As you know, I’m a media sponsor for the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival 2011. I’m proud to announce that I have a pair of tickets for a reader to win to the opening gala film of VLAFF 2011. This year’s opening gala features the film El Hombre de al Lado (The Man Next Door, Argentina, 100 min, Spanish with English Subtitles). Check out the trailer below.
We don’t choose our neighbours.
Leonardo, a successful industrial designer, lives with his family in an architectural wonder, a Mid-Century modern Le Corbusier house in Buenos Aires. One morning, he wakes to an irksome noise and is appalled to discover that workmen next door are constructing a large window that faces directly into his home. Victor, the neighbour, is an odd and extroverted character whose attitude is very friendly, yet threatening at the same time. He provokes in Leonardo both a strong dislike and an uncomfortable submissiveness to his will. This minor incident starts to take over Leonardo’s time, taking him away from his work and family and calling into question all his bourgeois illusions of power.
To enter my giveaway all you have to tell me is a quick story about your relationship with your neighbours is (you obviously don’t need to give names or details). In my case, my relationship with my neighbours has always been up and down. At some key points in my life, my next-door neighbour has been extremely helpful, but we all sometimes have issues with the laundry (who doesn’t, in a shared household). How is yours?
You can earn an additional entry by tweeting the following:
Posted a story about my neighbours on @hummingbird604 http://is.gd/BSUD2y for a chance to win tickets to @VLAFF ‘s opening gala film.
I will draw a random winner on September 1st at 2pm. Check back on this post after that date. I will meet the winner either at my office on Thursday during business hours (9am to 5pm) or at the door at Granville 7 Cinemas depending on where it is more convenient (or leave the tickets at will call). This is a quick turnaround contest so you should enter it NOW!
Abbottsford, despite its closeness to Vancouver, is still very much a little bit of a mystery to me. It’s an area that I haven’t really explored. This municipality is within a short driving distance from the actual city of Vancouver, but since I don’t really drive often, I’ve eschewed exploring the town. And thus I’m grateful that I was invited on the Circle Farm Tours, because I had a chance to sample great businesses.
Day 2 was a media tour of the Abbottsford Circle Farm Tours, like the Birchwood Dairy, the Tanglebank Country Gardens, Campbells Gold Honey Farm and Meadery, and the Clayburn Village B&B.
The largest of the Samuel Maclure inspired brick houses in Clayburn Village, circa 1906. It includes more clues to Maclure’s hand than do the others. These include shingle work, the roof line, small diamond-shaped window panes, three windows together in the gable end, plus interior detailing, particularly the fireplace. Charles Maclure, the founder of Clayburn, lived here until 1909.
One of the most touching stops of our Circle Farm Tour, I think, was the Clayburn Village B&B. We were exhausted after a full day of driving around and a lot of information to take in (thanks Jayne for bearing the brunt of all the driving throughout the Lower Mainland!). I’m really fond of Mom-and-Pop-run, homey bed-and-breakfasts (B&B’s). So when we landed on the footsteps of the Clayburn Village B&B I did have a little bit of an expectation that the owners would be adorable.
And they were. Simply amazing. The honest, homey, high-quality and great service approach that the owners of the Clayburn Village B&B take is completely from the heart. We were welcomed with great and warm smiles and given a tour of the bed-and-breakfast. We chose our rooms (and I’ll fully admit I chose the biggest one). I think we all chose as it fit our feeling. I loved the Orchard Room.
You can easily see that the Orchard Room is about the size of my apartment back in Vancouver. So beautiful. The bathroom is walk-in style, and there is a walk-in closet too. The baked treats upon arrival in each room were an extremely nice and sweet touch. So many details that were key in ensuring our comfort: the iPod dock with alarm clock, the flat-screen TV, and the fan to ensure we wouldn’t be boiling.
And the quality of the bedding was out-of-this-world. You can tell that the inn keepers/owners have paid a lot of attention to the service.
Spacious, stately, second floor room featuring a view to the neighbouring apple orchard. A large, impressive, tiled shower and radiant-heated floors are a step away in your ensuite bathroom. High ceilings and queen-sized bed. Keep current or watch movies with your in-room television.
The owners were incredibly disappointed that they were not able to cook breakfast for us (I think, perhaps one of the biggest selling features of Clayburn Village B&B). But they offered us amazing coffee and scones/muffins the next morning, before we departed to Birchwood Dairy. Both Cassandra and I agreed we needed to come back, simply to try the breakfast.
Moreover, it was incredibly kind of them to offer us a glass of sherry and sit down with us to share stories about the house (which they fully renovated) and the Clayburn Village overall. Overall, my experience at Clayburn Village B&B was really great and I look forward to coming back and staying a couple of nights so that I can explore the Clayburn Village area. You can contact the Clayburn Village on their website.
Disclosure: My stay at Clayburn Village B&B was complimentary as it was one of the stops of a media trip for Circle Farm Tours. You can read all of my Circle Farm Tours coverage here. Breakfast coffee and goodies were compliments of our gracious hosts.
Year after year, it looks like my involvement with the communities I’m part of is growing, and I am very proud to announce that Hummingbird604.com is a media sponsor for the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival 2011. I have been covering the VLAFF for years, but this is my first year as a media sponsor. We will be providing A LOT of coverage on my site and reviewing films.
LAFF is a registered non-profit charitable organization with the mission to provide a forum for the promotion and exhibition of Latin American cinema. This annual festival promotes dialogue between cultures and explores historical and social issues through the eyes of filmmakers. Since 2003, VLAFF has continued to provide audiences with the unique opportunity of experiencing Latin American cinema in Vancouver.
VLAFF Mission + To conduct a Film Festival for the purpose of educating and advancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of Latin American cinema.
+ To conduct educational workshops and seminars.
+ To provide independent filmmakers with the opportunity to display their artistic efforts.
+ To provide Canadian audiences with an opportunity to observe a variety of films, which closely reflect the society and people of Latin American countries.
+ To generate a network between the Canadian and Latin American film industries and forge an artistic alliance between the two.
I am doubly proud because next Spring 2012 I will be teaching Latin American Environmental Politics and I will be able to share some Latin-American films that have showcased problems of resource scarcity, water and solid waste management issues, etc.
This year, as part of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, September 1-11, 2011, VLAFF 9 will once again feature the section Canada Looks South. This special program is dedicated to Canadian and Latin-Canadian filmmakers who explore Latin American subjects and whose work has been gaining international recognition. The 2011 edition of Canada Looks South includes four feature-length films as well as two special programs.
Beyond the Miracle (Detrás del milagro) Friday Sept. 2, 4:45 p.m. | SFU Harbour Centre (Free admission, $2 VLAFF Membership required)
Sunday Sept. 4, 3 p.m. | Pacific Cinémathèque
Directed by Montreal-based Chilean filmmaker, Orlando Arriagada. This documentary features interviews with four of the thirty-three miners who survived over two months trapped in the San José mine in northern Chile in 2010. Los 33, as they are known, became popular heroes after their ordeal. They were assailed by the media, recognized in the street, and always in demand. But beyond their miraculous rescue, who are these men that everyone has been fighting over?
Orlando Arrigada will participate in Q&A sessions following both screenings.
Summer of Goliath (Verano de Goliat) Friday Sept. 2, 3 p.m. |SFU Harbour Centre (Free admission, $2 VLAFF Membership required)
Friday Sept. 9, 3 p.m. | Pacific Cinémathèque
Directed by Toronto-based Mexican filmmaker, Nicolás Pereda. Blending fiction and documentary, Verano de Goliat is a journey through the characters and landscape of a small town in Mexico. The film drifts with the main character, Teresa, through spaces and people suffering the effects of lost loved ones, broken promises, disconnection and eternal longing.
(Competing for the Youth Choice Award)
To Flower From Skin, A Bouquet from Colombia (A Flor de piel, un ramo de Colombia) Friday Sept. 2, 6:15 p.m. | SFU Harbour Centre (Free admission, $2 VLAFF Membership required)
Directed by Vancouver-based Québécois filmmakers, Sarah and Simon Charland-Faucher.
The VLAFF opening night party is at the Waldorf Hotel. You should totally check it out! Also, the lineup of films looks amazing. Your membership costs only $2 and each film’s ticket price is $10 (which is really inexpensive if you think this is a world-class, first-rate film festival). You can get tickets here.
There is a number of great films I’m looking forward to catching, but one of them is the feature in the Mexican gala night (Sunday September 11th): Las Buenas Hierbas (from Maria Novaro). Check out the trailer below. Hopefully you’ll be as excited with the VLAFF as I am.
Social Shopper is a Vancouver-based group-buying startup. As you may have read, in previous months I have profiled a number of local, group-buying enterprises. I have been pretty picky in regards to who I profile, because I always want the focus to be on Vancouver companies, or Lower-Mainland businesses, or at least, BC-based, or Canadian-based. So, when Social Shopper approached me to see about a profile on their company, I agreed as they are Vancouver-based-and-staffed. Below is my email interview with Ehsan Baloochy, CEO and founder of Social Shopper.
1.- What makes Social Shopper different from other group purchasing agencies here in the Lower Mainland?
At SocialShopper.com we have a loyal customer base who are very engaged and come to us as a trusted source of daily deals and city guide. It is therefore, our responsibility to focus on featuring quality businesses, by having a screening process to ensure that we feature the best businesses in the city. We offer a wide variety of businesses so that our customers are excited to check us out every day! Since we’re locally based, we test out the products and services we feature, and also take a hands on approach with both our merchants and customers, so that we build long lasting relationships. SocialShopper is also socially conscious as we have used our “group buying” platform for various community and charity initiatives such as the daily deal: give $5 for $10 donation for Japan Earthquake relief, where within just a couple of days, we raised $20,000 by matching the $10,000 our customers so kindly donated.
2.- Why did you launch Social Shopper in Vancouver, when the market for group purchasing seems so competitive?
Actually, when I had the idea to launch SocialShopper in Vancouver there were no other similar group buying sites here. Being perfectionists, we went through a lot of heavy testing on design and functionality of the website prior to launching, as we wanted to ensure that the first impression for the user and their overall experience would be impressive and streamlined. Therefore, we decided to delay our launch which caused us to miss out on being the first to launch in Vancouver. However, I think the gamble was worth it because even though we launched after a few other deal sites, within only a matter of a few weeks, SocialShopper quickly became the third largest daily deal site in Vancouver, just after Groupon and LivingSocial – both of which are multi-billion dollar companies. We maintained that position for many months since launching, even with very stiff competition. We’re extremely proud that just in June of this year, SocialShopper jumped into 2nd place right after Groupon, beating LivingSocial’s revenues.
3.- What kind of deals would you like to advance with Social Shopper? (e.g. local companies, small companies, etc.)
During these challenging times consumers are looking for more value and SocialShopper wants to fulfill that need. Understanding the needs of the businesses we partner with is also very important to us and we pride ourselves on bringing them quality clientele that creates repeat business. We see a huge opportunity in merging deals, customer loyalty rewards, and mobile technology with the local commerce space in ways we haven’t quite seen done before. The possibilities are endless and SocialShopper has positioned itself to launch various products and services in the very near future.
4.- Do you collaborate with any other group purchasing agency? Is the landscape too competitive?
While the group buying space is very competitive, we have had open dialogue with competitors and given each other feedback. To be honest, many of the deal sites have seen our success and have wanted to merge, invest, or buy us out. We have been open to and entertained all proposals as long as they mesh well with our company vision and culture. We see the daily deal space evolving, and a lot of collaboration happening. I feel that ultimately this will benefit and become a win-win situation for merchants, customers and the communities we live in.
5.- What makes Social Shopper unique?
Focusing on quality over quantity from A – Z, being locally based and giving back to the community through charity partnerships has been SocialShopper’s vision from day one and we have executed on that. We feel what has, and will continue to set us apart is the various loyal relationships we are cultivating. SocialShopper is planting these seeds as we’re looking at the big picture and we have a lot of interesting ideas which we plan on rolling out very soon. Our unique “anti-corporate” company culture has also played a great role in allowing our staff to work in open minded environments and “think outside the box” by ensuring we make a positive impact, not just as a business, but as responsible citizens. A rule of thumb for us here at SocialShopper is that if something we do is not a win-win-win for all parties involved, we avoid moving forward with it and that has helped us tremendously in making the right decisions.
I asked Social Shopper if they would be interested in offering a $250 credit on Social Shopper for one of my readers, and they agreed.
So here is the fine print: The winner will receive winnings by emailing Social Shopper, they will verify their account and credit their SocialShopper account. I will draw a random winner on Monday September 5th, 2011 at 2pm.
There is a number of partnerships that local companies are doing with Social Shopper. A couple that I found very interesting and that my readers might find interesting too:
$10 for Admission for Two Adults & Two Children OR Three Adults at Maplewood Farm (Value up to $22)
[Social Shopper deal]
Social Shopper has a number of other deals that might be of interest. You can find them on Twitter and Facebook and on their site. And to enter my giveaway all you need to do is tell me what is your favorite item that you shop, on a comment on this site. You can earn an additional entry by posting the text below on Twitter. As for my favorite item: I’m an addict to stationery. There, I said it. *blush*
Told @hummingbird604 which item I love shopping for a chance to win $250 credit @SocialShopper1 http://is.gd/T788oP
As always, I’ll draw a winner randomly from all Twitter and comment-based entries. Good luck everyone!
Disclosure: This post has not been paid for, nor do I receive any other form of compensation. Social Shopper sponsors the $250 credit for the winner of my contest, but I don’t receive an equivalent credit nor compensation for hosting the giveaway. As always, I retain full editorial control on anything published on my site.
A recent collaboration between First Impressions Theatre and Roy Forbes has created a unique opportunity to see a small, live, intimate performance, celebrate Forbes’ 40 years of making music, and to raise funds for the theatre company as well. The event is running for two nights only, on September 9 and 10th out of the Shaw Theatre.
Roy Forbes kicked off his singer, songwriter, and guitar-player career in Vancouver in 1971, so it is only fitting that he comes back fourth years later to celebrate his music and BC roots. With his huge amount of experience: starting from Folk Festivals, Canadian and American touring, to writing music for film and TV, close work with CBC and more, his live shows are nothing less than impressive skillful performances. The fundraiser is no less of a worthy cause to attend the event. First Impressions Theatre was set up in order to facilitate aspiring actors and performers as a stepping-stone or launch pad.
Since 1983 this company has attracted audiences with it’s high quality productions and exposure of strong, promising local talent. The setting in Deep Cove’s 130 seat Shaw Theatre is the just right to have a strong connection between the audience and stage, and of course is set in such a gorgeous area.
First Impressions Theatre is located in the Deep Cove Shaw Theatre, 4360 Gallant Avenue, North Vancouver. You can get tickets for the concert here (limited engagement Sep 9th and 10th). You can listen to a classic by Roy Forbes here:
A musical one-man show about traveling across Canada? Yes, it exists. It’s called Johnny Canuck and it’s on at Waterfront Theater from September 1st to 4th–and we have a pair of tickets to give away for the premiere on Thursday, September 1st!
Johnny Canuck by Jovanka Bach stars John DeYoung as a wandering troubadour who returns home from a nightclub engagement to find that his wife Beth has run off with another man named Bert. In Beth’s farewell letter to Johnny, she asks him not to follow her, but Johnny is determined to win his wife back, so he leaves his dear daughter Lilly Sue with their Aunt Marie and begins a trek across Canada, in search of his wife.
In this musical odyssey, the tale is told through song and story by Johnny Canuck. It’s a one-man-show, with a series of backdrop projections showing all the clubs and locations that Johnny travels to in search of Beth. Many of the musical compositions are original pieces by John DeYoung, while others are timeless folksongs that reflect various cultures and eras.
Credit: Linda Marie Monier
The play has been successful at the University of Mexico Experimental Theater, and it should be one here as well. Don’t miss this original production, only in Vancouver for a few days!
To enter the giveaway, tell us which location, trait or object defines Canada and Canadians best. Moose? Mounted police? “Eh?” For an extra entry, tweet the following:
Told @hummingbird604 about what defines Canada for two tix to Johnny Canuck. Enter here: http://is.gd/0X3dtV
We will draw a winner on Tuesday, August 30th at 2PM, so check your emails and your tweets. As usual, make sure you provide a valid email address with your comment!
I’m a creature of routines. I wake up every morning at 4:45am, work, head to the gym, do my workout, head back home, shower, have breakfast, work, work, work and then do my evening activities, be it attend events, work on my blog, or work on some other stuff. Lately I’ve realized how some stuff slips my mind unless I continue doing it as a routine. So, most of my weekend routine consists of:
SATURDAY
– Morning:
+ Call my parents (phone)
+ Call my brothers (phone)
+ Catch up on email
+ Do laundry
+ Grocery shopping
+ Spend time with friends if possible
– Afternoon and evening
+ Work
+ Catch up with friends or attend events
SUNDAY
+ Morning
+ Call my nephews in Calgary
+ Call my nieces in Los Angeles
+ Call my Mom and Dad (again)
+ Fold laundry
+ Prepare lectures
+ Prepare workload for the next week
Oh. Dear. God. I never thought that a corn maze would be SO MUCH FUN. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I felt like I was 12 again. As I was growing up, I did have an opportunity to visit farms, and in particular corn-producing farms when I lived in Mexico, but going through the Meadows Maze (another of the stops on the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Circle Farm Tour) was simply and completely a delight.
Hopcott Farms is the home of award- winning Meadows Maze, one of the largest corn mazes in the Pacific Northwest. Located in the quiet and beauty of rural Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Meadows Maze is a comfortable drive from all points throughout the Lower Mainland. More that just a maze, other attractions include a Petting Zoo, Bee Observatory, Lions”Goat “ Bridge, hay wagon rides, full concession and Cranberry Meadows Country store.Take a thirlling slide down Meadows Mountain or an exciting ride through the maze on the Barrel Train or Corny’s Maze Train! Come to Meadows Maze and challenge your navigational skills as you make your way through 6.3 kms. of this years new maze design. It’s great fun for kids, mom, dad and grandparents too!
I think I can speak safely for both Cassandra and myself when I say that this was one of the most fun I’ve had in a press trip, particularly because it transported me back to my childhood. There is SO MUCH to do at the Meadows Maze. We went through a wonderful Corny Corn train ride, I went through the Meadows Mountain slide, and we had a wonderful lunch where we tasted some of the Hopscott meat alongside some corn on the cob (all from the farm) and some salad. We went through the petting zoo, had an opportunity to pet some of the little ponies, sheep, goats, etc. For much of the tour we were accompanied by Andy from Tourism Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows and Chelsea from Tourism Langley, which augmented our trip enormously. It was nice to have an opportunity to ask Andy and Chelsea stuff about their respective municipalities, directly from the folks in charge of promoting tourism.
I think that the Meadows Maze has a rich and broad variety of activities for people of all ages, not only the kids (I talked to a Mom and her children and they said that they come all the time, they were from the Pitt Meadows area). Some folks were about my age and they were either young couples or groups of friends. I can totally see myself bringing friends of mine here too, and just hang out and relive our childhoods.
Overall, an absolutely delightful experience, one that I would definitely recommend to my readers.
Disclosure: My visit to Meadows Maze was one of the stops of a media trip for Circle Farm Tours. You can read all of my Circle Farm Tours coverage here. Our lunch was compliments of our hosts.
It wasn’t my first time visiting Fort Langley’s National Historic Site this week, but it certainly was one of my best. I had the pleasure of an afternoon picnic with my good friends Gus and Russ a year or two ago at Fort Langley. I also happen to be giving away a Family Pass to all Parks Canada sites, of which Fort Langley is one of the sites included in the pass, so it was great to have an opportunity to see it again. This time I was accompanied by my good friend Cassandra Anderton (Good Life Vancouver) and Jayne Lloyd-Jones from the PR agency Spectacular Ink.
Fort Langley is the exact location where, a century and a half ago, a huge fur trade organization called the Hudson’s Bay Company established a small post to trade with the First Nations of the West Coast. The enterprise grew, evolved, and influenced history, leading to the creation of the colony of British Columbia. Furs were shipped to Europe via Cape Horn, produce was traded to the Russians in Alaska, local cranberries found their way to California, and Fraser River salmon was enjoyed as far away as Hawaii! In 1858, rumours of gold on the Fraser River caused a massive influx of Americans to the area. Fearing annexation by the United States, British Columbia was proclaimed a Crown Colony on this site by James Douglas on November 19, 1858.
For someone who has a degree in Leather Science like me (yes, I have a degree in Leather Science. I have had a VERY eclectic life), this was a really neat site to visit, as it was in Fort Langley where the Hudson’s Bay Company established a fur-trading hub.
The Hudson’s Bay Company established the original Fort Langley in 1827. It served as part of a network of fur trade forts operating in the New Caledonia and Columbia Districts (now British Columbia and northern Washington). The fort maintained a good and peaceful trade in furs, salmon, and even cranberries with the local native inhabitants. Because of its strategic position on the Fraser River the post developed into a regional depot and forwarding centre. European trade goods and supplies destined for the interior were received from the arriving steamers, re-packaged and sent inland from this fort and the District’s outgoing fur, fish, and cranberry exports were prepared for overseas shipment. Langley also blazed the first useable all-Canadian route from the coast to the interior and with its sister posts helped preserve British interests west of the Rockies.
Fort Langley has so many activities, both for families and for people like me who aren’t married nor have kids. I participated in their blacksmithery workshop (you can see some photos of me making a piece of forged metal on Flickr), we had breakfast at the Full Barrel Cafe. We were given a personalized tour throughout the fort, and we had a chance to carve barrels. Yes, wooden barrels. We also saw the historical reconstruction of the quarters of those who worked in the fort.
I think I would totally bring a bunch of my friends to Fort Langley to spend a full day of fun, as I’m sure families could do. There is SO MUCH TO DO. We also found gold (well, fake gold but who is counting?). We also had an opportunity to check out the rifle shooting demonstration.
There is so much to do in Fort Langley Historic Site that anything I write wouldn’t really give it full credit. So I invite you to visit this wonderful historic site. It’s also part of the Langley Circle Farm Tour. You should also check my full Flickr set.
Disclosure: My visit to Fort Langley Historic Site was one of the stops of a media trip for Circle Farm Tours. You can read all of my Circle Farm Tours coverage here.
I’ve got really weird tastes in music. This song currently has me a bit addicted. Not sure who does it sound like. Clearly I’m not the only one who likes it because as you can see, it even has its own Wikipedia entry. It sounds to me a little bit like a combo
Last month, when my Mom was visiting, I took my good friend Janni Aragon (who as you know, teaches in the Department of Political Science at University of Victoria and who, like me, is an enthusiast of social media) and my Mom for brunch to Chef Suzi (a little quaint restaurant/coffee shop in Bastion Square, in the core of downtown Victoria. We were very surprised at how good the service was. And how good our breakfast was too, and not expensive at all. I ordered the Chef Suzi version of Huevos Rancheros, which is not Mexican at all. But to be honest, we really were there just to hang out, more than the actual food.
Chef-prepared meal preparation with an emphasis on tantalizing, wholesome, balanced meals using the freshest ingredients available. Leave the planning, shopping and preparation to Suzi, so that you can focus on what is most important to you. All meals fully cooked, in individualized containers, ready to heat and serve, or to pop in your freezer for later.
I would bring friends here for breakfast, particularly for a little hole-in-the-wall so that nobody would bother us for breakfast. We had a few other guests sitting near by and they all seemed quite impressed so I’m quite happy that we ended up having breakfast there. Really, all we wanted was to celebrate Janni. And obviously, introduce her to my Mom. I’ll be back to Chef Suzi for sure.
Disclosure: I paid for all of our breakfasts on my own dime.
Early on the morning of August 24th, your humble project manager Anabelle caught the 144 and rode all the way up to Hastings to catch the westbound 135 (am I becoming a local or what?) to reach the Pacific National Exhibition (commonly known as the PNE) by 10 AM. Raul and Hummingbird604.com were invited to the media fair food tasting and I went to represent the blog.
It was my first time at the PNE, being so new to Vancouver, and it made me a bit nostalgic for my native Montréal’s La Ronde. Our first stop was the Pennsylvania Dutch Funnelcakes stand, owned by Perry and Suzanne Poudrier, previously famous for its deep-fried Oreos. This year, they brought a new sweet to the PNE: the deep-fried strawberry Pop-Tart. They take a Pop-Tart, dip it in funnel cake batter, deep-fry it and then top it off with Fruity Pebbles (a fusion of Froot Loops and Special K cereals) and a bit of sprinkled whipped cream.
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Now, I have no idea if the CityTV guy was filming when I said I could feel the pounds coming on by just eating the sample, but if he did, I might be on TV tomorrow morning. In any case, this is not for people on a diet. Not saying it wasn’t delicious… just not super healthy. But then, who eats fair food for health? Little Amélie (the daughter of one of the TV crew member who came along) seems to enjoy hers without any guilt!
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Our next stop was the longest-standing concession at the PNE, the Parsons family stall. The great-great grandsons of the first Parsons are still working at the stall every year, and this time they came up with a deep-fried delicacy for onion lovers: the Blooming Onion. Now I’m not a fan of fried onions (or onions in general) myself so I didn’t partake, but everyone I asked seemed to enjoy it. The onion does look like a blooming flower and could probably feed a family of four. The staff from the stall says an entire onion is about 1000 calories.
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Next stop: a PNE-owned stall called Crazy Dogs. The PNE executive chef (whose name escapes me right now) took the last few months to think up ways to renew and spice up this classic fair food: the hot dog. Served in a pretzel bun, these hot dogs come in crazy varieties like mac and cheese, poutine, mexican and the Double Dog Dare Ya, a 2-foot-long hot dog topped with chili, grilled onions and peppers. Something else that could feed a small group… It’s a really big hot dog, and if you order one you get to wear a tag to show your bragging rights, like my new friend Sandra Thomas from the Vancouver Courier.
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
I got a piece of the poutine hot dog and even got to ask the chef why he didn’t use cheese curds (and if you follow my quest for the best poutine in Vancouver, you know how cheese curds matter!). He said that because so many other items had cheese in them, it was simpler and quicker to just use the same cheese for everything. Good answer, sir! The gravy-soaked pretzel bun and ginormous smoked sausage didn’t taste much like poutine to me, but it tasted great nonetheless.
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
The last stop was the most impressive one, and a perfectly planned apotheosis it was: the BBQ stalls competing for the PNE’s first Vancouver Rib Festival. I love BBQ like the next gal, but a small food budget and lack of BBQ stop me from enjoying grilled meat very often. So I happily tasted 4 out of 5 of the samples from award-winning BBQ pit masters–I was so stuffed I couldn’t have anymore after 4. All the sauces were different and all had that little something to differentiate them, but my favourite was from the Crazy Canuck Smokers stall–newbies on the BBQ scene but with a lot of potential!
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
Credit: Anabelle Bernard Fournier for HB604
During the tour I got to rub elbows with TV and newspaper crews, which was really nice. Seeing the other side of the screen is always fascinating. There were other bloggers too, like Mary Sheridan from Mary In Van City.
There was lots more stuff available at the PNE and I wish I could have stayed longer to taste more of this crazy fair food. Deep fried Mars bar? I’m so in! (I will also require a double workout tomorrow…)
Disclosure: Raul and Hummingbird604.com were invited to the media food tour by the PNE media team. The samples were free, but we were not otherwise paid to attend nor were we expected to write a review. As usual, Raul retains editorial control over all the content posted on the blog.If you’d like to read more of Anabelle’s thoughts, look her up on her blog.
Chefs Across The Water is an amazing series of dinners where a guest chef comes and cooks at the absolutely gorgeous Hastings House in Salt Spring Island. I have always been invited but I never manage to attend simply because Chefs Across The Water is on a Monday and I *always* teach on Mondays in the fall term. But this year I was privileged to be invited to the August 2011 dinner and I promptly said BUT OF COURSE!.
The first thing I do when I attend an event with a media invite is to check out what other guests are saying about the event. That way, I can not only relay my experience to my readers but I can also share what other guests think. For the August 2011 Chefs Across The Water dinner, I talked to a number of guests, but the ones who struck me the most were a couple from Houston, Texas who have come for dinner at Hastings House15 years in a row. You read right. Fifteen years. In a row. From the Chefs Across The Water site:
Hastings House Country House Hotel and Dining Room on Salt Spring Island is pleased to announce our guest chef program is returning for 2011—top BC chefs have been invited to prepare multiple-course dinners in the Hastings House kitchen, incorporating Salt Spring Island’s produce, seafood, and meats. Wine pairings featuring BC wines will be offered to complement the extraordinary menus.
Salt Spring Island is a food-lover’s paradise, blessed with a mild Mediterranean-like climate and devoted growers and producers renowned for their organic fruits and vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Fresh-caught, wild seafood rounds out nature’s local pantry. In recent years, island wineries have further added to the diversity of the local harvest. Diners can look forward to amazing experiences as the celebrated guest chefs each put their own personal spin on Salt Spring Island flavours.
These events will also raise awareness of the health and economic benefits of using local, organic and sustainable ingredients and bring into focus how local farming is being challenged by changing regulations that favour large
agri-businesses. A portion of the proceeds of the Guest Chef dinners will go to Island Natural Growers to benefit the Salt Spring Abattoir Project.
I flew into Salt Spring Island‘s Ganges with the lovely folks of Salt Spring Air (I’ve flown Salt Spring Air many times, and I love their service). I arrived to my lovely accommodations at Hastings House always welcome by the great Kelly McAree who is the general manager of Hastings House.
I changed quickly and headed to the Dining Room to see what Chef Ernst Dorfler of the Five Sails Restaurant had prepared. Chef Dorfler has an extremely solid reputation, and what I did not realize was that I was in for a series of full-mini-meals in a row, with extraordinary wine pairings.
We started with an appetizer of Local Dungeness Crab Salad, Hastings House Garden Greens, Citrus Vinaigrette, paired with Road 13 Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2009. I love Road 13 wines, in general, and the Chenin Blanc was just the perfect compliment to the citrus vinaigrette. Fresh, quick in digestion and paired to perfection.
From the first course onwards, it was all a feast of mini meals. Chef Dorfler doesn’t pull any punches with his interest in satisfying the palate with miniature full meals. The first course, Caramelized Qualicum Bay Scallops, Cauliflower Purée, Carrot Reduction, Mirin Glaze, Capers & Crispy Shallots was paired with Joie Farm A Noble Blend 2009, which is a blend of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxerois, and Riesling. I found the Joie Farm Noble Blend quite apt for the scallops, which despite being caramelized, had a very powerful flavour punch. I also love strong flavours so the capers gave the scallops a much needed counterbalance. The wine pairing was perfect in this case too.
For the second course, Pancetta Wrapped Roasted Breast Of Fraser Valley Quail, Shiitake Mushrooms, Natural Jus, Austrian-Style Ravioli, I was a bit worried. I’ve never been a fan of quail, no matter how much pancetta you add on top. But this quail was really tasty. I think the texture helped (I like my quail well cooked), as well as the natural jus and the ravioli. A perfect compliment was the Garry Oaks Pinot Noir 2008. Here is where I think I made a mistake because I know that, while the pinot noir was to compliment with its tannings and strong flavour the gamey texture of the quail, I can’t really combine red wine and white wine. Not a fan. I would have preferred in any case a white wine, perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc.
I would have been completely happy with just this much food, but we weren’t even yet in the main course. For me, I chose the Pan Seared Pacific Halibut Brushed With Fine Herbs and Citrus & Brown Butter Emulsion, paired with the Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2008. I absolutely love the Mission Hill wines, and I’m in general a fan of their Chardonnay. The halibut was cooked to perfection and the citrus and brown butter combined with the brushed fine herbs made the dish quite strong (remember, I love strong flavours — delicate flavours almost never do it for me). Sadly, it was really dark at the time and my camera wouldn’t respond as I wanted it to, so I’m not happy with my photo of the halibut nor the dessert.
I was ready to not eat more, but I couldn’t say no to the dessert, Luxe Lemon Mille-Feuilles, and Fresh Summer Berries. Absolutely nice with the Hester Creek Late Harvest Pinot Blanc 2009, which is appropriate as a dessert-accompanying wine (note, it’s NOT a dessert wine though).
Overall, I think Chef Dorfler really hit the spot not only with me and my palate, but with that of the fully packed room. More than 60 people were seating and the service was outstanding. I was particularly impressed with my server, whom I bombarded with questions about the meal and the wine pairings. She was extremely knowledgeable. All in all, I’m so glad this year I finally made it to Chefs Across The Water. I really think more people need to know about this wonderful event.
There might be some spaces for the September 12th Chefs Across The Water with Chef Michael Jacob and possibly for the October 3rd with famous Japanese Chef Tojo, so I would strongly recommend you to contact Hastings House for your tickets. At $100 per person with $40 pairings, this is an amazing deal. AND Hastings House is lovely in and of itself.
Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Chefs Across The Water. I flew into and from Salt Spring Island compliments of Salt Spring Air. This review was neither paid for nor expected, but I do think that Chefs Across The Water 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.
I have never really been a crazy fan of Thai food. Except, of course, for Charm Modern Thai. And the truth is, my love for Charm Modern Thai doesn’t only stem from the fact that I know the owner very well, Desmond Chen. No, the truth is, even though I’m not a super fan of Thai food, whatever items Charm serves me, I usually like.
Before anything else, while today I’m reporting on their new menu and I was invited on a media dinner, I should add that I’ve eaten at Charm (and paid on my own dime) several times before, but for one reason or another, I never had a chance to blog about the restaurant itself. On to the new menu (here is a link to their dinner menu).
We began with little samples of lobster bisque (which to me, is comfort food – it could be a little bit more dense, rich). Tiger prawn satays are hard to screw up, and Charm executes them supremely. The peanut sauce was just perfect. The larb gai was pretty interesting, and kind of like a Thai ceviche. I would have several of these starters in a row if asked to, quite gladly. The fish cakes were pretty good, and I didn’t touch the duck sticks, but loved the pineapple braised shortribs. These pineapple braised short ribs should come in a different type of meat as I don’t really like short ribs.
We tried an interesting new noodle soup and I asked them to call it Fish Soup (maybe they will, maybe they won’t). Perfect taste, I should say. I enjoyed the right amount of spice, and the little slices of chive and chili made it flavourful without being offensive to the palate.
The peppercorn beef, garlic fish and yellow curry prawns as well as the panang curry were items that were wildly popular with me. I love fish, and garlic just adds to the flavour. I almost didn’t have space for the panang curry and the yellow curry prawns. What I like about Charm Modern Thai is that it makes food spicy just at the right hotness point and it doesn’t make me feel that I need a glass of ice cold water to eat its food.
Some other notes I took on my dinner:
* Green tea chicken: strange flavour with the citrusy infusion combined with green tea, I would have liked more spice.
* Peppercorn beef: Really tasty though I would have wanted thinner slices of beef.
* Pad thai: A tad on the sweet side, but I love it. Light fare for lunch.
* Braised short ribs: They feel like authentic thai!
* Green curry: I was worried it would be too spicy but no, it was perfect.
Overall, I would want to give Desmond and his team kudos. I look forward to coming for dinner sometime soon.
Disclosure: As indicated on the post, this was a media dinner and it’s not per se a review. I have tried Charm Modern Thai and liked it a lot in previous visits, and will come back to have dinner on my dime. All views are mine. No review is expected, nor was I paid for any content posted on this entry. As always, I retain editorial control on anything I write on my site.
When I bumped into my friend Mike Vardy (who now is the Canada editor of The Next Web) he asked me “what the hell are you doing here at Launch Party GROW?” Logical question, of course. After all, I’m not in the Vancouver tech community per se. As Lorraine once said it, I am a socialite with tech credibility. Well, you’ll see. I’m someone who is grateful for the support he’s had, and who doesn’t forget his beginnings.
And I owe the Vancouver tech/startup community quite a lot in my development as a blogger. In my beginnings as a blogger, I liveblogged some of Vancouver’s most important tech events: Facebook Developers Garage, Launch Party Vancouver, DemoCamp, BarCamp, Northern Voice, etc. So I felt I owed it to the organizers of Launch Party Vancouver (Maura, Danny, Tina, Sonia and their tireless team of hardworking volunteers) to show up to Launch Party GROW a week and a half or so ago.
I didn’t have enough time to browse all the startups that were being launched, but I’m looking forward to checking them out in the weeks to come. In the mean time, here are some photos of the event.
As you know, cancer has taken away a number of important people in my life … my friend Derek K. Miller this year, my grandmother, my 2 aunts and recently, even though I only met him once and I never voted here, of relevance to all Canadians, Jack Layton among many, many others. I feel it’s important that I promote fundraisers and events for cancer research and awareness whenever I can.
In case you you missed it, I’ve blogged about the Save Your Skin foundation here. If the cause of skin cancer touches you, directly or indirectly, you should think about attending the Cruise for a Cause fundraiser:
On Friday August 26, 2011 the Save Your Skin Foundation is holding its 4th Annual Cruise For A Cause Boat cruise fundraiser. The highly anticipated event is back cruising around the city of Vancouver all for a good cause. Come aboard the Queen of Diamonds for a night that includes, a three course dinner, entertainment, door prizes, silent auction and much more. All proceeds go towards the Save Your Skin Foundation to help bring awareness to and help those touched by melanoma skin cancer.
It will be an entertaining evening with great food and good entertainment, all for the cause of melanoma skin cancer. Hopefully many of you will be able to check it out.
A couple of months ago, my friends Chet Woodside and Jay Catalan told me “we think Creative Minds is coming to Vancouver, and it’s a super cool project with which we would like to get involved”. I said “well, if Mark Busse has to do anything to do with it, I’m pretty sure I can connect you”. Mark Busse is a close friend of mine. AND, I realized, the mastermind behind Creative Minds Vancouver. WOWZA. For the first Creative Minds breakfast, the Vancouver chapter will host Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Flickr (among other ventures). I met Stewart a few years ago at Northern Voice.
The inaugural breakfast of Creative Mornings Vancouver, a free monthly lecture series for creatives, taking place Friday, September 2 at W2 Media Cafe. Creative Mornings started in New York in 2009 and has since expanded to cities around the world, attracting top creative professionals for free breakfast, free coffee and free inspiration from some of the world’s most creative thinkers. The format is the same in every city, for every event: 20-minute talk, 20-minute Q&A, 20-minute mingler. Breakfast and coffee are always complimentary. And the idea is to get everyone in and out by 10am so they can hit work after getting all juiced up with creative inspiration.
Registration starts Monday, August 29 at 11am – and will likely sell out fast.
You can register on the Eventbrite, check out their Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And congratulations to Mark for bringing this to our beautiful city and his team of volunteers. I’m sure they’ll also be looking for sponsors so connect with Mark soon.
Let’s admit it–we all secretly think that tap dancing is awesome. And modern tap dancing, which fuses elements of hip hop, jazz and contemporary dance, is even more awesome. And since Raul used to be a professional dancer, he loves to promote the different dancing events in the city.
Vancouver has the luck to host a yearly tap dancing festival, organized by the Vancouver Tap Dance Society. Although the festival itself is mostly about tap dancing classes for youth and adults, there are also three performances open to the public on the three days of the festival.
One Hummingbird604 reader will have to chance to win a pair of tickets to the opening performance of the festival on September 2nd at the Vancouver Playhouse. Here’s a description of the show:
This year Tap superstar Jason Samuels Smith and his renowned company A.C.G.I. (Anybody Can Get It) are bringing a dynamic presentation to Vancouver, a special performance at our growing international festival. Accompanied by superlative live music, the company’s performance will showcase Samuels Smith’s intricate rhythms and original style, while also featuring a troupe of talented Tap soloists: Chloe Arnold, Lee Howard, Sarah Reich and Melinda Sullivan in an imaginatively choreographed frenzy of movement and sound.
Tap dancing AND live music? How could it be better? If you love tap dancing or are just curious about it, you should enter our giveaway and get a chance to see this special performance by one of the best contemporary tap dancing companies.
Credit: A.C.G.I.
To enter the giveaway, tell us about your favourite tap dancer, either classic or contemporary. If you don’t know any, tell us why you’d like to see the show on September 2nd. For an extra entry, tweet the following:
Told @hummingbird604 about my fave tap dancer for tickets to the Van Intl Tap Dancing festival! Enter at http://ow.ly/6bU9M
We will pick a winner on Wednesday, August 31st at 2 PM. Check your mailbox and your tweets, and make sure to give us a viable email address. The Hummingbird604.com team will be there to review the performances, so we hope to see you there!
What: Vancouver International Tap Dancing Festival
Where: Different locations around Vancouver
When: September 2nd to 4th
More info at Vancouver Tap Dance Society
After a long and lovely first day, most people couldn’t wait to come back for more. I spent the night of the 20th exploring Squamish’s night life, and then sat at the Howe Sound Brew Pub and chat the evening away with other festival goers and Squamish locals.
The next morning was spent blogging, drinking coffee, shopping – and it was nice and overcast compared to the blistering previous day. All in all, I think Squamish has many merits aside from this festival. Anyways… here is my breakdown of the day in terms of music:
Photo credit for all photos on this post: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Brasstronaut – I wandered through the thin crowd at the main stage while Brasstronaut played their set. Not that they weren’t great – they were – but 3:00PM seems a lot earlier than normal on day 2 of a music festival. The mood seemed very hungover, but at least Brasstronaut’s great sound was able to get a few people up and dancing.
The Belle Game – I had seen TBG once before and wasn’t convinced that I liked them, but this show definitely changed my mind. The large band, including Andrew Lee on trumpet, attracted a small but excited crowd of local music lovers. The band seemed very well rehearsed and put together, with an extra drum on stage fora couple of instrumental breaks in their set that got the crowd really dancing.
The Zolas – This band, just like Brasstroonaut, seemed like the perfect background music for the day. Just good, accessible music with a solid beat and a few over-excited dancers in the crowd.
Shane Koyczan – This guy is unreal. I have seen him once before in the spring, but most people recognize him because of his part in the 2010 winter Olympics. Although it seems unfitting to have a poet at a rock music festival, Shane really knocked everyone off their feet. I heard Spencer from Said the Whale / Panda Watch mention that he never wanted to write lyrics again after hearing Shane, because he had stolen all of the beautiful and emotional words from everyone’s mouths. If you can endure the passionate speeches of love, broken hearts, didactic messages, or just humour, then you should definitely try to catch Shane’s moving performances.
Panda Watch – This band either was just another unknown indie band with a weird name to some, but to others who paid close attention to their Twitter feeds, it was a Said the Whale ruse waiting to be exposed. The band walked up in panda masks, started their set instrumentally, then whipped them off to show the faces of Said the Whale! They played a set of entirely new music, which sounded great and created a huge response from the crowd. This was one of my favourite sets, and probably the most memorable of the entire festival. I sheepishly came up to the band afterwards and asked them to sign my notes for the festival, which they were happy to do.
The Dudes – This was the third band in a row that I saw on the main stage that really just played chill rock music. Having just flown in from their hometown of Calgary, the Dudes were a little more interactive up on the stage, and did shotgun a few beers for the audience, but again it was just great background music to which my friends and I played cards on our picnic blanket and swayed a little bit.
Black Mountain – Even though this band is much heavier than the other acts of the festival, I really enjoy them. There is sort of a retro-rock feel, and the heavy guitar and bass did sound very epic given the surrounding mountains and the Chief. They were certainly the loudest act so far in the day, but I think the crowd responded really positively.
METRIC – Metric definitely put on an amazing show. Pretty much the entire attendance of the festival was piled around the stage as Emily hopped, skipped, and sang her way across it. Everyone was up and dancing and singing along, and all of her hits were played. She even got a little emotional as she thanked the crowd for making the event such a success. Metric’s style of simple bass lines and loud, repetitive verses basically gave everyone a chance to join in, and they describe themselves as “Harmonic Rock” on their website, which describes their set perfectly.
Weezer – It seems to me like the main reason why Weezer still plays music is to reminisce about their “glory days”. The entire feel of the crowd changed from happy and enjoyable during Metric’s set to a lot of yelling and chaos. A bunch of older crowd members appeared seemingly out of nowhere, which was a bit funny when Weezer covered Foster the People’s Pumped Up Kicks, a song that few of them could sing along to. I would recommend skipping out on a Weezer concert if you don’t enjoy getting mooned by several guys, or watching leader singer Rivers Cuomo be carried back to the stage by security and a large man in a cowboy hat after wandering through the crowd.
Green Couch Sessions – For the fans who were ultra dedicated to local music, GCS had a small acoustic stage where bands could come play 4 song sets. I did manage to see quite a few including Redgy Blackout, Rococode, and The Boom Booms feat. Ponderosas.
EDITOR’S NOTE AND DISCLOSURE: Jessica covered Live At Squamish 2011 with media accreditation for Hummingbird604.com. This review of the festival is neither paid for nor expected by the organizers, but I believe it’s important to share coverage of the festival as it looks like it was a great event. I retain editorial control at all times of what is published on my site.
This is a guest review by Lois Patterson, friend of Hummingbird604.com and all-around great person!
I, with my friend and fellow local-theatre aficionado (Matt Ross of FreeLunchRealEstate.com), attended the preview performance of CATIVO (Hardline Productions). Like several local theatre companies with great talent but low budgets, Hardline Productions has found a small space and tailored their productions to work well within that space.
The synopsis is that Rodrigo, a Brazilian cab driver, who has emigrated to an unnamed North American city, has a fateful and random reunion with a passenger, a former American serviceman named Jason Weights, whom he believes tortured him for days in Rio de Janeiro. This chance encounter leads to Jason being imprisoned in an insulated, soundproof chamber in Rodrigo’s uncle’s butcher shop. Through both physical and psychological means, Rodrigo seeks resolution for the torture he suffered.
Credit: Andrew Kournitskiy
The theme of the tortured victim confronting his or her torturer recurs in literature and real life. The recent film Incendio, the Eichmann trial, pedophila victims confronting their assailants in court, are all examples. There’s a sense of cosmic rightness, a chance to flip the scales. None of these cases, though, feature a torture victim who has absolute godlike control over his purported torturer.
The torture scenes are gripping. They cannot accurately represent actual torture, but they are evocative enough to be highly disturbing. Two people who live together for hours and days, as Jason and Rodrigo do, develop a bond of sorts, despite the ugliness of the connection. They engage in a pas de deux, as each seeks something from the other. Each becomes the other’s entire world during the time they are together. The intimate venue makes the audience immediate spectators to these developments.
Jason has flashbacks to his drill sergeant days. Perhaps because the figure of the American drill sergeant is so pervasive and iconic, I perceived echoes of the drill sergeant from Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues. The US military concept of the human intelligence collector who uses highly developed techniques to extract information (more here) is explored. Jason finds himself on both sides of this intelligence collection equation. Anyone interested in reputed US military involvement in training official Latin American torturers can Google “School of the Americas”.
In the 55-minute production, which seemed to pass in a flash, there was time to raise numerous themes which could not be fully resolved. What does it mean to follow your father? Is it acceptable to wreak vengeance on someone who has tormented you? Is torture ever acceptable? If you torture someone who has tortured you, are you as bad as the original torturer, who himself was likely tortured at some point? How is it that human connections develop, in the most unlikely circumstances?
Credit: Andrew Kournitskiy
There are elements of ambiguity in this play. I’m not sure I completely understood it. But just as it’s difficult to know all aspects of the truth in a geopolitical situation, that is also true in human relationships.
The production company of Hardline Theatre Productions wrote, directed, produced, and acted the play. Several are graduates of Langara’s Studio 58, which continues to produce excellent thespians. The experience of the play is so absorbing that minor quibbles are forgotten.
This is the third Hardline Theatre production that I have seen, and all have been thought-provoking, intensely well-acted, and absolutely worth the time to see. It’s easy and inexpensive to support your local artists–go out and see CATIVO!
Disclaimer: Although it was free preview night, Lois and her friend made a modest donation, and also bought beers. There was no expectation of a review. Raul always has editorial control on the blog’s content.
About Lois Patterson: Lois Patterson enjoys travel, theatre, arts, and literature. She favours integration of science and humanities, and has a special weakness for mathematical interpretations of artistic phenomena. Her work in technical writing, software testing, and UI design is informed by this philosophy.
As the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 approaches, we’ll have a ton of plays to preview and review for you, so stay tuned in the next few weeks if you’re into drama and Fringe-y things. And if you’re not, we’ll turn you into fans, too!
In any case, today’s featured play is TOUGH!, written by George F. Walker, directed by Tamara McCarthy and produced by Twenty-Something Theatre. While it’s not part of Fringe, Twenty Something Theatre always put together great plays showcasing amazing new talent and, as you know, we love to encourage local and fresh theatre.
Contemporary Canadian drama deserves more exposure than it has had these days; the Canadian literary scene is often overshadowed by American and British imports. Written in 1993 and yet still relevant, the story of TOUGH! is simple yet never out of date:
Bobby and Tina are nineteen. Bobby gets caught cheating. Tina finds out she’s pregnant. Jill, Tina’s best friend, hates Bobby and welcomes the opportunity to kick his ass. Sometimes life is tough.
Jessica will be heading to the Friday opening night and come back with a review. We hope you can make time to drop by; there will be a 2-for-1 and talkback special on Tuesday, August 30th which promises to be fascinating.
Photo credit: David Cooper
TOUGH! by George F. Walker
Where: Studio 1398, 1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island
When: August 24 to September 3
Info and tickets: Tickets Tonight Vancouver or 604-684-2787
JT and I were having a good ol’ geek conversation the other day where I mentioned I was thinking of buying a SSD (solid state drive) for my desktop. Call me old-fashioned, but I get a certain amount of excitement from editing a paper, a report or a book manuscript on my desktop. In fact, I feel much more in control of how I blog and so on. Somehow, my brain is wired to think “big desktop computer = great editing capabilities”. Don’t ask me why, it may be just me. I guess I also associate the fact that I completed my doctoral dissertation and 2 book manuscripts on my desktop computer.
JT thinks that as we move more into the world of mobile devices (smartphones, tablet personal computers, etc.) slowly but surely bulky, heavy, not-moveable desktop computers will find its demise.
This is Anabelle’s first restaurant review for Hummingbird604.
On July 28th I attended a meetup with the Social Butterflies—five of us had dinner and wine at DiVino Wine Bar on Commercial Drive. Thursdays are Wine by the Glass days: take any bottle, divide the price by four and buy two glasses and you can taste any wine on the list.
It was my first time in this part of the city and I was surprised with the amount and variety of cafés, bars and restaurants on my walk up from Commercial station. It might be an area I choose to move in eventually. I liked the energy and the Petite Italie feel I got from the street.
We were seated on the small but nice patio because it was such a gorgeous evening. The owner quickly brought the menu and wine list… what a wine list! The first page has wines by the glass, and the other 20 pages or soso are all bottles… some going up to 1800$.
We ordered what’s called “Flight of Wine”: 3 2-ounce glasses of wine chosen to fit with your meal. With the five of us, the table was filled with wine glasses!
I ordered the Bison Short rib Rigatoni Pasta, Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula and Grana Padano. The pasta was cooked to perfection, the bison short rib tender and juicy and there was just the perfect amount of tomatoes and aragula. I would have liked a bit more cheese, but that’s a personal taste—it didn’t bother me that much.
I’m not much of a foodie but I appreciated the fact that there was very little spice in the meal. I think any spice or herb would have detracted from the strong taste of the bison and arugula. Or I might just have been very hungry and willing to eat anything. Your pick. :p
The wines were perfectly matched to the meal, from lightest to fullest. The woody notes of the last two glasses accompanied game meat quite well. The portion size was good: not so much that you feel stuffed after finishing your plate but not so little that you are still hungry after eating. In my case, I still had space for dessert, so I ordered the Mascarpone Mousse. They took a while to bring the dessert to us so they gave us a complimentary glass of prosecco while we waited. Great service! The prosecco was dry and bubbly, perfect to accompany the mascarpone mousse with berry compote and gelato.
The mousse was light and just a little sweet. I have a slight lactose intolerance but this dessert didn’t affect me. The gelato was absolutely delicious—I think they sell it by the cone or by the tub, so if you pass by I strongly recommend you get yourself some. The berry compote still had big pieces of fruit in it and was also tasty.
I know this city is full of great restaurants—that’s one of the reasons I chose to move here. The DiVino wine bar is great for a date or a girl’s night out. It’s moderately priced (about 20$ for a main course) but for the quality of the wines and food, totally worth it.
Disclosure: I paid for my own dinner. As always, Raul retains editorial control on any review posted on Hummingbird604.com. EDITOR’S NOTE – Follow Anabelle’s quest for the best poutine in Vancouver on her blog.
It seems like over the past week, everyone has been buzzing about LIVE at Squamish. Are you going? Where are you staying? Who are you most excited to see? The build up around this event has been incredible in comparison to even just last year, when I didn’t even hear about it.
I am thrilled with how well the first day went. Although a few glitches did occur, such as one stage falling extremely behind in time and throwing off another stage, but overall the festival was pretty well organized. Of course, despite the friendly volunteers and staff, food trucks, artisan village, and other cool add-ons, the music was by far the biggest and best attraction.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Here are a few highlights from my first day in Squamish:
Proper Villians – This Surrey band won their way into LIVE at Squaish through the METRO presents contest. Many people I talked to said they sounded like the Black Eyed Peas. Their radio hit Your Heart sounded great, but it was the only song I recognized.
Hey Ocean! – I was looking forward to HO! and very luckily got to meet them before they hit the stage. The music was cute and beachy, as always. Ashleigh Ball was great at adding in some crowd participation, including a blow-up shark: Sharky. They played a good mix of new music, old music, and really old music from a variety of their albums and soon-to-be-released-highly-anticipated album.
Emily Haines + James Shaw – This event, although it was on the smaller of the two stages, was a huge addition to the lineup that featured an acoustic set by two of Metric’s members. A good mix of popular and rare songs were played, and Emily seemed incredibly into her piano playing. The crowd was probably more packed than any other band at the Garibaldi stag.
Kyprios – Kyprios is a Vancouver rapper who won the Peak Performance Project 2010, and has been riding an incredible wave of fame and good fortune for the past year or so. He got on stage and talked up “real” music: the kind that involves hard work and talent, and praised LAS for being full of it. He really did live up to his talk, because his hip hop style and technique were incredible. He had a big band to back him up: guitar, bass, saxophone, trumpet, keyboard, two backup singers, and a DJ. He gave each of his artists a chance to show off their skills in little solo bits, and he seemed so grounded and thankful to play the festival, and the crowd loved him.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Stars – Stars sounded exactly like their record. There was dancing, but the energy from the band seemed a bit more sloppy and blasting loudness than it did enjoyable music. I wasn’t a huge fan.
Shad – Shad is a BC transplant from Ontario, and I really love all of his songs. He invited Ashleigh Ball up on stage, just as Hey Ocean! had invited him on stage during their set. The two makes a great duet, and Shad’s huge energy and love for the crowd and music were inspirational. Although the audience was small, everyone was having a great time and Shad seemed to be having a ton of fun on stage.
John Butler Trio – JBT are an Australian trio that play a variety of music ranging from funk to bluegrass to rock to almost jazz-like. The amazing 12-string guitar talent, up-right bass playing at the same time as Didgeridoo, and massive dance party in the crowd made the set extremely fun and enjoyable. The big screens were mesmerizing as John Butler’s hands moved quickly across the frets and strings to produce the sound of 5 instruments out of one guitar. Many people I talked to said that this was the best show of the weekend and possibly that they had ever even seen.
Girl Talk – Gregg Gillis has been mixing and sampling for almost 10 years now. He is so into his music that he makes DJ-ing off of his laptop into a full-body experience. Instead of dancers or musicians on stage, he had invited about 50 people from the crowd + other artists to rush the stage and have a party up on it. Unfortunately that made a bunch of girls in the crowd feel a bit left out and try to rush the stage as well, which caused a huge mess with security and photographers trying to slip out, but the chaos was all part of the experience. The samples were basically like listening to the top 50 best songs of the past decade all in one set. If you like high energy dance parties, you’ll enjoy GT, especially live.
Nabob Coffee House + Virgin Mobile Cafe – I appreciated the computer stations, picnic tables, and live acoustic performances from Green Couch Sessions. This was the most relaxed corner of the entire festival, where people came to sit and refuel. The complimentary coffee was all part of the efforts from Nabob to rebrand themselves as enjoyable coffee, not instant crap. It did taste good!
Artisan Village – As is becoming popular with festivals, local artisans came to sell their products. Imports, hand-made soaps, jewelry, and custom artwork (including custom painted Tom’s) could be purchased here.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Belmont Barber Shop – Anyone in search of a funky hipster haircut or a sharp hair style could come to the Belmont Barber Shop’s drop-in. Right next to the acoustic Green Couch stage, customers enjoyed the music while getting a chop in the middle of the forested area under a tent. This would certainly be a great hair-related memory for anyone who was willing to sit still for 30 minutes during the festival. Junior and Master stylists Rich Hope and Dustin Fishbook respectively kept their seats constantly full for the entire time I spent in that corner.
Re*Gen / Virgin Unite – This was Virgin’s charity that proceeds from the event were donated to. The beneficiary is Canadian homeless youth, and the festival gave constant reminders and played clips on the big screen to spread awareness and concern for the cause.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
EDITOR’S NOTE AND DISCLOSURE: Jessica covered Live At Squamish 2011 with media accreditation for Hummingbird604.com. This review of the festival is neither paid for nor expected by the organizers, but I believe it’s important to share coverage of the festival as it looks like it was a great event. I retain editorial control at all times of what is published on my site.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
What a beautiful day this past Saturday was for the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival. This is the 11th year running, and the festival was huge! The sea of people relaxing on lawn chairs and blankets was a great sight to see. It was a definite change from the usual crowd I see: a much older crowd, lots of families. Everyone seemed calm and ready to bask in the sun for as long as possible.
Photo credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604.com
Somehow the festival has expanded beyond music, and also included an artisan market of local goods. Clothes, jewellery, instruments, household items and even a few exotic imports were being sold at little shaded tables. It was a very interesting mix and I loved the sanctuary from the sun that the tent provided.
I managed to catch 3 acts while I was there. As I hiked up from the lower parking lot, I heard the amazing guitar talent of Canadian Matt Anderson. This is someone I definitely would recommend fighting your way to the front for, or watching him on the big screens provided at the side of the stage. His technical skill produced the most amazing and challenging music. Next up, the Secret Sisters from Alabama came on to the side stage. They set the perfect tone for the crowd: cute, fun, light, and easy listening. Their country music inspiration was as “rooted” as it could be for a Southern duo. They also charmed the crowd with their sisterly banter and stories about the importance of every song to them. As the festival’s website, they sing “good, old fashioned music.”
Imelda May is a woman that I cannot talk-up enough. This was my first time seeing her live, and everything about her just screamed posh, sexy, and powerful. Her voice carried beautifully over the massive crowd both lying on the grass from afar, and up-close dancing away the day. She did mention (in her very thick Dubliner accent) in between songs that she was “up to my eyeballs in painkillers” as she had tried to climb the fence to get a good look of the lake earlier that day, and fallen. As any showgirl and diva would do, she insisted that the show must go on, and got up on stage for her set. Her big band supported her wonderfully, as only would be fitting. Her dress, hair, and makeup all completed the performance. The mix of blues, smokey jazz, soul, disco, and modern style make for a distinct style in Mayhem, her newest album, which I will be getting my hands on!
Disclosure: Jessica covered the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival 2011 for Hummingbird604.com thanks to media accreditation from the BB+R organizers. This review is neither paid for nor expected, but it was such a great festival that we wanted to report on it. You can read more of Jessica’s writing at her blog. As always I retain editorial control on anything I publish on my blog.
