You probably know that I love my city (Vancouver). That said, I’m definitely a fan of the North Shore, and especially West Vancouver. The 21st annual Harmony Arts Festival, presented by Odlum Brown Limited, is a festival that transforms the West Vancouver waterfront into an open-air celebration of the arts. Visitors can enjoy art exhibitions, artist talks and demonstrations, the Remax Studio Tours, WV Optometry’s Cinema in the Park. There will be more than 50 distinct concerts, and a unique wine and culinary experience in the Wine Garden.
The Harmony Arts Festival 2011will take place around Ambleside and John Lawson Park. More importantly: Most of the events are free to the public.. There will be a very broad variety of styles of music, strangely enough all styles that I love: rock, blues, jazz, classical music. I am hoping to be able to catch the festival with my Mom and probably Arieanna and Ianiv. Read the rest of this entry »
Few things make me happier than having dinner with close friends. Last year, my Mom met my close friends Arieanna and Ianiv Schweber but did not have the opportunity to meet their son, Aiden. This year we made ourselves a promise that we’d make an effort to come to North Vancouver (Lower Lonsdale, which is where Ianiv and Arieanna live) to see them. Thanks to their flexibility, we managed to sneak dinner so incredibly soon.
We went to have dinner at The District, a restaurant that Arieanna reviewed earlier and that is a favorite of them (and one I hadn’t tried at all). The District has a separate room for parties which totally attracted my attention for the possibility of celebrating my birthday there.
The District’s menu isn’t all that varied, but it offers several really good possibilities. As I normally do when I go to a restaurant that is famous for its burgers, I try them (I wanted to do the onion soup but alas, I was too full with my burger).
I ordered a No. 13 burger, boasting a huge ground sirloin meat patty and flavoured with The District’s special version of tapenade (I *love* tapenade, by the way) with a side of salad, and was positively impressed with the creative use of dried cranberries, dates nuts and raisins. Given the patty size, I think adding lettuce sort of took away from the use of the tapenade and I had to get creative eating it without making a huge mess. The burger is extremely flavourful and within the normal range ($11-13 for burger and a side of salad or fries).
Overall a great experience and I’ll be back to The District. And the closeness to the Lonsdale Quay and the Seabus really helps.
‘Maturity means to have rediscovered the seriousness one had as a child at play.’ -Friedrich Nietzsche
For obvious reasons, I have a big stake in promoting GLBT (queer) issues, and one of the festivals I look forward the most is the Queer Arts Festival (having written about it last year). Thus it is my pleasure to invite you to the Opening Night for 2 Visual Arts Shows on July 26th at 7pm. FREE admission.
Games People Play: Curated Visual Arts Exhibition opens on July 26th at 7 pm and is on exhibit everyday until August 13th at 11 pm at the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, BC, Canada), 11 am-10 pm weekdays and 11 am-4:30 weekends
Queer cultures often emphasize elements of game-play: from camp to butch/femme to strictures of “straight looking/straight acting”, we play around with identity and its shadows of artifice, passing and trespassing. The curators are encouraging artists to queer the idea of games and play: board games, bored games, war games, mind games, drinking games, parlor games, gender games, games theory, game shows, word play, gun play, foreplay, BDSM play, playing the fool, playing by ear, playing along, playing around, playing for the team, playback, playmates, team sports, blood sport, water sports… With this exuberance of possibilities we will build a show of divergent investigations; a game for viewers to trace commonalities and conflicts along the through-line of gaming.
Curated by Persimmon Blackbridge, SD Holman and Jeff Gibson. I really hope you can attend, it will be some of the best art you’ve seen.
When my good friend Jason Sanders said that we couldn’t have brunch at The Waldorf Hotel because they weren’t open for brunch on Canada Day, I was kind of disappointed as i was looking forward to trying their famous Mexican brunch. But I’m really glad that Jason suggested that we go to The Red Wagon Café, located in Hastings Sunrise. When he told me it was also in East Vancouver, I had to Google it. I’m not really much of an East Vancouver boy that goes beyond Commercial Drive (I know, heresy!).
The Red Wagon Café is located near Nanaimo Street on East Hastings (I’ll even tell you, very close to the Mexican restaurant El Barrio). I had very bad luck with transit so the commute was kind of annoying. But once we got there, and even though we had to wait for about 45 minutes altogether (30 that I was late, sorry Jason! and 15 that we were waiting outside), the wait was totally worth it. And you know me, I don’t wait in line even for a doctor’s appointment.
Seeing how I was in the mood for Mexican breakfast, I ordered Chilaquiles ($9.50, two eggs, corn tortilla chips, salsa verde, feta cheese, crema and red onions). I’ll have to say that I’m glad my Mom hasn’t seen the presentation of the chilaquiles yet. They aren’t really chilaquiles as we know them in Mexico (the red onions look totally weird and I had to order a side of salsa verde to add on top of my scrambled eggs), but I’ll have to say that the flavours were exquisite.
The scrambled eggs were fluffy and cooked to perfection, the salsa verde I could have sworn was made by a Mexican, and the amount of food was absolutely perfect for someone who exercises in the morning and is extremely hungry by 11 am (actually, by then it was noon). The service was spectacularly outstanding, even under the face of extreme pressure, the waitresses (who didn’t have a busser) were absolutely adorable and apologizing all the time about us having to wait a little bit for our food and wait in line.
For the quality of food we received, the amazing service, and the really nice ambiance (not to mention, the chance to hang out with my good friend Jason), I think I’m totally giving The Red Wagon Café a 10 out of 10. Remember, you’ll have to wait in line, but it’s worth it (and there’s lots of cute hipsters to look at while you wait in line). I will definitely come back.
Disclosure: Jason invited me for brunch and he paid for both of our breakfasts out of his own pocket. I am neither obligated nor expected to write this review but I really enjoyed my brunch so that’s why I am writing about it. As always, I retain full editorial control over anything I publish on my site.
There are some people for whom their gift is being great cooks and serving tasty food. Others provide amazing customer service and treat customers like queens and kings. The combination of both is quite rare, and particularly in a city that seems to pride itself in its food snobs. I will fully confess, I’m not one of those. I will eat just about anything. But I like good food, it’s a fact. AND great service.
And amazing food and fantastic service is what Wild Garlic Bistro served JT and I the other night. My friend Rebecca Bollwitt had raved about Wild Garlic Bistro a few days ago when I asked where should I go when eating in the West End (something I rarely do, as I usually eat outside of the West End core), so I listened to the suggestion and headed there with JT. He has had brunch there before and we wondered if the dinner items and service would be as equally amazing as the brunch is.
We were not disappointed in the least. We were immediately seated (Wild Garlic Bistro is a small place, yet it looks spacious) and a lovely lady, whom I think is one of the owners, gave us a glass of water within seconds of being seated. We were both incredibly hungry so we put in our orders just about as soon as we scanned the menu.
I ordered Smoked Salmon Linguine with Garlic Caper Cream ($18.00), a dish that was absolutely delicious and very filling. The portion size is substantially big, and will leave you satisfied even if you’re pretty hungry, I believe. The way this smoked salmon linguine is prepared includes generous portions of salmon fillets inter-mixed with ample portions of vegetables, in a creamy sauce that includes capers and lots, and lots of garlic.
We spent a substantial amount of time chatting with the lady who served our dinner, and she was incredibly cordial and chatty. I wish every restaurant owner were like her. I’ll definitely come back again, and again. Surprisingly great food, amazing atmosphere and a service that rivals and could be better sometimes than almost any other restaurant in this city. Overall a fantastic experience.
Disclosure: JT paid for both of our dinners on his own dime. I am neither paid nor required to write this review, but I definitely want to highlight the fantastic food and service we had at Wild Garlic Bistro.
Nothing says “summer” like heading on a walk around the Coal Harbour seawall with my Mom and having martinis in a good patio. Lift Bar and Grill in Coal Harbour is a restaurant/bar that I’ve enjoyed several times (with my brother HZ, with Cisco Grajales and this past weekend with my Mom). I *adore* the martinis and the patios at Lift Bar and Grill, and I clearly I don’t come visit frequently enough.
We arrived and literally within seconds of our arrival (I think it helped when I mentioned “my Mom is visiting from Mexico and we’d love to have martinis on a patio while watching the sunset”). Our server was very friendly and prompt. We were seated in the patio around a communal area that they call The Fire Pit. And from the photo you can see why. The folks around us were very friendly.
I ordered “a girly martini” (amaretto with vodka and a dash of cranberry, extremely nice, $11) and my Mom requested a 007 (vodka, gin shaken not stirred with olives, $11). I wanted to share a dessert and ordered the special, strawberry shortcake ($ 9). That was my biggest (and only, in fact) disappointment. Excellent service, amazing view and wonderful company which was minorly marred by a very dry, strawberry shortcake.
The top layer (with chocolate), I’m pretty sure had the Lift logo on top (I couldn’t remember, and I ate it a bit fast). But otherwise, the service and drinks at Lift Bar and Grill were stellar and Mom and I had a wonderful time. You can also check the sunset we caught!
Disclosure: I paid for our drinks and shortcake on my own dime. I just enjoyed my time at Lift Bar and Grill and thought to share it with my readers.
Lorraine Murphy at WordCamp Fraser Valley (photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr)
The truth of the matter is that the Raincoaster persona is not exactly the same person as my good friend Lorraine Murphy. Lorraine happens to be actually a very nice person with a brain and broad range of experiences that rivals that of many modern times’ intellectuals.
I was having breakfast with Lorraine a week ago before she left town to head to Yellowknife to work in a social media agency, and I told her that I had total and utter confidence in her capacity to change lives up North. Lorraine’s social media (especially blogging) skills are extremely solid, and she’s done some amazing work, especially for the Fearless City project, empowering folks in the Downtown East Side (where she used to live) and enabling them to tell stories through blogs and other social media outlets.
Normally, I would have taken Lorraine for drinks for her birthday but since she’s up North, a blog post will have to do. Lorraine, I’m very proud of how far you’ve gone, and as I told you once – you rock, and you WILL continue to rock, long time. Have fun up North, change people’s lives, show them the way and then assimilate them into th Cthulhu 🙂
I had a chance to chat with Justin Kripps (Olympian, bobsled) and it was A LOT OF FUN. I was in the team that played against Minna and at some points we fought hard to win control of the ball. I also got to say hi to the main guy behind this, Richard Loat (who also happens to be a friend of mine).
I’m so glad we got to be a part of Five Hole For Food. You can still go and play, donate (remember, monetary donations amount to more food per dollar) and support this great event. And I got to see and smile at Matthew Morrison from GLEE (this was totally serendipitous). And my Mom had a great time meeting everyone.
Richard Loat, Dixon Tam, Phoenix Lam, Crystal Kwon, Joyce Wu and the rest of the volunteers, and all of my supporters and fans (including Esmir Milavic, Conner Galway and many others who just showed up to say “you can do it”) – thank you so much. It was a great experience. And thanks to Gus Fosarolli for being the official photographer of Hummingbird604.com today and my Mom’s official wingman.
You can see how competitive Dawn Chubai and Justin Kripps can get! And below, supporter Conner Galway keeps a close look on how well (or bad) we’re playing!
I *almost* look like I know what I’m doing, don’t I? 🙂
Headed by Chef Josh Wolfe, someone I absolutely love and adore, not only because he is an excellent chef but also because of his good soul, light-hearted nature and overall amazing personality, Fresh Local Wild is the epitome of what good, inexpensive and no-frills local, organic and sustainable eating should look like. Yeah, inexpensive and high in the sustainability scale, sounds a bit of a contradiction.
Boasting what could possibly be the ONLY mobile food outlet with a patio, Fresh Local Wild offers innovative variations on seafood-based culinary traditions. Your usual, rather vapid fish and chips (an English traditional dish) becomes a succulent fresh salmon with chips. The salmon melts in your mouth with an extremely refined flavor that reminds me a bit of the fish cooked in the South of France. I almost felt bad about eating my salmon and chips, it was so pretty.
As a starter, Chef Wolfe gave Mom and I a taste of his albacore tuna melt. You know I hate cheese, right? I did not even notice the cheese. The tuna is so finely melted along fragrant and tasty spices that it’s almost impossible to detect the
A couple of bits of Chef Wolfe’s sourcing philosophy and commitment to sustainability, in his own words:
Where available, our products are sourced from local Fishermen, ethical farms and sustainable wild harvest of seasonal bounty.
By converting a high efficiency diesel generator to operate using 100% VEG oil (SVO) Fresh Local Wild is able to power the electrical components of the restaurant using waste biomass thus offsetting the consumption of propane for cooking.
I had an opportunity to chat with Chef Josh Wolfe in detail about his approach to food, and he was an absolute delight to talk to. His commitment is to provide the same high level of service to each and every one of his customers. While I visited him on a media trip, I was able to notice how he paid EXACTLY the same high level of attention to detail both to his customers and to the food. And on top of that, he kept coming to talk to us and entertain us.
Fresh | Local | Wild has its mobile restaurant on the corner of Hastings and Burrard; the stainless steel trailer features, as I showed above, an on-board four seat patio, and frankly one of the freshest menus of all dining carts in the city. Chef Josh Wolfe is also renowned for building some of Vancouver’s most popular menus, and from what people tell me, for hunting and fishing (himself) for much of the food he has prepared in his meteoric career
My good friends Minna Van and Cassandra Anderton, both people I consider foodies, have eaten at Fresh Local Wild and definitely vouch for the quality of the food AND the level of service. As do I, quite frankly! And an additional endorsement is that my good friend Tony Nicalo (Foodtree) eats at Fresh Local Wild. He wouldn’t eat there if he didn’t believe in Chef Wolfe’s commitment to sustainability (and I do too!)
A bit more information about Chef Wolfe
Wolfe was traditionally trained extensively in Toronto. He began a fouryear apprenticeship at the Centro Grill and Wine Bar in Toronto, where he acquired the skills necessary to cater fine dining to upwards of 300 guests. One of his mentors was the accomplished European Chef Marc Thuet. Wolfe worked as Executive
Chef at Coast Restaurant in Yaletown. Coast restaurant, with its seafood-heavy menu, allowed Wolfe to work with the types of food he loves. His training in fine French cuisine and having Chef Marc Thuet as his mentor helped him develop his skills but it’s his experience and exposure to the wild that have played the biggest
role in shaping him into the chef he is today. Today, Wolfe enjoys foraging and harvesting seasonal and regional delicacies. He brings fresh, locally sourced food to the streets with cooking skills that stem from classical training practices mixed with contemporary beliefs. Although his background plays some role in his cooking style, it is the products and seasons that mainly inspire the style of Wolfe’s cooking.
Having met Chef Thuet in person and witnessed his skills (and tasted his food), no wonder I’m a fan of Chef Wolfe. He was Chef Thuet’s mentee! Overall, an amazing experience and thanks Alex Lee-Behan and Chef Josh Wolfe for inviting me and my Mom for lunch. We will be back, as Schwarzenegger said.
Disclosure: My and my Mom’s lunch complimentary courtesy of Chef Wolfe and Fresh Local Wild. While this time our lunch was complimentary, I’ll be back paying on my own dime. Several of my friends who have eaten there (and paid on their own) love it, so I trust their judgement too.
I’ve written about Commune Cafe before, and about my obsession with good banana bread. Through the online world, I’ve met (and become friends with) blogger, writer, TV host and entrepreneur Erin Ireland, who as it happens, used to play highly-competitive volleyball just as I did. I think that’s what connects Erin and me so much. So it’s quite coincidental that Erin launched her product at Commune. So. Many. Connections.
I had a chance to sample the banana bread and it is, indeed, delicious. And the event itself was really fun. It was great to see Christie Lohr, Erin, Dianne Chow, Rick Chung, Erin Gee, Dilara, Gus and Russ, and a few other friends.
It was fun to hang out with friends from the social media community at Erin’s product launch and just have a nice time. It was also nice to introduce my Mom to a few of my friends.
Congratulations, Erin and all the best in your enterprise. Your banana bread really is awesome. And it was great to see you too, Christie 🙂 (well, everyone, but in particular Erin and Christie whom I rarely see these days as I don’t attend as many events anymore).
This year has been very challenging so I have been seeing A LOT LESS theatre. In many ways, I wish I was four people to do everything I want. But I’m really glad that I waited this long, the tail end of The Arts Club’s Hairspray amazing run. It was SO WORTH IT. You need to check it THIS WEEKEND, as the last show is July 10th.
Last night, I took my Mom and JT for dinner to Joey Broadway and then to experience Hairspray at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Theatre. The summary on The Arts Club doesn’t really do justice to a superb ensemble of talented actors/singers/dancers who provided a full theatre with an exuberant showcase of dancing skills, vocal talent and funny quips.
Amidst the doo-wop and sock-hops of ‘60s Baltimore, pleasantly plump Tracy Turnblad won’t let popular Amber Von Tussle squash her dream of dancing on a local TV teen variety show. Can a girl with big ideas (and really big hair!) change the world…and win the heart of dreamy Link Larkin? Welcome to the ‘60s!
Towards the end of 2009, I started the practice of writing a personal manifesto: a set of rules and guidelines for me to live by. I use this blog, as many of you may or may not know, as my own personal diary. Even though my blog has evolved to a smorgasbord that blends my personal journey and a storytelling process whereby I share my life in Vancouver, the restaurants I eat at, the performing arts shows I see, the places I travel too, and bits and pieces of different events in Vancouver and all over the province, it is still my own personal canvas. It’s mine, and mine only, no one else’s. My 2010 focused on my own personal growth. And grow I did. And in what way! My 2011 saw me make myself a priority and that meant that I began saying NO (“sorry, I can’t” the polite way) so much more it actually became an automatic response. Ooops.
In the Maslow hierarchy of needs, food, water and breathing are some of the most basic needs of human beings. Disenfranchised people afflicted with HIV/AIDS potentially (and in some cases/countries, frequently) face this most basic challenge: ensuring that they can consume nutritious meals in enough quantity to sustain their bodies and help them fight the deathly virus. I have been a fan of the amazing work that A Loving Spoonful has been doing since 1989, as a volunteer-driven, non-partisan Society that provides free, nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS in Greater Vancouver. In 2007 I Blogathoned fundraising for A Loving Spoonful, as it is a cause near and dear to my heart.
Tonight (July 7th, 2011), along with my Mom, I will be attending Project Empty Bowl 2011 at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. You may ask yourself – what is Project Empty Bowl?
Since its inception in the early 1990’s Project Empty Bowl has fed thousands of individuals with AIDS locally and tens of thousands globally. It began when John Harton, a teacher in Bloomfield, MT, asked his high school ceramic students to make enough bowls to give a luncheon for the school staff. For $5 each, the guests received a simple meal of soup and bread, served in one of the handmade bowls. Guests were asked to accept their now empty bowls as a gift and to keep them as a reminder of all the empty bowls that still need filling. The money raised was donated to the local food bank.
Project Empty Bowl has become an annual signature fundraising event for A Loving Spoonful. The sole purpose of Project Empty Bowl is to raise funds so that A Loving Spoonful can continue delivering free meals and nutritional counselling & education to men, woman and children fighting HIV/AIDS.
With your help, we hope to make Project Empty Bowl 2011 the most successful fundraising event to date!
My good friends Allyson McGrane, Shane Birley and Jonathon Narvey are all involved in the production of the Neanderthal Arts Festival. Not only do I love them dearly but I’m thrilled with the support they give to some local productions like ITSAZOO whose Robin Hood I fell in love with. I’m also thrilled to see Dave Deveau directing a play too (his My Funny Valentine was electrifying).
Shane Birley, Allyson McGrane & Danielle Benzon. (Photo credit: Bob Homer Photography)
AND I’m very happy and proud to announce that I have 2 three-show passes to give away on my blog for a lucky reader of mine. All you need to do is check the lineup (pasted below for your perusal) and tell me which show you’d like to check out the most. I’m in love with just about anything that ITSAZOO puts on, although the rest of the lineup looks rocking too. I will draw a random winner from all entries up until July 19th at 3pm. I have also edited this post to add a Twitter-entry mode so you can earn up to 2 entries (check at the bottom of the post).
I’m fascinated by local, Mom-and-Pop kind of shops, and the East Village Bakery isn’t an exception. What I find exceptional is the quality of service, the freshness of their baked goods and the friendliness of its owners. Located in the Hastings Sunrise (East Hastings and near Nanaimo) area, East Village Bakery is a fantastic demonstration of how you can have a small business and thrive. The smell of freshly baked goodies was what attracted me and Jason first (we had *just* had brunch, but we couldn’t resist!). I ordered a Pain du Chocolat ($1.95) for myself and I wanted to bring Minna some baked goodies too so I ordered the Callebaut.
We specialize in classic artisan pastries made from scratch only with choice wholesome ingredients. Some of our signature items are Blueberry Crostata, Pain au Chocolat, Croissant, Brioche, Callebaut Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake made with marzipan and our artisan bread selection
You should totally check out this gorgeous bakery and chat with the extremely friendly owners, and make an effort to walk around the area because it’s a pretty neat urban sector.
Why do I love yogurt even though I’m lactose-intolerant? I have no clue. But I do. And when I have a craving, I usually have pretty much only one place to go to – Qoola. But one time I was walking down Fourth Avenue in Kitsilano and came across Scoop! and I decided to try it out. Fantastic yogurt, I have to say. Moreover, they provide you (if you are lactose intolerant) with Lactaid pills. The process is quite different to Qoola, though. At Scoop! you weigh the yogurt and then add the toppings which are also paid for by weight. I usually order natural frozen yogurt, and then add mango and kiwi on the toppings.
Overall, while it’s not technically organic, it’s still very good yogurt. And the location itself is pretty cute, the decor and ambiance are nice and it provides a nice dessert place for an evening out.
If you are looking for a fresh dessert and a great location, Scoop! provides one of the best options, in my opinion.
I have been so incredibly busy with my research and teaching (and consulting) that I haven’t had the time to check out The Arts Club’s Hairspray. I know, insanity, considering how much of my blog focuses on writing about the arts. But I’m looking forward to The Arts Club’s performance of this wonderful musical, and in preparation for that, here’s the movie’s last number (You Can’t Stop The Beat) for your listening (and dancing) pleasure.
When I first arrived to Vancouver I went immediately to Vancity to get an account. As Vancity is a credit union, I believed that it was my duty to support local businesses and thus I have been a loyal customer since 1996. I was recently contacted by Vancity to tell my readership about their free outdoor movies community project.
Below is the schedule of showings. I believe the first movie they’re showing is on July 7th, Ghostbusters (an oldie but goodie).
Thursday, July 7 – Vancouver West – West Point Grey Park
Sunday, July 10 – Port Moody – Rocky Point Park
Friday, July 15 – Richmond – Minoru Park
Sunday, July 17 -Burnaby – Confederation Park
Wednesday, July 20 – Vancouver East – Victoria Park
Thursday, August 4 – Pitt Meadows – Harris Road Park
Sunday, August 7 – North Shore – Lynn Valley Park
Friday, August 26 – Surrey – Unwin Park
Monday, August 29 – Victoria – Topaz Park
Saturday, September 3 – Tsawwassen – Diefenbaker Park
One of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in recent times was the one I listened when having dinner with my Mom and Minna (The Network Hub) at Glowbal Grill (one of my favorite restaurants of the Glowbal Group). Glowbal restaurants tend to have music that I really enjoy, and I usually flip out my iPhone and check the tunes on SoundHound. This one made a real impact in me.
Why is this song so incredibly powerful? I think because of Tracey Thorn, whom you may remember as the vocalist of Everything But The Girl, the English duo. Her voice is silky, powerful, vibrant and I find “Why Does The Wind” incredibly empowering and re-energizing (although admittedly Thorn’s songs tend to be kind of sad). Why Does The Wind is a 2010 tune that I think needs to be listened to more. For your listening pleasure.
Dont waste my time now
Dont call me baby when you don’t know if you love me
If you’re coming or going
And don’t leave the back door open
And look for a way out and then say maybe you love me but theres no way of knowing
Why does the wind blow through my house at night?
Why does the wind blow through my heart each time i look into your eyes?
Dont look for reasons
Dont tear your heart wondering why the light starts fading when the day the is ending
Embrace the seasons and get to believing that its only something broken that seems worthwhile mending
Why does the wind blow through my house at night?
Why does the wind blow through my heart each time i look into your eyes?
Your heart is sore like mine was before
You look to the sky and no one cares why
Not even the wind so where to begin
And since we exist
And why not just
Why not just
And why not just kiss?
I have no clue how to play street hockey. In fact, I have no idea about hockey. All I know is a few (rather charming) Vancouver hockey players. I also know that many of my good friends are either experienced hockey players or fans of the Vancouver Canucks (I’m a fan too, without really understanding much about the game). But there’s one easy way to get me to do things: invite me to participate in a charity event to raise funds for a worthy cause.
And so yes, on Saturday July 9th (at 1pm, in my case) you will be seeing me play in the Five Hole For Food Final Game in the originating city, Vancouver, around Granville street along with a few media celebrities (in my case, I was supposed to play with the Vancouver social media crew, but since my Mom is visiting, I asked to be moved to the mainstream media one). My good friend Minna, co-founder of The Network Hub, is also playing on that same game because of a commitment she has at the time of the social media game. But – Minna IS an extremely experienced street hockey player. There will be three ball hockey courts set up on Granville Street between Robson and Smithe streets – Minna and I (and I’m sure a few other media celebrities like Dawn Chubai, Chris Pallisers, etc.) will be playing on Court #1.
So what’s in it for me?
I love the team behind Five Hole For Food. Several of the people behind it, including Richard Loat (the founder), Dixon Tam, Gina Vesnaver, Crystal Kwon, Phoenix Lam, Lesley Chang, Laureen Tang, Joyce Wu, Alissa Sadler, and Marc Smith are either friends of mine, or fans/readers of my blog, or both.
I love the cause.Five Hole For Food is a charity event that raises funds for food banks across Canada. I had the opportunity (and the sad experience) to see really long lines of people lining up to get food at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre (I imagine this was something to do with the food bank). I am really blessed to have a job that allows me to put food on the table on a regular basis. So I really want to encourage people to donate to Five Hole For Food, or bring donations to the Vancouver Food Bank.
So come by from 12pm to 6pm, and come see me play at 1pm and make a total fool of myself in the name of raising funds for the Vancouver Food Bank. See you there! The hashtag on Twitter is #FHFF and the Twitter account where you can follow the team is @fiveholeforfood.
Disclosures: I have no affiliation with Five Hole For Food other than being friends with the team. My interest is only to promote a charitable event. The Vancouver Canucks have generously offered to loan me a Canucks jersey to wear the day of the game. This jersey won’t be donated to me and I will be returning it to the Canucks after the game.
I met Aaron Craven, not surprisingly, through my blog. He is the mastermind behind Mitch and Murray Productions, a Vancouver theatre company that is getting started in this 2011. I wanted to know more about their fundraising campaign and their goals, so I sent him some interview questions. Thank you Aaron for agreeing to answer my questions!
1.- What exactly drives you to start a theatre company in this economic climate?
The famous acting coach Stella Adler said, “Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one”. I think we are reaching a point of critical mass in western culture. It feels like we are on the tail end of what could be called the boom times and we stand to be the first generation since the depression whose standard of living is lower than our parents. Couple that with a rapid influx of technology (texting, email, Facebook, Twitter) that gives us a false sense of connection, and it feels like there is a sense of overall disconnect with my generation, a sort of social malaise. It has always been at times like this when the best art has been created, when society is crying out for a change of pace, or a reconnection to something basic and human. Theatre is the most pure and traditional form of storytelling and it has survived all manner of upheaval since the times of the Greek theatre. Contrary to the notion that theatre is dying, I think the times we live in are a perfect opportunity for theatre to have a renaissance. It feels like people are craving a sense of communal participation, and there is no better and quicker way to get that drug injected into your veins than by going to the theatre. Read the rest of this entry »
For years, I’ve provided independent, small theatre/dance/film companies exposure on my blog as I’m a firm believer in the transformational power of art. I was recently informed about Provost Pictures‘ release of award-winning independent film The Beast of Bottomless Lake which will screen at the Denman Place Cinema on Friday, July 15, in association with the release of the DVD version of the film which includes audio commentary, deleted scenes, and three behind-the-scenes featurettes. The evening’s entertainment will also include the screening of five locally-produced short films and a musical set by The Pucks (who contribute music to the film’s soundtrack).
Photo credit: Fabrice Grover. Used with permission
This independent film has had a lot of success at the Mississauga Independent Film Festival (Vistek Best Feature), the Okanangan International Film Festival (People’s Choice Award), VCON, and the Olamot Festival in Tel Aviv.
Boutique hotels and I seem to have a long romantic affair. For some reason, while I’ve enjoyed good experiences with chain hotels, boutique hotels are much more down my alley. And while I did not make my own reservations for the Intercontinental Montreal Hotel (located in Old Montreal, on St. Antoine), I ended up enjoying a great degree of comfort. There were a couple of minor hiccups only, not major.
2011 will go down in history as one of my most successful professional years. I was offered the course I’ve been wanting to teach for 5 years (Latin American Environmental Politics), my consulting practice is thriving and I’m still doing research, publishing papers, doing fieldwork and advancing my academic career. I maintain a 1-2 course load during the academic year and for the first time I’m teaching a summer undergraduate course. Unfortunately, 2011 has also been a year of extreme loss for my loved ones and for me.
As of the time of writing, 8 people close to me have passed away and it’s not even middle of July. I’m at a loss, seriously. And at times, I’m emotionally numb. I’ve had to grieve in the face of life. I’ve had to put up a brave front and continue to do the stuff I’m supposed to be doing. It’s been a really rough year.
It’s been an emotional rollercoaster and one that doesn’t pull punches. The Vancouver riots even left me mentally and emotionally wounded. At times, all I’ve really wanted to do is escape and go to Paris for a year and forget about everything that’s been happening to my loved ones and around me. But I can’t really do that.
So I go on.
And to be quite frank, I don’t even find that much comfort in the online community. I find comfort in my offline life. I find comfort in doing things with the people I love. I find solace in spending time with my Mom, even if I do some work on my laptop while we watch a movie. I love going to Main Street for the Car Free Festival. I love having drinks with my friends, or a coffee, or go for a long walk. Or shop at dollar stores. You know, REAL LIFE.
2011 has showed me in many ways that, while my friend Alexandra Samuel is right in that online is also real life, and at times it also has kept me sane, I very much cherish my offline life. And I intend to continue living it to the fullest, for however long I’m borrowed to this world.
