Seriously. I’m not kidding. That’s why if everybody who was bratty was banished to a different planet, our Earth would be oh-so-much-better.
Anyways…
I followed the Marvel Thor mythology faithfully and I can say that, despite the fact that his isn’t exactly 100% the way I remember Thor, the actor who plays it really embraces the role. Chris Hemworth (and yes, he DOES have a perfect body and does the typical shirtless scene) is, in this movie, Thor. Not a movie that requires a broad acting range, but it is a fun and campy movie. And that’s why you should see it. Cool effects too. And a couple of weird twists in the story that you wouldn’t expect. And of course, now Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Need I say more?
Thor is playing in the Greater Vancouver area at the Silvercity Metropolis in Burnaby.
Disclosure: My tickets to attend Thor on opening night were sponsored by Cineplex Entertainment to celebrate the launch of Cineplex UltraAVX Theatre Experience in British Columbia.
If anybody asks you if Hidden Tasting Bar and Social Lounge (otherwise known as Hidden, the Westin Grand restaurant) is actually hidden, the answer is yes. Hidden is on the second floor of the Westin Grand Hotel (in downtown Vancouver, right around the corner from the Vancouver Public Library and my favorite, the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts.
You probably wouldn’t know that it’s a restaurant until you turn right and realize a beautiful, large, well illuminated and spacious room with large windows.
JT took me here for dinner as he knew we were going to Fiddler on the Roof and we needed to eat within reasonable close distance from the Centre. I like the tapas-style concept of Hidden. We ordered a platter of flatbread with 3 dips (spinach, smoked salmon and black bean hummus, one dip for $5 or 3 for $8) for starters.
We weren’t extremely hungry so we went for only a set of slider burgers (bacon, avocado mini burger trio on a poppyseed in brioche bun $13) which was more than enough for us (we each ordered one). We were so full (and yes, it’s tapas style but we weren’t extremely hungry) that we ended up not eating anything else.
I’d definitely recommend Hidden as a rare, hidden gem (pun totally intended). Glad I came unannounced (as they did talk to me on Twitter, but I made a point of not letting them know I was coming so that my review and the service would be unbiased). The service was excellent and it was not expensive at all. I’ll be coming back to Hidden soon.
It’s true that I have a fascination with corner stores, particularly those that exist within an urban/residential setting. There’s something incredibly fascinating about having a quaint, little store in the middle of a really residential zone. The lower part of the West End neighbourhood has that mixture of stores and houses/apartment buildings.
Cardero Street is one of those streets that has a number of these stores, as I have written before (on the economic geography of the lower West End). I walk past Cardero Grocery almost every time I walk by the West End, just to see it.
I wrote about the corner store on 12th and Carolina (Charles Grocery) a year or so ago, and I’ll probably be taking photos of this kind of stores all over the lower mainland, simply because it fascinates me how small stores survive in predominantly residential neighbourhoods.
People asked on Twitter whether donations could be made in memory of Derek K. Miller. Donations to The Miller Family Trust can be made at any branch of Vancity Savings Credit Union (savings #475913 branch #17). Feel free to share this information as you see fit.
My friend Dianne Chow (who writes the blog Living Fabulously and Frugally in Vancouver) was kind enough to make an Impossible Cake (Pastel Imposible or Chocoflan as we know it in Mexico) for my 5 years’ blogiversary. I was completely stunned. Making an Impossible Cake is quite a time-consuming task.
I searched Google for recipes for Impossible Cake in the remote case you want to make it, and I was happy to find this post by What’s Cooking Mexico with a PDF version of the recipe. Enjoy! I certainly did. Thank you Dianne for making me a Pastel Imposible! It’s my favorite cake, even beyond Pastel de Tres Leches.
My friend Derek K. Miller (Penmachine) is gone. Gifted with an amazing clarity of thought, strength of character and courage, and true word wizardry, Derek had the ability to do what I have never seen anyone else do: he wrote his own epitaph. And perfectly worded, perfectly tagged. His writing was perfect, as was his whole being.
I first met Derek at Northern Voice 2008, when I fully immersed myself in the Vancouver blogging community. I shared with him and his family many a party. He taught me SO MUCH about photography, podcasting, blogging and more importantly, he taught me about love. His devotion to his wife Airdrie Hislop Miller (whom I am proud to call one of my very best friends) was only matched by his devotion to his daughters Marina, Lauren and his parents, Karl and Hilkka, all of whom I’m proud to know.
These, these two people (Derek and Airdrie) have been my inspiration for the past 4 years. I began co-organizing Mental Health Camp Vancouver with my loved friend Isabella Mori (not surprisingly, also a friend of Derek and Airdrie’s) because of Airdrie, because she organized a panel at Northern Voice 2009. I began taking better care of myself because they both urged me to do so. Derek and Airdrie may very well have saved my life. Even in Derek’s last few months, he reminded me to take care of myself, and to stop doing something, RIGHT THERE AND THEN. Derek and Airdrie reminded me that I needed to live my life, not be consumed by it.
And I did. I promised Derek that I would stop pushing myself to the limit, and I have.
I have Blogathoned for 3 years in a row (2007, 2008, 2009) for the BC Cancer Foundation in his name. Derek and Airdrie both guest-posted on my blog and their posts remain some of my absolute favorite. Airdrie wrote on her experience as the wife of a cancer patient. Truly an amazing woman. I don’t know how she did it, I don’t know how she does it. All I know is I’m proud of her and honored to be her friend.
THIS (the photo below) is such a precious memory in my head (and I remember from Arieanna’s Facebook that it is a precious memory for her. The games nights. When we were just ourselves, a group of friends. No tweetups, no meetups, no social media “scene”. Just a bunch of friends. Bloggers, for the most part, but friends all the way.
Photo credit: Derek K. Miller on Flickr
I can’t stop crying. I haven’t stopped crying since I found out that Derek had passed away. Marking final papers is proving a struggle, but it’s nothing compared to what Derek and Airdrie have gone through, and I can only imagine the pain Derek’s family is feeling. If I’m in deep pain, mine is nothing compared to theirs.
Derek’s devotion to Airdrie remained until his very last post, and I quote:
Airdrie, you were my best friend and my closest connection. I don’t know what we’d have been like without each other, but I think the world would be a poorer place. I loved you deeply, I loved you, I loved you, I loved you.
Rest In Peace, Derek K. Miller aka Penmachine. A friend to many, an inspiration to everyone who has ever read his blog and someone whose life I will honor for the rest of mine, living it to the fullest. Just like Derek did. And I look forward to spending time with Airdrie, Derek’s daughters and his extended family and help them as much as I can as they transition to a life without him in it.
The world is a wondrous place, Derek K. Miller, because you were in it. Your legacy lives on. I love you.
This song warms my heart in so many ways. Silly Love Songs by The Beatles is such an uplifting tune. And I will fully confess I wasn’t even a fan of The Beatles.
What, did you think I wasn’t planning on covering Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2011? Not a chance. Writing a lifestyle blog means having to include food, travel, recreation, arts, and of course, social drinking. And we know our Vancouverites love their beer. It’s particularly exciting to see so much enthusiasm around craft beer. I’m a big fan of craft beer myself.
More about Vancouver Craft Beer Week:
Featuring larger events, more breweries and special guests from the brewing industry (local and abroad), VCBW consists of a series of signature festival events and independently-organized satellite events at numerous venues around town.
There are numerous fantastic events planned for Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2011, paired tastings of food and beer, events on the relationship between beer and cocktails, showcases of different breweries, etc. The list of breweries of VCBW reads almost like a Who is Who in Craft Beer in British Columbia. I am a fan of Howe Sound Brewery, Steamworks and Yaletown Brewing Company, to mention a few. You should definitely check it Vancouver Craft Beer Week. I know for a fact that I (or someone who will be guest-blogging for me) will be checking out some of the events (as I am doing the academic conference circuit and I cannot be at all events, even if I wanted to!). Stay tuned for my coverage (my tag will be Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2011 and VCBW2011)
As you may have heard, The Network Hub (where my consulting studio has a home) is expanding to serve the needs of entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and professionals in the New Westminster/Delta/Surrey/White Rock/Burnaby/Coquitlam/Tri-Cities area. We are in discussions right now with River Market in New Westminster for our location (very, very advanced conversations). You should expect some great things. When we went to meet with the folks at River Market, Jay Catalan, John Van and Minna Van (the three co-founders of The Network Hub) and I went for a walk along the seawall. Not only do I sit on the executive board of The Network Hub, we are also all very good friends so it was fantastic to take some time to just relax and hang out.
We are getting to know New Westminster slowly, and one of the things we were fascinated by was the Samson V Heritage Museum. Getting to know New Westminster means also knowing its historic museums, and the Samson V is one of those fun ones.
The Samson V, launched in 1937, is the last surviving wooden steam-powered sternwheeler built for the federal Department of Public Works for use as a snag-boat on the Fraser River. At 418 gross tons and 115’ on deck, she was the fifth in a series of similar vessels dating back to 1884 that cleared debris, maintained aids to navigation and government docks, performed surveys and served other functions as needed.
The Samson V was the last steam-powered sternwheeler to operate in Canada and representative of a long-standing federal government involvement in maintaining the waterways of western Canada. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada has declared the operation of sternwheeler snag-boats by the Department of Public works on the rivers of British Columbia an event of national historic significance and in the future intends to commemorate this by means of a plaque installed on or near the Samson V, “the last representative example” of these vessels.
The Samson V was retired in 1980 and sold to the City of New Westminster for one dollar on the understanding that the vessel would be preserved as a museum and that it occupy a unique place in the Province’s and City’s maritime heritage. The Samson V remains the only completely intact and floating wooden sternwheeler in North America.
Caffeine is the fuel of life. Or if not, at least the fuel of MY life. I can’t operate well without my morning coffee. I’m a big fan as well of Colombian coffee, to be quite honest, and I’m more of a fan if it’s grown by small farmers. So I was thrilled to hear that Juan Valdez Coffee was launching in Vancouver. I asked for more information about Juan Valdez Coffee:
In 2002, the FNC established the Juan Valdez Café coffeehouse brand, named after Colombia’s longtime icon and a household name in North America. It wasn’t long before the popularity and demand of the Juan Valdez Coffee brand and coffee beans grew, and a retail brand was created for consumers to enjoy at home. Selected from Colombia’s finest beans, Juan Valdez Coffees contain beans that exceed specific industry standards. This insures that every cup of Juan Valdez coffee consistently delivers great taste, every time.
Juan Valdez represents more than 500,000 coffee-growers. With his trusted friend Conchita always by his side, his mission is to symbolize the proudly kept traditions of those hard working men and women, who pick every bean by hand and are 100% committed to their families, their communities and the environment. Since 1959, Juan has been promoting Colombian coffee all over the world and ensuring that the most discerning consumers can always enjoy a cup of the Richest Coffee in the World.
I’m giving away a Juan Valdez Coffee gift bag, with a coffee cup and coffee for your consumption. And a picture of Juan Valdez himself! To enter my giveaway, tell me how many cups of coffee a day you consume. I used to drink only one cup a day, but after I entered graduate school, coffee and I became best friends. Until I realized how much of a water footprint it had!
For an additional entry (comment on this post counts as one, and a Twitter post counts as an additional one, total of 2) you can post the following on your Twitter timeline.
Told @hummingbird604 how much coffee I drink 2 enter 2 win a Juan Valdez gift bag. How many cups/day do YOU drink? http://bit.ly/jadpGI
I will be drawing a dinner from all entries that accumulate on May 10th at 2pm. Good luck everyone!
Milestones Crossroads (located in the Crossroads neighbourhood, near Broadway and Cambie on 8th Avenue, has quickly become one of my absolute favorite restaurants. I recently had dinner there with JT. I have had brunch there with my friend Tris Hussey and visited a few other times, in addition to my birthday dinner of last year (chances are that I’ll be celebrating my birthday at Milestones Crossroads this year again). And they recently approached me to do a “Night On The Town” giveaway, which I really love the idea of. I am sure you have heard of the show Cavalia, which has had a very successful ride in Vancouver.
Partnering with Milestones Crossroads I’m giving away a $50 gift certificate for dinner and 2 tickets to the show Cavalia for Wednesday May 4th. The winner will be able to redeem their certificate for dinner on Wednesday and then pick up their tickets for Cavalia then.
To enter this giveaway, why don’t you tell me the ONE thing you like the most about Vancouver or in other words, why you love Vancouver? I am pretty sure it’s not going to be the weather, quite honestly! The weather has been horrible, but this city is just so beautiful. AND you need to check the view from Milestones Crossroads. Most amazing.
To gain another entry into my contest you can post the text below on Twitter. I will be drawing random winners tomorrow, Tuesday May 3rd, at 7pm.
Told @hummingbird604 why I love Vancouver 2 enter 2 win dinner at @milestonesxrds & Cavalia tickets. Your can too! http://is.gd/wRNA7t
Be prepared to respond to my email or check the comments on my post so that you know if you won. I’ll compile all entries via Twitter and count a comment AND a tweet as 2 entries, and a tweet only or a comment only as one. Good luck! This will be an amazing prize ($400 in value!)
Before I moved to Canada, I don’t think I had ever seen as many people from Asian heritage. I knew a few descendants from Japanese, and a few Chinese folks in Mexico, but it wasn’t until I moved to Vancouver that I realized how much impact Asian immigration has had. It’s impressive how much Vancouver’s Asian population has grown, and contributed to Canadian life. And in May we celebrate Vancouver Asian Heritage Month. Thanks to my good friend Jay Catalan for the reminder!
I looked at the website of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society and found some information about what’s going with Vancouver Asian Heritage Month.
Since 1996, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society has endeavoured to explore the diversity of Asian Canadian life and culture and promote the discussion of relevant issues and concerns within and beyond the Asian Canadian community. In Canada, the month of May is officially recognized as Asian Heritage Month to acknowledge the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to Canada.
The definition of “Asian” may be inclusive and broad, and applies to people who come from or whose ancestors come from: (not a complete list)
– East Asia – China, Hong Kong S.A.R., Japan, Mongolia, Korea, Taiwan.
– South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
– Central Asia – Iran/Persia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
– Southeast Asia – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
I befriended Michael Schratter (a local school teacher and freelance writer for 24 Hours Vancouver) when I began doing more lifestyle writing. We would bump into each other at social events that we both would be writing about later. And then last year, at Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010 he spoke about his project, Ride Don’t Hide.
On August 1, 2010, Michael Schratter, a Vancouver School Board teacher and social columnist embarked on a global journey to cycle 40,000 km, crossing 6 continents and 30 countries. His mission is to circumnavigate the world and in doing so to bring attention and awareness to the stigma surrounding mental illness. Riding on behalf of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA BC), proceeds will benefit CMHA BC and their youth and adolescent educational initiatives.
As a celebration of Michael’s mid-way point (20,000 km), there will be a Ride Don’t Hide Spin-a-Thon hosted by Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division (CMHA BC) and Steve Nash Fitness World and Sports Club. Taking place on Saturday, May 7, during Mental Health Week, the fun, 2-hour cycling classes will run from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at all 17 Steve Nash Fitness World and Sports Club locations. All money raised by Ride Don’t Hide support CMHA BC’s mental health initiatives for youth and youth-at-risk. It would be great if you could cheer Michael on as he makes his way home. You can sign up at any location for $15 for individuals, $10 each for a relay team of two to four, or $150 for a corporate team of four. Sign-up includes a free Mental Health Week gym pass, valid May 1-7. The first 150 also receive a Ride Don’t Hide T-shirt. Collect pledges for the chance to win prizes including a bike and one-year fitness membership. Or pledge your support online at the CMHA website.
I had the good fortune and pleasure of meeting DJ Emiko at the Vancouver Aquarium Immersion event a couple of months back. We know each other from Twitter, and I absolutely love her tunes. She is an amazing DJ (I loved what she dropped at Immersion, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since). We definitely connected on many musical levels. We both have a knack for funk and deep house, and it was noticeable when she kindly and generously showed up at my 5 years Blogiversary party this past weekend.
DJ Emiko offered to drop a few tunes (she carries this handy portable set up) at The Network Hub (where we hosted my blogiversary party) and I am pretty sure everyone had a blast. Of course, I felt the urge to download a few of my favorite deep house own tunes to spin and I even got to drop a couple sets myself. Thanks, Emiko! I really appreciated you coming and sharing my blogiversary and especially sharing your insight on DJ’ing and your amazing DJ’ing skills.
A bit more about DJ Emiko, from her own website:
DJ Emiko is one of Vancouver’s premiere DJs, with years of experience spinning at many corporate & private events around the city. As a boutique music service, clients receive personalized service and a customized approach to their event whether the music is the backdrop to a lovely evening, or center stage at a great party.
While I am not currently one of the Vancouver Opera bloggers (I attended a few performances in their first and second cycles but have not in the past year or so), I am always a big fan and supporter of opera. My Mom used to be an opera singer (soprano coloratura) and I love opera, in and of itself. So when the Vancouver Concert Opera Co-Operative invited me to attend their portrayal of Bizet’s Carmen, I of course said yes. And even better than that – I have a pair of tickets to give away for their upcoming performances of Carmen, specifically for the May 14th presentation of Bizet’s Carmen.
Vancouver Concert Opera Co-Operative (“VanCOCO”) is “all about the music”. We aim to offer unique in-concert operatic experiences to our audiences, focussing solely on the beauty of the music. Founded in September 2010, VanCOCO is an organization aimed at creating performance opportunities for Operatic Professionals and Emerging Operatic Professionals from Canada and abroad who are interested in working in a co-operative environment. As a co-operative, our goal is to bring together teams of creative minds and voices to produce events that will elevate and challenge each individual to bring the highest standard of musical excellence to the concert stage. To assist in achieving these standards we invite seasoned industry professionals (i.e. Conductors and Repetiteurs) on a guest basis to participate in the preparation and execution of our concerts.
They will have only one performance in VANCOUVER – May 14, 2011 at 7:30pm at the Canadian Memorial United (15th & Burrard). You can get tickets here.
For those of you entering my giveaway, just drop a comment on this post telling me the name of the latest opera you have seen. I was going to go to La Traviata (Vancouver Opera) but my schedule is insanely busy with speaking in the academic conference circuit, so I’m just going to try and make it to Carmen by the Vancouver Concert Opera Co-Operative. An additional entry (on top of the comment on this post) can be gained by posting the following on Twitter:
Told @hummingbird604 the latest opera I saw for a chance to win tickets to VanCoco Carmen’s – which one was yours? http://ow.ly/4KVXL
I will be drawing winners on May 13th, at 1pm. Good luck everyone!
It’s amazing how a play that you thought was imprinted in your brain ends up somehow disappearing from it. I had seen “El Violinista en el Tejado” (Spanish translation for “Fiddler On The Roof“) in Mexico when I was a child, and I completely, utterly forgot the thread and the main gist of the play. So much so that when I wrote about it earlier in my preview post on Fliddler on the Roof, playing at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts until tonight! (a very short run, I might add), I completely forgot about the music. I took JT as my Plus One for this show and as soon as we began listening to “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, it was like I had somehow my memory refreshed. As a musical, this production of Fiddler on the Roof does the job.
It’s a well-executed, well-performed series of musical theatre scenes. I shed tears with the rendition of “Do You Love Me” by Tevye and Golde (John Preece and Nancy Evans) struck a chord with me. I am someone who NEEDS to hear that I am loved. Fiddler on the Roof is a fine piece of musical theatre that depicts the reality of family life. The loving relationship of a man (Tevye) with his daughters is told within a framework that explores the inescapability of change: his first daughter’s (non-arranged) marriage changed the way Tevye’s daughters related to their father; his second daughter’s (Chava) marriage outside of the Jewish faith to the lovely Fyedka (a charming Michael Shultz who, at times, steals the show) makes Tevye question his own faith and customs vis-a-vis the reality of a changing society that requests more flexibility from him.
And then there’s the historical piece that comes with Fiddler on the Roof: the storyline of Russians expelling the Jews from Anatevka. Heartbreaking and poignant. While the choreography and singing of Fiddler on the Roof are mighty fine, it’s the history lesson that makes this show all worth it. And of course, who doesn’t like wonderful dance and singing?
Fiddler on the Roof closes tonight May 1st at 8pm at the Centre for the Performing Arts. You can get tickets here.
Disclosure: I had media tickets to attend the musical theatre performance. This post hasn’t been paid nor am I obligated to write a review. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times, and producers and publicists are well aware of this. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I spent the better part of the past 2 weeks complaining that EVERYWHERE (by transit) had visible digital displays (on the Canada Line TVs, Skytrain LCD displays, buses’ front displays) saying “Go, Canucks, Go“. I complained that this year’s Federal election could possibly be course-changing for Canadians, and that we needed help to increase voter turnout. So I asked them if they could change their signs to “Go, Vote Now” or “Vote Today”.
Photo credit: Paul Kimo McGregor on Flickr
I contacted my friend Erin McConnell who works for Translink (I also asked Ken Hardie on Twitter, and he was kind enough to respond to my concerns). I am posting in its entirety Erin’s response (with permission)
Thanks for the email – I want you to know that since we first saw your tweets, we’ve been talking about your idea internally. In a word, yes, we absolutely would love to promote voting and think your idea is terrific. Unfortunately, the remedy isn’t easy or cost-effective. As I understand it, when we bought the electronic display system we had the opportunity to have the company that supplied it pre-program it with some “fun” messages like Go Canucks Go, Go Whitecaps, etc.
At the time, we didn’t think about using the screens to promote voting – instead, we focused on sharing excitement around larger sporting events as so many customers take transit to the games. We’ve since looked into whether or not we can program in new messages (like Vote Today!) and we can, but the cost is substantial – more than $15,000, not including people hours, which is formidable – we would have to program the system and each of the buses manually. The time component is so great in fact that cost aside, it’s not something we accomplish before voting day.
But I was serious when I said we like the idea. Apparently we are able to go and re-program the system at key points throughout the life of the technology. As a result, we’ve slated the voting message to be programmed as an option at that point so we can use it going forward. In the meantime, we’ll be tweeting and reminding folks to vote on Monday and we’ll also be putting reminders on the SkyTrain station TVs, which will reach a lot of our customers.
Ken Hardie’s tweet to me and Diamond Isinger also mentioned this:
RT @kenhardie: @diamondisinger @hummingbird604 – Yes! Vote Today will get big-time play on SkyTrain screens on Monday.
I’m really pleased with Translink’s approach to listen to customers and the fact that they addressed my concern ASAP. And for the love of God, if you are Canadian, and of legal voting age GO VOTE ON MONDAY.
Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, speaking at The Network Hub. Credit: Rick Chung
My consulting studio has had a home at The Network Hub since 2008, and I’ve grown much as an entrepreneur, a professional and as a human being thanks to the support of the community at The Network Hub. Minna, Jay and John have had the vision to do as much as they do to promote local entrepreneurs and extend it to promote local plastic artists. So, as the Executive Advisor to the Board of The Network Hub, I’m proud to invite you to the launch of The Artwork Hub.
Exhibition:
Dates: May 3-31, 2011
Viewing time: 9 am – 6pm, after-hour viewing by appointment
Many visitors to The Network Hub have commented on how our space would make for an ideal art gallery. Our third floor lounge has expansive white walls, high ceilings accented by brick walls, and large windows that fill the room with natural light. There’s also been suggestions that our built-in traffic through the various events and workshops held at The Network Hub could help showcase local up and coming artists.
Through a series of chats with some friends involved in the Vancouver arts community, we have come to understand that budget cuts have limited the ability of a lot of art galleries to profile new artists.
So, we have decided to do our bit to support the local arts community. We are experimenting with converting our office into an art gallery space.
There will be no charge for the exhibition, and we will not take a commission on any art pieces that are sold. 100% of the money generated will go back to the artist, although we do encourage the artist to donate 10% to a charity.
Some folks always find a way to debate with me the topic of finding good Mexican food in Vancouver. I’m Mexican, and love traditional Mexican food. But I understand that there are constraints to cooking “real” Mexican food in a city like Vancouver. So I take “the next best” approach. Full disclosure: my Mom’s cooking is, in my opinion, the best Mexican food I have ever had.
The above said, I have tried numerous Mexican restaurants in our beautiful city. Yet the one that I had not set foot on, despite its closeness to where I live, was Las Tortas (on Cambie Street and almost 17th Avenue). First order of business, the torta is a very traditional Mexican item, but the bun that Las Tortas uses is NOT a bolillo. Very, very close in texture but not a bolillo at the end of the day. So that affects how you perceive the torta.
Second order of business: whichever item you order in Vancouver, it’s always going to be cheaper in Mexico. That’s just a fact. So, knowing this, I ordered a Torta de Chorizo con Huevo ($6.99 sandwich with scrambled egg and chorizo). I have eaten tortas almost everywhere in the world where I have found a Mexican restaurant, but I had never seen a “chorizo con huevo” where the egg wasn’t scrambled with the chorizo.
That said, it was very filling and tasty. I found it a bit weird to have lettuce in my torta, when most of the ones I ate growing up in Mexico didn’t, but as far as I’m concerned, Las Tortas is probably be the only place where I’ll have tortas and be content and fulfilled, unless I come back to Mexico.
Inexpensive, tasty and well prepared. And most importantly, prepared with the utmost nice approach. The service was great. The fact of the matter as well is that this is a small, hole-in-the-wall place, staffed by nice people and with good comfort Mexican food.
Disclosure: I paid for my torta and drink on my own dime.
If there’s something I love is exploring my city. I feel very much like a true Vancouverite, and its diversity is one of the things that I appreciate the most. Within the urban centre of Arbutus Ridge (Quilchena Park for some), you can find a cute mall that serves the needs of people who live around King Edward and Arbutus. And behind that mall, you will find Arbutus Village Public Park.
This cute small park is right by the Arbutus Village itself, and while it may not be “a lot to write home about”, it’s nice enough to decide to take a detour from our busy lives and just spend some time here – it has a nice kids playground area, and overall I really enjoyed walking through here.
I live by my Google Calendar, and since I’m doing the conference and speaking circuit this summer, and I’m planning my personal schedule (I do, indeed, have a personal life), I needed to find out when the upcoming superhero movies were opening. So I researched each one, and here you have it for handy reference (I’m assuming Canadian openings are the same as the US releases, though Thor has already been released in the UK). If you use this guide, please link back.
I went to visit my good friends Ianiv and Arieanna Schweber this past weekend and they ended up ordering Indian food (as you may have noticed by my last two posts and the one coming up, I’ve really been on an Indian food bender). Comparatively speaking, I think Mumbai Masala was the one I liked the best, even over Handi (although Handi was absolutely superb).
We ordered Basmati rice ($ 3), 3 pieces of Naan bread ($ 1.95) and 2 dishes with meat and one entirely vegetarian. Both Arieanna and I love eggplant so we ordered eggplant bartha (roasted eggplant with tomato and ginger, $10.95). Absolutely delicious, and the ginger gave the eggplant a spicy, almost turmeric-like flavor. Could have fooled me and passed for Ethiopian.
We ordered butter chicken (chicken breast cooked with light cream and tomato with fenugreek, $10.95). Comparatively speaking, this is perhaps the nicest butter chicken I have had, from all the Indian restaurants I’ve been to lately. The creamy consistency of the sauce doesn’t get too sticky and it’s flavourful without being overpowering. To be quite fair, I can’t recall what was the third dish we ordered, but it reminded me of lamb korma (strangely enough!). But overall, a really good choice.
I think, comparatively, I would put Mumbai Masala on par with Handi (located in Dunbar). Apparently there’s a Handi too in the North Shore. I’ll have to try it on-site, but as far as takeout goes, Mumbai Masala is full of win!
Disclosure: Ianiv and Arieanna invited me for dinner and thus paid on their own.
In many respects, I’m an urban geography geek (not surprising given that my doctoral dissertation was majorly an environmental economic geography treatise on the transformation of urban and industrial structures). I’m thoroughly fascinated by the underlying reasons why we find small pockets of businesses/malls/markets within a primarily residential area.
The area around the crossing of 33rd Avenue and Mackenzie Street in Vancouver (Mackenzie Heights) is one such complex and interesting area. You will find a half a block chock-full with businesses dedicated to various things (including a pretty nice market). But if you continue walking or driving past 33rd Avenue and Mackenzie Street, you will find yourself again in a completely residential (and wealthy) area.
I find this kind of shifts (residential and then a bit of commercial then residential) extremely intriguing. You may recall a post I wrote about the economic geography of the Lower West End, which also showcases this type of mixed business/commercial and residential uses.
Thanks to Gus Fosarolli and Marina Antunes for pointing me out to the release of the extended international trailer for X-Men: First Class, detailing more of the origins of the X-Men.
Mental health is one of the key topics in my world. It was in 2009 that I decided, after my incredibly brave and strong close friend Airdrie Miller organized a Northern Voice panel on Coping Digitally, that I would be co-organizing an unconference on mental health and social media, Mental Health Camp, one that I co-organize with my amazing good friend Isabella Mori. So, when I see issues around mental health, I’m always keen to write about them.
About one in five people – over six and a half million Canadians – experience a mental disorder during their lifetime. Unfortunately, many people don’t ask for help because they feel ashamed or scared. People may judge them and treat them negatively based on a mental health problem. Others have trouble finding a place to live, finding a job, maintaining relationships and other important parts of life. In fact, most people living with a mental disorder say that stigma is worse than the symptoms they feel.
Stigma originally meant a physical mark of shame. Now, it’s an invisible mark that sets you apart from others. The problem with the word ‘stigma’ is that it puts the focus on the person’s difference instead of on the people who are setting them apart. Using the word stigma makes it seem different than racism, homophobia or sexism. It isn’t. So it’s time to talk about stigma for what it really is: prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice is holding negative attitudes or beliefs about people who are viewed as different. Discrimination is acting on these ideas or beliefs.
I’m working hard to break down stigmas not only around mental health but also around queer issues, homelessness and other topic areas that I’m passionate about. So I do hope you take some time to reflect and participate on events during Mental Health Week, and please help spread the word.
