Local theatre talent is abundant, and I considered myself privileged to always be included in the invitations that producers and directors extend to local bloggers. I love Vancouver’s theatre scene. I had a chance to see Prodigals (produced by Sabrina Evertt) and absolutely loved it. So when Sabrina offered me a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader for her upcoming production, Blue Surge, I jumped at the chance. I really enjoyed Prodigals (so did my date for that evening, my friend Julie Wright, who normally lives in San Diego) and expect Blue Surge to be just as good as Prodigals, if not better even! As far as tickets information goes, it’s $22 Regular, $18 Under 35 & 65+ (with valid ID), $10 Previews.
Also, tickets are 2-for-1 Sunday, August 29th & Wednesday, September 1st at 8pm with a Talkback performance on Tuesday August 31st after the show. You can purchase tickets at the door or from Tickets Tonight online or by phone at 604-684-2787. Fair warning – there’s explicit language, sexuality and nudity. Viewer discretion is advised. To learn more about the premise of Blue Surge:
Blue Surge tells the story of Curt, a small-town cop, and Sandy, the 18-year old prostitute he meets in a raid on a massage parlour. Curt finds an unlikely kindred spirit in Sandy and begins a relationship with her that puts everything he’s worked for – his career, his friendships, and his engagement to his fiancee – at risk. But Curt sees a future with Sandy, an escape from his difficult past. As the two of them chase their dreams, they must learn a skill that is foreign to them both: they must learn to hope.
To enter this contest (for a pair of tickets to opening night of Blue Surge, August 26th), simply drop a comment on this entry describing what your definition of hope is – what does HOPE mean to you? I’ll draw a winner of my contest on August 23rd at 11am.
When I was much younger (I’m talking when I was about 10-12), I was fascinated by the idea of “magic”. Being an illusionist was high on my list of preferred professions. Not kidding. I decided that I was going to ask my parents to give me a magician toolkit and along with my brother, I set out to perform at family parties and other gatherings. Quite frankly, at some point I must have lost the passion.
While I quit the “magician” business when I was still very little, I remain always interested in illusionism, and I get all excited when I watch magician’s shows on TV. Recently Rebecca Coleman approached me to let me know of the work of Vitaly Beckman, a Belarus-born, Vancouver-residing magician who is presenting his Sensation of Magic show from August 17th to the 21st at Havana (the Commercial Drive cafe/restaurant with a backstage theatre, in case you needed a reminder). Rebecca sent me a little more information about the show.
In Sensation of Magic, Beckman takes great pride in the fact that every illusion in the show is an “impossible dream” to accomplish. They include “Super Vision,” where he demonstrates his ability by reading from borrowed newspapers, from a distance of up to 50 ft. Beckman can make people disappear from ordinary photographs and appear on another. He also demonstrates object levitation, a paintbrush that paints by itself, escapes from chains using only mind power, and makes a rose drawing turn into the real thing: a concrete example of his belief that dreams can become reality.
I will try my best to make it to Vitaly’s show, as I do have a love for this type of presentations, and luckily Rebecca and Vitaly have agreed to give me a pair of tickets for one of my readers to attend Sensation of Magic. To enter the draw, just drop a comment on this entry indicating whether you have ever seen a magician show live and what your impression was. I will draw the winner of this giveaway on August 13th at 3pm.
Sensations of Magic runs at the Havana Theatre on 1212 Commercial Drive from August 17th through 21st at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance via Paypal, and $20 at the door, and are available to purchase through www.SensationOfMagic.com or at Highlife Records, 1317 Commercial Dr, Vancouver. Seating is limited. For more information, call 778.228.5291, email vitaly@SensationOfMagic.com.
I had never been to a spa, to be quite honest. And it’s hard to admit this when my good friends from the offline community got me a free gift card for a facial at the Spa Ethos. But hey, with my schedule, when the hell can I really fit a spa treatment? NEVER, that’s when. I had been wanting to go to the spa for a long, long time, and I figured at some point I might need to come back to Parksville and try Grotto Spa.
So when Jenn Houtby-Ferguson (Tigh-Na-Mara) offered Luba Plotnikoff (Oceanside Tourism) to take me and my Mom to the Grotto Spa, I said to my Mom “well, this is where we both say YES and get treated like prince and queen”. I met Jenn when I first visited the Tigh-Na-Mara and we have stayed in touch, she’s the force behind Tigh-Na-Mara’s marketing and social media strategies.
I knew that the Grotto Spa would give us an amazing spa treatment, and I was right. We had the best service, and I don’t think it was just because we were on a media trip. I think every single customer at the Grotto Spa receives amazing service. Mom and I had a chance to chat with several other clients during our pre-spa treatment relaxation period, and afterwards at the Treetop Grill.
I had never painted my feet nails, nor had I ever had a pedicure so I was quite pleasantly surprised with the treatment I received.
We received the Expose Those Toes Pedicure, which includes a warm paraffin dip to soothe dry soles and finishes with a polish application (75 minutes, $95 per person). I decided to be bold and for the first time in my life, apply nail polish. I think it’s relatively discreet. You can see the results of my pedicure in the photo. The most important thing? It was incredibly relaxing and my feet felt great!
After the spa treatment (I really should praise the girls who did our treatments, they were amazing) we went to the Treetop Grill for Endless Tapas (but that was a whole other experience and worth another blog post!). Thanks again to the Tigh-Na-Mara and the Grotto Spa. I will definitely be back (and most likely, with my family!)
Disclosure: My and my Mom’s stay for one night as well as our Grotto Spa treatments and the TreeTop Endless Tapas experience were all sponsored very generously by Tigh-Na-Mara. I wasn’t paid to write this post, nor was I required to do so either. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
I grew up in a very conservative household when it came to stepping out of the traditional boundaries of clothing and jewelry. I’m glad I did, because I do enjoy dressing the way I do, which is a bit more conservative than some men I’ve seen my age. The one thing I have been experimenting with has been jewelry, and specifically rings (my good friend Minna gave me a jade splitting ring a few weeks ago).
I have also been experimenting with necklaces. This particular one I am wearing is a replacement for the (very discreet) one I lost during Pride Vancouver 2010. Suggestions for any good jewelry for men that is discreet (and not expensive!) always appreciated. And, what do you think? Necklaces good on me or not?
Last year, I went to the first show I had seen promenade style in Vancouver, The Road to Canterbury (also staged at the Queen Elizabeth Park), and I had a fabulous time. This year, Itsazoo Productions invited me to witness their summer project, Robin Hood (and they even sponsored tickets for a lucky reader).
Last night, I went with my friends Nathan Tippe, Jay Catalan and Minna Van to see Robin Hood. Because I had already seen a previous Itsazoo Productions performance in promenade (vagrant, walking around) style, I knew what to expect (but I totally forgot to bring a blanket to sit on the grass – that said, I did bring a water bottle, a sweater in case it got cold and a few snacks). We bumped into other friends from the online community, including Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) and her childhood friend Tanya, Mark and David from GayVancouver.Net. It was good times.
On to the play itself. I have always had the belief that whenever a classic is reinvented, it is always a challenge for the playwright (Sebastien Archibald, who also forms part of the ensemble, and whose adaptation I really enjoyed), and for the director (Chelsea Haberlin, whose work I also respect profoundly) to keep themselves honest while giving themselves some degree of artistic license. This reinvention of Robin Hood is such a fun, locally-focused derivation that it deserves to be praised. The performers kept me, my friends and a very large audience, hugely entertained and at some points we couldn’t stop laughing.
It’s hard not to crush on Chris Cook (amazing as Robin Hood) and Joel Stephanson (the lovely Alan, who also doubles here as musical director and sings throughout the whole play). Their performances are nothing short of endearing and refreshing. I last saw Joel, Julia Church (Chief Gisborne) and Kaitlin Williams (a most fantastic Marion) in GodSpell (which you may remember made my week when I went to see it at Pacific Theatre). I loved them there, and I love them here too, in Robin Hood. Katie Takefman is awesome and versatile as Will. Overall, everyone in the cast and production team were amazing, I think.
Aptly situated in the gorgeous Queen Elizabeth Park, Itsazoo Productions’ Robin Hood takes us throughout a variety of local scenes of our beloved Vancouver. Derelict areas in the Downtown East Side are reproduced and transported magically to NottinghamCouver. Robin Hood steals from the rich (as we know) to give to the homeless in the red tents. The need for funding for social housing programs is at its highest and the government is spending on a large international sporting event (does this remind you of anything by chance?). It’s Robin Hood, British Columbia-Style. Do yourself a service and attend this play.
Robin Hood takes place August 4-7, 10-14 and 17-19 @ 7:00pm, at the Queen Elizabeth Park. Meet at the entrance to the Bloedel Conservatory. If you want to arrive by bus, you can take the 33 and there is a bus stop right outside the curling rink. The walk up to the Bloedel Conservatory may be a bit steep so bring comfortable shoes. Tickets are $13 & $17 plus HST and can only be purchased in person from the Bloedel Conservatory. Bloedel Hours: 9am-8pm Monday to Friday & 10am-9pm Sat/Sun. Otherwise you can call 778-888-2435 or email ITSAZOO for more information (itsazoo AT Gmail DOT com).
Disclosure: The tickets to attend the play for me and my guest were sponsored very generously by ITSAZOO Productions (thank you). They also sponsored the tickets . While I did not pay to attend the show, I will gladly pay to attend again, as it is a great production. This post hasn’t been paid for either. 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.
I recently attended the launch of Barre Fitness, a local Yaletown studio (thanks Almira and Jive Communications for the invite!). The opening was catered by The Refinery (not-so-coincidentally I saw my friend Lauren Mote there). While I was at the opening, I asked questions about what Barre Fitness was, particularly because I didn’t know (before I went to the opening) what it was supposed to be. Seeing as I do cardiovascular training pretty much 3 times a week and 3 times a week of weights, my main concern was whether I could combine this regime with what I am already doing.
Barre Fitness, is an exceptional one-hour regime of ballet, pilates, strength and flexibility training using a ballet barre. This total body conditioning technique has been intertwined to create an intense workout, guaranteed to transform and sculpt your entire body. The classes are choreographed to the hottest music in a fun, supportive and high-energy environment.
Having danced contemporary before, I am one of the males who are not concerned at all about the ballet barre (I’ve used it). But the interesting thing I found was how much ballet was integrated into the actual workout, and I liked that element. I will be checking out their classes, and Ella and Michelle have kindly agreed to give away a two week pass for one of my readers. To enter, tell me what kind of workout do you like the best (or the worst, for that matter!). I will draw a winner on Wednesday August 11th, at 2pm.
I had never stopped at Urban Burger on Davie Street (it’s relatively new, to be quite honest) and I am glad Gus and Russ invited me there for lunch. For $5.99 for a burger trio (fries, drink and a burger). The burger is a good size, and the fries were good too. It’s a much healthier alternative to other forms of burger combos (read McD’s and BKs) and they are local, so I’ll throw my support wholeheartedly.
And the other cute element I liked was the fact that the initials UB (Urban Burger) were imprinted on the burger bun. Very cute. I think Gus and Russ also liked them. I’ll definitely come back for more.
While on holidays in Parksville and Qualicum Beach, Mom and I had an opportunity to check out the Canadian Sandsculpting Competitions (Parksville BeachFest). We thought that the sand castles would be pretty, but honestly we weren’t ready for such works of art. I took a number of photos, but I am not sure they’ll give justice to the fantastic artistry we witnessed.
As I had mentioned on my previous post, our first two days of stay were generously sponsored by The Beach Club Resort. This excellent hotel is very well situated in downtown Parksville and thus lends itself very easily to allow you to explore in the vicinity of Parksville and Qualicum Beach. Since I didn’t bring a car, The Beach Club Resort very kindly shuttled Mom and I everywhere we needed (something that will have me forever in their debt). Our first stop in this whirlwind holiday was Milner Gardens and Woodland.
From the literature I was given on the tour, I learned that Milner Gardens and Woodland has 70 acres of surface with an ancient coastal Douglas-fir forest. The actual garden has 10 acres with a collection of mature rhododendrons. I had a chance to take in some of the ocean views and they were simply amazing.
Horatio “Ray” Milner was born in Sackville, New Brunswick in 1889. The 28 hectare (70 acre) estate at Qualicum was Mr. Milner’s retreat from his busy business life in Alberta. He purchased the estate in 1937 and began to work on the garden with his first wife, Rina. Both loved the garden and forest. Sadly, however, Rina passed away in 1952. More extensive work on the 4 hectare (10 acre) garden portion of the estate was started in 1954 after Ray’s marriage to his second wife, Veronica. Mrs. Milner’s artist’s eye and horticultural expertise combined to shape the garden. She was an accomplished artist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Art and Commerce. Her elegant pastel botanicals and rich oils cover the walls of the residence at Long Distance. The estate was acquired by Vancouver Island University in 1996. In May, 1996, the garden was dedicated as “The Milner Gardens” in recognition of Ray and Veronica Milner. VIU’s goal is to maintain the garden in perpetuity for education and the community’s benefit in Ray Milner’s memory.
While Mom’s mobility was slightly hampered, we were lucky that Milner Gardens has a number of golf carts that shuttle people around the forest. I walked around, snapped a gazillion photos and had a chance to talk with some of the volunteers. This operation is entirely volunteer-run and I can see why. The folks who are involved really get a lot out of it, particularly activity and enjoyment of the natural beauty of the Milner Garden, plus they are productive (mostly I found senior people to be the ones helping out). It really warmed my heart.
I would strongly recommend anyone who visits Parksville and Qualicum Beach to tour the Milner Gardens and Woodland. Moreover, I’ll be outlining my visit to the Milner House and Camellia Tea Room. Totally an experience in the field of high tea.
Disclosure: My and my Mom’s visit to Milner Gardens and Woodland was sponsored very generously through a media pass. I wasn’t paid to write this post, nor was I required to do so either. In anything I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
I am a sucker for all things charitable events, and more so when they are put together by friends of mine. As you may have read on my blog, I have reviewed almost every single Glowbal Group restaurant, and have always had great experiences. Glowbal has partnered with me in giveaways and has invited me to be special guest at their events. So, when they mentioned on Twitter that they were looking for volunteers (250 for 5,000 meals) for their Texas BBQ, I jumped at the opportunity and decided to volunteer. The Union Gospel Mission is a charitable organization that provides meals and support to people in the impoverished Downtown East Side. I have always been a believer that one needs to give at all points.
I am at an amazingly high, positive point in my life, and even if I weren’t I totally would still make time to do this, because I strongly believe in karma and the power of people. So on August 10th, from 1:30pm to 5:00pm, I am going to roll up my sleeves and help the Union Gospel Mission serve meals for people in the DTES. And I would like to invite you to do so as well. You can contact UGM by emailing volunteers[AT]ugm[DOT]ca. Join the likes of Erin Ireland, Rebecca Bollwitt, Alisha Mann and myself, in a collective effort to give back to our community.
EDIT – Meals are being served at Oppenheimer Park.
I am absolutely, totally, completely enthralled with Speakeasy. After never having entered this bar/restaurant/establishment simply because it looked a bit hidden (it’s right by Cafe Luxy and SuperValu), I now have to admit that the folks at Speakeasy completely blew my mind. The service when my friends Alisha Mann, Don, Minna Van and Jay Catalan joined me for drinks and dinner after the Vancouver Pride Parade 2010 was simply extraordinary.
Our waitress was an absolute sweetheart and I am in absolute awe of her and the whole team. The bartender did the drinks I wanted him to make me the way I wanted them, the food was great, and the bartender even allowed me to recharge my iPhone (I always carry my charger that can be connected directly to the power outlet). Overall, it was a great experience. Big ups, particularly considering that it was Pride weekend and that they were overwhelmed. I’ll definitely come back and recommend it.
Out of the 7 languages I speak, French is probably my weakest. And that is, even having spent extended period of my life in Paris. I know, I should be ashamed. But I am always looking for ways to improve it, and one of the best tools I’ve found is to listen to music in the language I want to master again. I am currently obsessed with “Que Tu Reviennes” by Patrick Fiori. And since I might need to revamp my French for teaching in that language, I need to go back to practising. This is hopefully a good song to practise.
Que Tu Reviennes Lyrics
Encore un jour qui se lève
Encore un jour inutile
Où la vie balaie les rêves
Alors qu’ils étaient tranquilles
Les bateaux quittent le port
Quitte à ne jamais revenir
Poussés par des vents plus forts
Comme ceux qui t’ont fait partir
Et du passé qui s’endort
Et plus rien à retenir
Que tu reviennes
Je ne m’y attends plus
Que tu reviennes
J’ai tellement attendu
Des jours et des semaines
Des mois peut-être plus
Autant que je m’en souvienne
Je crois que tu ne m’aimais plus
Que tu reviennes
Je ne m’y attends plus
Que tu reviennes
J’ai tellement attendu
Des jours et des semaines
Des mois peut-être plus
Autant que je m’en souvienne
Je crois que tu ne m’aimais plus
Encore un soir qui s’achève
Dans cette chambre immobile
Et pourquoi me lèverais-je?
Et pour qui le faudrait-il?
C’est du passé qui s’endort
Je n’ai plus que des souvenirs
Que tu reviennes
Je ne m’y attends plus
Que tu reviennes
J’ai tellement attendu
Des jours et des semaines
Des mois peut-être plus
Autant que je m’en souvienne
Je crois que tu ne m’aimais plus
Que tu reviennes
Je ne m’y attends plus
Que tu reviennes
J’ai tellement attendu
Des jours et des semaines
Des mois peut-être plus
Autant que je m’en souvienne
Je crois que tu ne m’aimais plus
(Que tu reviennes)
(Que tu reviennes)
Des jours et des semaines
Des mois peut-être plus
Autant que je m’en souvienne
Je crois que tu ne m’aimais plus
Vancouver’s Pride is one of those celebrations that has a lot of meaning to me. It’s not only about the awesome parade, the costumes, the music, the dancing and the after party. For me, Pride is about acceptance. Pride is a celebration of a society that doesn’t care who you love and what your sexuality is, but accepts you for who you are. Pride is all about community and sharing.
Pride Vancouver 2010 was, to me, a lot about friendships, new and old.
With Mark Robins and his partner David (from GayVancouver.Net). I want to thank David and Mark especially for opening their home to me and making me part of their Pride celebration. It would have been much less of an experience if I hadn’t hung out with them during Pride.
I spent much of my evening and afternoon with Minna Van, Jay Catalan (The Network Hub), Don and Alisha Mann (amVentures) (and about 5 minutes with Josh Rimer). These folks really enriched my Pride experience. Also, good times at Speakeasy. I never thought that bar was so good! The service was simply top-notch, even though they were swamped with people! And the food was good, the drinks were great.
Thanks also to Russ Benger and Gus Fosarolli, two of my closest friends, for joining me for part of the Parade and lunch at Urban Burger (blog post forthcoming). Gus and Russ are pretty much part of my family and I love spending momentous occasions with them.
This Pride was amazing to me, and I am grateful to each and every one of the folks who made it so amazing for me. Much love always. And Vancouver, Happy Pride!
I am always thrilled and grateful that the Vancouver arts community invites me to be part of their events. I try to reciprocate as much as I can and attend as many theatre, dance, fine and performing arts events as I can. I hadn’t had the chance to see Theatre Under the Stars‘ production of “Singin’ in the Rain” because I had been swamped (also, my Mom was visiting so I was pretty much unable to do anything other than what I already had scheduled).
But with my Mom gone, I have a much more open schedule (relatively speaking – you know how busy my social and work calendar is!) and I didn’t want to miss TUTS at Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl. So I switched around a kayak invite and instead chose to bring JT as my Plus One to “Singin’ in the Rain”. Based on the American musical comedy that depicts (and often mocks) the transition from silent cinema to ‘talkies’, TUTS’ production was simply extraordinary.
First off, my hats off to Lauren Bowler (Kathy Zelden), Lindsay Sterk (Don Lockwood) and Neil Minor (Cosmo Brown). They carry the whole musical to an entirely new higher ground. Sterk and Bowler’s vocal prowess is matched by their plasticity and dynamism on the stage. Dancing and singing and trying to recreate an iconic movie on stage is much more difficult that you can imagine. When I was in high school I danced (and I choreographed) the song that gives this musical its title. It was VERY hard. But Bowler (and later, Sterk, Minor and the rest of the cast) make it seem seamless and easy to do.
While at my performance there were a couple of (very) minor sound problems, and three (very) minor points where the dancers weren’t in perfect synchronicity (sorry, I am a perfectionist and I choreographed these sequences before), the production itself is absolutely, totally and completely amazing. I loved Jameson Parker (as I have since I saw him in Prodigals earlier this year) too. Shel Piercy, Shelley Stewart Hunt and Wendy Bross Stuart (director, choreographer and music director respectively) really took this musical and raised the bar one notch more.
Obviously, Singin’ in the Rain made me shed tears, as well as “You Were Meant For Me” (yeah, I am THAT mushy). “Would You” also drew tears from my eyes. Not because they are sad songs, but because of how beautifully they were sang and danced to. I really enjoyed how the audience laughed and sang along particularly at the end. I had had a really bad experience with a grumpy spectator at Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (where the guy basically berated me for singing along and having a good time). On the (positive) opposite side, we have the folks who attended last night’s Singin’ in the Rain performance, they were such a great crowd. We all gave a standing ovation to the performers, much deserved. You’d do a disservice to yourself if you don’t attend one of TUTS’ performances (daily alternating Joseph and Singin’). You can check ticket sales here.
Disclosure: The tickets to attend Singin’ in the Rain for myself and my Plus One were sponsored very generously by Theatre Under The Stars. They have made it explicit that I have no obligation nor commitment to write a review at all (although, in this case, I choose to do so). I am not paid to write the review either. In any review I write, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
If there is one thing that I support wholeheartedly is education. I am an educator by training (I did my PhD but I have taught even before finishing my undergraduate) and I firmly believe in the power of learning. So when I learned about the Livin’ It Up workshop that will benefit Imagine 1 Day, I decided to blog about. Moreover, I do plan to attend the workshop (it’s only $30 and all proceeds go directly to the charity).
More about the course
Liv’n it up is an interactive workshop with Susanne Conrad, Director of Possibility at Lululemon, Nia Brown belt and international inspirationalist. It is a 2 hour event where you would learn to look at your future, set declarations, goals, learn to listen and communicate on a whole new level. It is a session where you will learn to create your life of possibility.
This life-changing event is hosted by imagine1day.org, a local non-profit organization founded by Shannon Wilson that provides opportunity for donors to be directly connected to projects that provide primary education for all children in Ethiopia, Africa. The goal is to raise $100,000 where 100% of the funds go directly to the initiative of creating a completely sustainable primary school system. Not a cent goes to the administrative overhead, made possible by a generous endowment fund through lululemon’s founded Chip and Shannon Wilson.The organization is unique as it is a space where all interactions are an exchange of value. It is a community where all participants are empowered through their involvement.
I have always felt very warmly welcome by the social media community in Victoria, British Columbia. For some reason, I have connected extremely well with them. I met Frans Jonker, a Victoria resident, in one of my trips. Frans will embark on “The Road to Port Hardy” Charity Bike Ride – a 4 day, 525km, completely unsupported, solo bike ride from Victoria to Port Hardy, in support of The BC Cancer Foundation. I myself have Blogathoned for BC Cancer, so I am keenly supportive of anything that has to do with cancer awareness and treatment. Frans will traverse his trusty 15 year old steel Marin Mountain Bike over 525kms of Vancouver Island’s mountainous Island Highway.
With over 15,000 feet of elevation gain, this ride will be completely unsupported, and Frans will be completely on his own, should anything go wrong with his machine! Hopefully, nothing will go wrong.
The bike ride that Frans will undertake will have the following schedule:
Monday Aug 16th 8am Mile Zero, Victoria BC – departure for Qualicum Beach
Tuesday Aug 17th Qualicum Beach to Campbell River
Wednesday Aug 18th Campbell River to Woss
Thursday Aug 19th Woss to Port Hardy
When I was writing my doctoral dissertation, I read a lot of books about “how to finish your PhD thesis and not go insane in the process”. Well, that was the gist of it anyways. I most often laughed (particularly at the beginning of my PhD) because everywhere I found the same piece of advice – “break down your project into smaller tasks”. I laughed because I thought to myself “oh, geez – let’s see, today I am going to read 5 articles on industrial restructuring, and write 4 pages on environmental policy in Latin America, and answer only 10 emails”. It looked to me as though silly advice. As my doctoral research progressed, I learned how to break down specific elements of the dissertation into smaller, more manageable tasks.
I devised ways to write just some sections of the thesis, and read only literature associated with it. This piece of advice, that once I laughed at, has stayed with me and helped me complete other projects, even those that aren’t related to research.
For example, I hate doing dishes. With extreme hate, I might add. So I decided to apply this piece of advice to myself. I washed first all the cutlery, then all the plates, then I took a break, then I washed pots, pans and bowls. At the end of 3 hours, I was all done. In between tasks, I read, I wrote, I made a few phone calls. But I got it all done.
So it’s time for me to admit that yes, most of the time, breaking down a project into smaller tasks can be helpful to your productivity. I think the key is to find which tasks are the most helpful.
I knew of Little Nest thanks to a recommendation by my friend Rob Cottingham. Even though I live in East Vancouver, and I do eat out a lot, I am never sure where I can go for lunch, brunch or dinner that can be kid-friendly. And given that Ianiv and Arieanna are two of my closest friends and they do have a little one, it’s important to me to know of places where we can meet and hang out. Little Nest is one of those.
Arieanna, Ianiv, Aiden and I went for brunch this morning to Little Nest. I ordered the Little Nest breakfast ($11, scrambled eggs, pesto sauce, and mixed veggies that included zucchini, tomato, mushrooms, lots of purple onion and a bit of potato), and an orange juice (adult sized, $3.95). Surprisingly (and I say this in the nicest way possible), I was shocked to find out that the scrambled eggs are as good as those from Crave on Main. Which is a lot to say.
While not extremely inexpensive, you can have brunch at Little Nest for as little as $8.00 (overall, mine came to about $18, tax and tip included). Overall, I was delighted just to have a chance to spend time with Arieanna, Ianiv and play with Aiden. As I was telling them this morning, given that my brother, sister-in-law and nephew are in Calgary, it’s almost only really with the Schwebers that I get to be an uncle while in Vancouver. And I love their little one. I have been friends with Ianiv and Arieanna even before they had a baby, so it’s nice to have the relationship evolve as they grow as a family.
I’d thoroughly recommend Little Nest for family gatherings, particularly when there are little kids involved. For Arieanna’s review on her new blog, click here.
There is a DJ in Cleveland (DJ Mike Metz) who once created a deep house mix (Echoes) where this song is included. I fell in love with it (I think I’ve loved this song since like, 2004). I finally had an opportunity to find him today (on Facebook, no less!) and ask him the name of the track. Luckily, he knew EXACTLY which mix and which track I was looking for. This song gives me a bit of nostalgia, because it does remind me of my ex-fiance. The song is called “If You Leave Now” and it’s by The Moves (in an Alix Alvarez mix that really brings the tune out). For your listening pleasure.
For some reason (and I think it’s the people who live there), I always have a fantastic time when folks from Vancouver Island invite me over, whether it is an event, an speaking engagement, a holiday or a press trip. I visited Sidney and Salt Spring Island last year, covering the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre as well and it was a blast.
A few months back I was invited on a press trip by Luba Plotnikoff (Oceanside Tourism Association) to cover the Parksville Uncorked Wine and Food Festival (you can read all my posts here). This was, by and large, one of my best experiences as far as press trips goes.
But then I got invited to bring my Mom along to Parksville and Qualicum Beach, and I offered to showcase it not only from my perspective, but also from hers as a foreign visitor to Canada and to Vancouver Island. And the bar got raised yet again. The Beach Club Resort and the Tigh-Na-Mara hosted us, respectively for 2 and 1 night, and were absolutely amazing hosts to both my Mom and I.
My and my Mom’s experience at The Beach Club Resort was absolutely out of this world. We stayed in one of their Penthouse suites (a 2 bedroom one). These suites have the great advantage of being independent from one another (and separated by a door) so you can easily divide them into two. But joined together you have a fully-functioning apartment.
I figured my Mom would want to know if we could stay here and not have to spend eating out, etc. (even though I had planned my budget to account for this trip’s expenses). I also knew I had to look at this from the perspective of someone who doesn’t want to spent lots of cash in dinners/breakfasts around the town). Luckily, the penthouse suite we stayed at had a fully equipped kitchen (and, I mean FULLY).
We practically only had to buy a few grocery items at the local market and we were ready to cook in house. If you booked a few days here at The Beach Club Resort, you can just shop for groceries and you’d have a full apartment to run your life through. We spent two lovely evenings watching TV and chatting right beside the fireplace.
And of course, the view… see for yourself!
The Beach Club Resort has, amongst other amenities, a seaside pool and hot tub, fitness centre, the Stonewater Spa (which I didn’t get to visit, not for lack of interest, but because we were too busy visiting Parksville and Qualicum Beach), and Pacific Prime Steak & Chop Restaurant (which I did eat dinner AND breakfast at). The Pacific Prime Steak & Chop has a wonderful beachfront patio just off the Parksville Beach Boardwalk.
Luba, my Mom and I had a couple of drinks on the beach-side patio at Pacific Prime. The weather for our weekend getaway was absolutely incredible. The Pacific Prime Steak & Chop deserves a post in itself, particularly because our dinner and breakfast there were simply superb (and against what you might think in a resort of this high quality, not all that expensive – e.g. not much more different from what you would normally pay in Vancouver – and this is a high-end hotel!)
While my camera probably doesn’t do much justice to the excellent Penthouse suite, you can find the rest of my Flickr set here. I am particularly proud of the beautiful sunset photos.
The Beach Club Resort is an excellent high-end hotel, with a number of innovations towards sustainability (they currently have four Green Stars, from what I remember). You can reserve here (and honestly, Parksville is a fantastic destination for tourism, both Canadian and foreign). I had an opportunity to talk with one of the awesome folks of The Beach Club Resort and he mentioned that they had recently hosted a Mexican family who were friends with my parents (which was a wonderful coincidence).
I can’t stress enough how amazing the staff of The Beach Resort were with us, and in particular, Jenn Stitt (Owner Liaison). Everyone at TBCR went the extra mile to help my Mom and I out, given particularly her limited mobility at times due to her knee injury, and the more important thing is that they said to us “we would give everyone as much attention as we give to you – regardless of whether you are press or not – we are focused on our customers”. I did, of course, pay attention to how they handled other guests and yes, absolutely, they were just as kind and awesome to everyone. It seems to me as though it’s in the culture of folks here to be super nice.
I will definitely come back and stay at The Beach Club Resort, and hopefully again with my Mom at some point later this year. This will be my reward for having worked really hard in 2010!
Disclosure: My and my Mom’s stay at The Beach Club Resort was sponsored very generously by the resort. My expenses to travel to and from Parksville were covered by the Oceanside Tourism Association (thanks to the kind folks of BC Ferries too!). I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
I have a loving relationship with Squamish, as many of you may know. I love hiking The Chief (beside Shannon Falls). One of my very best friends, Lisa Thomas-Tench, lives there with her husband Greg. And I have another good friend who lives there, Cinci Csere. It’s a beautiful small town, and it has a great university where I might teach at some point (Quest University). Overall, Squamish has a lot to offer.
But more importantly, Squamish is going to be host to LIVE at Squamish 2010, the music festival that will take place on September 4th and 5th, with some awesome folks like Matthew Good, Dirty Vegas, We Are the City, The Decemberists, Tokyo Police Club, You Say Party, etc. The single day tickets look reasonably inexpensive, at $79.00. You can purchase tickets here.
I *may* have press credentials to cover the festival, so if that’s the case, I’ll have a few posts up. In any case, you should check it out, particularly because it’s in our fair province! And there are some really good bands showcasing their music!
On Tuesday July 27th, the 2010 Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver kicked off at the Yaletown Roundhouse Community Centre. The first week is held within Vancouver Pride Week 2010, the Queer Arts Festival by Pride in Art extends beyond Pride Week and goes all the way up until August 14th, 2010. Tickets available at Little Sisters, Rhizome Café and Banshee Clothing
The remaining tickets available at the door (Cash Only). Amongst the great performances, I noticed one by Morgan Brayton, whom I absolutely adore. On Thursday 12 August at 7:30pm, One + One: James Howell & Morgan Brayton Solo Show Double Bill at the Exhibition Hall & Performance Centre. These two solo shows of edgy comedy: Morgan Brayton’s Raccoonery! and James Howell’s Take Down Your Panties on Main Street, look like they’ll be a lot of fun.
The other thing I am totally looking forward is the Chosen Family exhibit:
Saturday 14 Aug 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Chosen Family Portraits
Exhibition Hall
ADMISSION FREE
Since 2007, celebrating and documenting the history of our chosen family has been the guiding purpose of the Queer History Project. We believe that our stories and our genealogies are best shared through artistic vision and community participation.
We are pleased to introduce you to our next Queer History Project community-based creation: Chosen Family Portraits with Artist-in-Residence, photographer Sarah Race.
Chosen Family Portraits is a photography project that invites you—our Festival audience and dynamic communities—to model with your chosen family. Pose with your partner(s), your best friends, the folks you celebrate your birthday with, or the folks whose shoulders you cry on. Share your own chosen family history. These portraits will be unveiled at a special Queer History Project celebration in Summer 2011 in partnership with Pride in Art, Xtra! West, Qmunity and the 2011 Vancouver Out Games.
During our eleven-day Festival, Queer History Project will host a mobile portrait studio at various venues. For more information or make an appointment at the chosen family portrait studio, please email
chosenfamily@outonscreen.com. Co-presented with the Vancouver Queer Film Festival
I will admit that out of all The Arts Club’s productions this 2010, the one I had been looking forward with the most anticipation had been Glengarry Glenn Ross. Not only do I know their productions are excellent, but I knew two TV renowned actors were participating in it (Eric McCormack of Will and Grace fame and John Pyper-Ferguson of Brothers and Sisters fame).
The cast, ALL of it, was amazing – Bart Anderson, John Pyper Ferguson, Vincent Gale, Daren Herbert, Eric McCormack, Brian Markinson, Gerard Plunkett, under the director of Michael Shamata.
The premise of Glengarry Glenn Ross is as follows:
Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 independent dramatic film, adapted by David Mamet from his acclaimed 1984 Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play of the same name. The film depicts two days in the lives of four real estate salesmen and how they become desperate when the corporate office sends a representative to “motivate” them by announcing that, in one week, all except the top two salesmen will be fired. The film, like the play, is notorious for its use of profanity.[Wikipedia Entry for GGR
Opening night was last night (July 28th, 2010) and I was there with my good friend Chris Walts, who kindly was my Plus One for the evening, and of course many of the local TV and media personalities (Catherine Barr, Dawn Chubai and Fiona Forbes, amongst others). I also had a chance to chat with Fanny Kiefer (of Studio 4) and saw Jason Priestley briefly (our Vancouver boy apparently likes his theatre too!).
I will admit that I was entirely surprised by the fast pace of this play. Particularly as JT had seen it the previous Saturday and he told me that he felt the first half was extremely slow. Wow, I felt it went by like lightning! The interesting thing is, despite the high billing of McCormack and Pyper-Ferguson, I will admit that EVERYONE in the cast delivered an amazing performance.
It was noticeable that McCormack wanted everyone in the cast to have the same billing, so he went to great lengths to ensure everyone in the cast was highlighted equally. For me, the play really highlighted how much people in North America value their work and put so much of their self-worth into their work. And the play also reminded me how lucky I am to not have a traditional 9-5 job.
Glengarry Glenn Ross has a LOT of foul language (the F word must have been used about 412 times, seriously). But overall, it’s a great production. More than anything, it’s a great tell-tale of all the things that can go wrong when you put extreme emphasis and the bulk of your self-worth into yoru work life. You should watch this play, for sure. You can still get tickets until August 21st (click here).
Disclosure: The tickets to attend the play for me and my guest were sponsored very generously by The Arts Club. While I did not pay to attend the show, I would gladly pay to attend, as it is a great production. This post hasn’t been paid for either. 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.
Every so often I throw a Blogthings Quiz just for good measure. Apparently I like to sing “I Touch Myself”.
You’re a total show off who is willing to risk looking like a fool to get a few laughs.
In fact, you’ll go for the cheap laugh if you need to… because it’s better than no reaction!
Your friends can count on you to get a party started, and you’ll party hard until you can’t remember their names.
You’re charismatic, charming, and a total character. With or without a few drinks in you.
You might also sing: “I Touch Myself,” “Oops I Did it Again,” or “My Humps”
Stay away from people who sing: “Candle in the Wind”
I have incredibly fond memories of Q4 Restaurant (formerly Quattro on Fourth). A few years ago, when I defended my doctoral dissertation, Dr. Thomas W. Ross (one of the best scholars in industrial organizations in Canada and my boss for many, many years as I was his research assistant during my MBA and my PhD) took me to Quattro on Fourth for dinner.
As he indicated, he wanted to take me out to a really nice restaurant to celebrate my accomplishments. And I think the general perception of Quattro on Fourth (now Q4 Restaurant) has always been (at least in my circles) as an elegant, classy and tasty Italian restaurant.
So when I got an invite to dine here while my Mom was still in town, I jumped at the opportunity. My Mom’s birthday (as you may have read) was on July 26th, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to celebrate her as she would be back in Mexico. So I decided to accept Q4’s invitation and take her as my guest. It was one of the best decisions I have made, seriously. I already knew that Q4’s food would be great, but I hadn’t had a chance recently to see the innovations in the menu, nor the different approaches that they had been implementing.
I had several opportunities throughout our dinner to chat with Patrick Forsi, who has been the owner ever since Q4 was Quattro (and he now has a new partner in the business). Michelle, our server (who is absolutely amazing, I might add), got us started with a “small” version of their antipasto. I specifically requested it to be small as I wanted to sample more of the food during my visit. You can see the “small” antipasto below (honestly, I thought we weren’t going to finish and this was just a primo).
I was particularly taken with the sample of Arancini di Riso (Dungeness crab and Arborio rice croquetta with a caper and lemon aioli served with a shaved fennel salad), the salmon carpaccio and the Polpette di Nonno (housemade meatballs in a marsala caramelized onion pomodoro served with a pesto and parmigiano crostini).
As I usually do, I kept looking around to see what the other tables were ordering – a family sitting behind my Mom and I ordered a pasta sampler, so I had to request the same (unfortunately, in small version, because if I ordered what the normal order size was, what the family was eating, I would have probably walked out bouncing and unable to move). This combination, the Pasta Pazza e Pezzi ($20.95 per person, for a minimum of two) is a combination of four classic pastas: Fettucine Ghiottone, Garganelli Arrabiatta, Fusilli Tartufate and Linguini Pest.
As I am an Italian food addict, I ordered on behalf of Mom and I. We were offered as indicated above Garganelli Arrabiatta (garganelli with pancetta, mushrooms, fresh tomato and peperoncino), Fettucine Ghiottone, Fusilli Tartufate (fusilli with wild mushrooms, porcini cream and shaved reggiano parmigiano) and Linguini Pesto. All of these favorites of mine, specially the Ghiottone.
When we came to dessert, I was pretty much the only one who was going to eat it. Not because my Mom didn’t like the desserts themselves, but just because she knew that I was going to eat it all. Which I proceeded to do, with much delight.
The truth be told, for the longest time I thought of Q4 as a restaurant to go when it was special occasions. But Patrick told me that they instituted Pasta Tuesdays (with a variety of pastas for only $10) precisely to dispel that notion, and just to tell people that you could just come for dinner on Tuesday and enjoy a good, solid Italian dinner without breaking the bank (which is important!).
Overall, I will definitely come back for dinner many times, and in particular, with people I care for. Thanks to Q4 Ristorante for inviting me along with my Mom, she absolutely loved it!
Disclosure: Our dinner and drinks (my Mom and mine) at Q4 Ristorante were complimentary (and a very kind gesture as my Mom was leaving town and this was a great way to send her off). I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
Local theatre talent is abundant, and I considered myself privileged to always be included in the invitations that producers and directors extend to local bloggers. I love Vancouver’s theatre scene. I had a chance to see Prodigals (produced by Sabrina Evertt) and absolutely loved it. So when Sabrina offered me a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader for her upcoming production, Blue Surge, I jumped at the chance. I really enjoyed Prodigals (so did my date for that evening, my friend Julie Wright, who normally lives in San Diego) and expect Blue Surge to be just as good as Prodigals, if not better even! As far as tickets information goes, it’s $22 Regular, $18 Under 35 & 65+ (with valid ID), $10 Previews. 
