STACK the RACK benefit for QMUNITY in partnership with Marquis Wine Cellars & ensemble Restaurant & Bar on Monday, October 3, 2011 (6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.).
Chef Dale MacKay, Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604
It was a very cool coming-together of different worlds. Congratulations to chef Dale McKay for winning Top Chef Canada, you really deserve it. The food was absolutely amazing, including pulled pork and apple sliders, beef capicollo, and delicious eggplant / baba ghanouj bites. Many thanks to Leah Bickford of Marquis Wine Cellar for her extensive knowledge and friendliness.
The true reason for the event and benefit itself was represented by Jennifer Breakspear, executive director of Qmunity. Qmunity is BC’s queer resource centre, and it is a place where British Columbia’s gay, lesbian, bi, queer, transgendered and two-spirited individuals can come, gather and build community (hence the name, Qmunity). Raul is a big supporter of these issues and thus he was keen on showcasing Stack the Rack.
This was just a teaser event. A huge night is coming up for food + wine lovers who want to support a great community outreach and cause. Stack the Rack‘s real event will be on October 3rd, again at ensemble. Basically picture the same style of event but bigger, better, and with wine shopping! Taste + shop: it’s a great combo.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Thanks to Marc Smith from Amuse Consulting I was invited to the media preview for the main event for Stack The Rack. Queer-focused events are important to me and as I was teaching and couldn’t make it to the event I sent Jessica on my behalf to cover for Hummingbird604.com. We were neither paid nor otherwise compensated for this post.
In honour of a new arrival of Hershey Canada‘s family of assorted chocolate products, Hershey’s is crossing Canada to celebrate all things tiny, like their new Reece’s Minis. Kicking off the tour in Greenwood, BC – a very tiny town of only 625 residents – the tour is searching for the right recipients of their “Perfectly Tiny” award, in honour of all things small.
Photo from Hershey's Canada "Perfectly Mini" blog
What does Hummingbird604 have to do with all of this? Besides our addiction to chocolate, of course. We have some grab bags to giveaway! Some sweet Hershey’s swag + chocolate is up for grabs. Comment on your favourite small pleasure in life by September 26th at 2pm, and be eligible to win a Hershey’s gift pack.
“Taking time to celebrate the small things is important” says Sean Citrigno, spokesperson for REESE® Minis. “Just like new REESE® Minis candy, the Perfectly Tiny Awards are an example of how even the tiniest things can spread a huge amount of happiness.”
The swag package includes a REESE branded tote bag, hat, t-shirt and of course lots of chocolate 🙂
EDITOR’S NOTE AND DISCLOSURE: I’m hosting this giveaway for Hershey’s Canada but this post has not been paid for nor did we get any other form of compensation (except, well, for a bag of Reese’s Minis Chocolates for me and for my two lovely interns, Jessica and Anabelle. I (Raul) retain editorial control at all times.
