Chinese Flavours

22 05 2011

Only at a Chinese banquet would you partake in:

*  Roast suckling pig and sliced jellyfish

*  Deep fried crab claw wrapped in minced prawn (my favourite)

*  Shark fin and crab meat in fish maw soup

*  Sliced abalone braised with chinese mushroom in oyster sauce

And that was only half of the dishes that we tried at my sister’s Chinese wedding banquet.  These flavours are not for the unadventurous palette, the vegetarian palette, or anyone allergic to shellfish.  But, it is sooo tasty!  Yum!

I have no photos of the food, except for a photo of the head of the rock cod that was placed at the table for guests to fight over the delicacies of the fish cheeks…but it’s not a pretty sight so I’ve made the executive decision not to post that photo.

I do have photos of the cake though.  Which should not be overlooked as it was a White sponge cake with fresh cream and mango, coconut and pineapple mousse.


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: ,
Categories : Vancouver

Capturing Those Last Moments

25 03 2011

Had a wonderful time so thank you Vancouver for welcoming me back home and giving me at least 3 sunny days!

Cambie & Hastings:

Local pub on Cambie Street:

Gastown at Night:

Lions Gate Bridge:

House on Stilts at Coal Harbour:

Vancouver Convention Centre:

The Seawall:

Friends:

Spending my last moments in Vancouver eating poutine and ketchup chips and sipping on some Canada Dry.  How Canadian!  The only thing I didn’t have a chance to do is play ‘Rrrooll up the rim to win’.


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: ,
Categories : Vancouver

Tourist? Excuse Me?

25 03 2011

Someone called me a tourist.  In Vancouver.

I admit, I was dressed to spend a day walking along the Seawall and I did have my camera out.  But tourist? There was no fanny pack around my waist, I had on the Vancouver uniform of yoga pants and a puffy vest.  Besides, the mix of locals and tourists that take advantage of the seawall on foot, on bike, on rollerblades, taking photographs and being amazed at the scenery, is so interchangeable.  Everyone, local or tourist, takes time to discover, or rediscover, the area, especially on a sunny day.

I ended up on the same path of a couple of amateur photographers, and it’s so interesting to see what everyone focuses on for their photos.  One woman loved cherry blossoms and boats and another guy couldn’t pass up a good photo of a seagull.  So, I thought, Sure, I’ll take a photo of your seagull as well.  Why not?

Which led me to a little bit of a bird kick.  I spent waaay too long trying to get this crane to do something interesting.

And then a crow freaked me out by flying at me when I was very zoomed in to get a photo with it eating a fish.

And on that note, I leave you with a couple of photos to get your mind off of that crazy looking crow.

As I finished up my 15 km walk, I took in the image that was in front of me, the sun was shining, people were sitting on the beach eating ice cream, there were kayakers in the water, a sailboat was skimming the water at English Bay, and I thought to myself, ‘there is NO way that people are doing this right now on the east coast.’


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : Vancouver

Beautiful British Columbia

14 03 2011

Scenes from home:



Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Vancouver

The Value of a Good Picture

14 03 2011

Looking through old photo albums it seems like a whole different world.  Everyone went out dressed in their best (matching velour track suits was not an option!) and getting everyone to pose for a photo was the norm.   There’s so much class and history in old black and white photos.

Can you even remember what it was like when taking a photo was a big deal?  When you had only 28 opportunities to take a great photo, so everyone posed and smiled pretty and had their fingers crossed behind their back hoping that this photo would be frame worthy.  When patience was a virtue and you had to wait to see the results until after the prints were developed.  And then, it became a photo party, and you had better have ordered doubles (or even triples) because you just knew you had to share with friends, parents, and grandparents.

It’s almost like taking photos is too easy now.  Even babies know that when a photo is taken they should be able to see the results right then and there. There’s no anticipation, and there’s no need to put your best look forward the first time because it’s the norm to take at least 2 photos if not 3 of the same pose.

Regardless of how long it takes to look at the photos, the value of a good picture still remains the same.  The fact that a little 4 x 6 piece of paper (or digital thumbnail) can hold so many memories and emotions is amazing.  You grow up as a child having an endless number of pictures taken of you and soon you can only remember your childhood based on a series of still photographs.   So always remember that even though it’s important to keep all of those photographs for future generations to look through, it’s even more important to label and date them on the back!

 


Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: , ,
Categories : Vancouver

The BUCKET

10 09 2010

Going through all of the photos we’ve taken in the last month I’m beginning to realize that we do a lot of stuff.  I guess it’s all in your mind set, taking things in stride with a certain perspective that sees opportunity and adventure instead of obstacles and aggravations.

Like you could say,

“Argh, we have access to all of this fresh seafood at Granville Island but our condo sucks and we don’t have the right cooking utensils to make anything!”

Or…you could look at all of the fresh seafood and say,

“Who needs to cook the seafood?  Instead of paying $2.50 an oyster, let’s buy a dozen oysters and a shucker from The Lobster Man and make our OWN oysters on the half shell”.

By the way, with a little tutorial from our server, we are now Professional Oyster Shuckers.

Then there’s the fact that I can’t swim and motion/sea sickness is not out of the realm of possibility.  Do we look at the 3 foot swells and our little Zodiac boat and say,

“It’s a little rough out there in the Pacific.  I don’t want to get sick all over the boat.  Bleh.  I’m starting to feel sick already.  We can always go whale watching next time.”

Or do you say,

“If I’m going to go whale watching, the closer to the water the better!  Schedule the whales – I want to see a show!  But, just to make sure, I better take some gravel pills.”

It was definitely worth the trip.  And it’s a good thing that I did take some medicine because I can happily say that I didn’t get seasick, although I can’t say the same for others on our boat….or deny the fact that we had to go in early because they got sick on the boat. Bleh.

And there are all sorts of things to complain about when you’re coming off of a 2 week vacation high and you have to go back to work,

“We are in the middle of nowhere for this stupid tour.  This is a waste of our time, there’s not even any cell reception.  Let’s just get this over with and get out of here!”

But when you take a break and look around,

“What’s that across from us? Oh my gosh!!  There’s a baby lion cub named King!  And you can get your photo taken with him.  Before I leave this place, I MUST hold a baby lion cub.”

And with the soundtrack of the Lion King in my head, I got my photo taken with King.  It was pretty cute, he kept putting his paws in my hair.  And, for the first time (and maybe the only time) in my life, later on that day I looked down and said, “I have lion cub fur on my shirt“.  It was pretty exciting.

Then there’s always the time when you rely on others to do a task that you KNOW you can do better and they SCREW IT UP!  Like being promised that you have a spot to park your exhibit for the biggest concert of the year: Jay Z & Eminem and finding out the day before that ‘they decided to go in a different direction’.

“I’m about to throw the world’s biggest hissy fit!  Why the hell did they even tell us they had a spot, we could have been working on this for weeks now.  Well, we might as well call up our client now and let them know we don’t have a spot because everything has to be blocked off and taken now.  And we don’t have time to get permits…”

Or just suck it up and get the work done,

“Better start making some calls – (Jay’s manager, Live Nation, Comerica Park, and the City of Detroit).  Let’s just push until we can’t push anymore. We have 12 hours to get something together.”

And wouldn’t you know that 12 hours was just enough time to get a PERFECT spot to park right in front of Comerica Park WITH all of our proper permits.  It may have been my proudest moment.

So, with my rose-coloured glasses on, and a world perspective that seeks out opportunities, adventures and all around cool experiences, I don’t think that I have a ‘BUCKET LIST’ (things to do in your life before you ‘kick the bucket’) but I do have a BUCKET and I’m just going to keep on filling it.



Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , ,
Categories : Detroit, Vancouver

There’s No Place Like Home

29 08 2010

It’s always fun to take a look around your hometown and discover it in a whole new light.  I think that everyone can relate to the feeling that at one point in time they have taken their hometown, and all of its wonders, for granted.  And I think everyone can also agree that it takes actually leaving your home to realize what a great place you have.

It’s been 3 1/2 years since I moved away from Vancouver (9 years since Vancouver Island) and I have heard 4 different responses when I tell people where I’m from:

1.  “What?  You left Vancouver to come here?  Why?  Usually it’s the other way around.” – Toronto

2.  “Vancouver?  Oh I love Vancouver.  It’s so beautiful, I can’t wait to go back.” – A little bit of everywhere

3.  “One day I want to go to Vancouver.  It’s definitely on my ‘Bucket List’.” – Detroit

4.  “Vancouver, Canada?  Where is that?  Did you like it in Canada?  Isn’t it really cold?” – Small town America

So, needless to say, that while everyone was questioning why I left (with the exception of those who I couldn’t take seriously), I’ve started to question why I left as well.  Sometimes I say, “Oh Vancouver”, with a long drawn out sigh.  All those people who have since moved away from Vancouver or those Vancouverites in the middle of summer patio weather, know exactly how I feel, and have probably made that same longing sigh.

Parksville Community Beach

Sproat Lake

Third Beach – Stanley Park

False Creek Marina – Yaletown

Now that you’ve seen the photos I just know that you’re making that same longing sigh…

During our two week trip to Vancouver, with 3 days on Vancouver Island, I reintroduced myself to my city.  It’s almost like meeting up with a friend that you haven’t seen in a while – you have a history together, but there are all of the little day to day details that you haven’t kept up with.  And then there are all of the new discoveries – when your good old childhood friend shares new stories, life philosophies and wisdom, which makes you think, ‘man, we should get together more often.”

This is the experience that I had.  A place so familiar and comforting; it was on its best behaviour and showed off its beauty, its energy, (its good weather), and it shared some old memories with me and gave me a lot of new ones.

Old Memories:

Goats on a roof, Mountainviews & Sand Castles

New Memories:

Wild bear sightings & boogie boarding in the Pacific Ocean.  Pretty much everything about Tofino, BC was a new discovery.


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: ,
Categories : Vancouver

Westcoast Flavours

27 08 2010

If you’ve been to the Westcoast you know that it has a certain flavour.  Not only do the people have a laidback attitude and a sense of joie de vivre, but the food has a certain flair to it.  In a place where sushi restaurants are as common as coffee shops, wild salmon is the norm, and dim sum is one of the most popular Sunday family events, we definitely tried out a variety of culinary delights in Vancouver.

Steamed Mussels in Thai Curry Sauce

Fresh College Bay Oysters with lemon, fresh horseradish, and cocktail sauce

Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)

Local cheese and homemade fruit jams

Takoyaki with Bonito Flakes (deep fried octopus ball with dried fish flakes…I swear it was delicious)

Renkon Chips (some would say they’re better than potato chips!)

Assorted Sushi (note the deep red of the wild salmon sashimi – that’s what Salmon’s supposed to look like)

Terimayo Japadogs!!! (A Vancouver phenomenon – japanese style hot dogs complete with japanese mayo and seaweed flakes)


Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: ,
Categories : Vancouver

Vacation Withdrawal

23 08 2010

Vacations are interesting things.   Sometimes one of the most exciting parts of them is the build up, that anticipation that you feel during those first few hours.   You’re officially on vacation and off of work, but you haven’t reached your vacation destination yet.  Those moments, when you feel all of that potential, have such a revitalizing effect.

I read in a magazine once that taking several long weekend holidays were more beneficial than taking a two week holiday because the anticipation of a holiday is just as important as the actual holiday.  I can believe that.

When you’re away for two weeks, it’s just enough time to adjust to a different way of life, before you realize that you have to go back to work again.  And then, those last few days go by achingly fast and you almost feel desperate to hold onto your vacation.  As you drive down the same roads that you did at the beginning of your trip you remember all of the excitement and adrenaline you felt that first time down the road when your vacation was nothing but a ‘To Do’ list, and you realize that the clock has kept ticking and your time is almost up.

You can probably guess that I’m feeling a bit of vacation withdrawal.  It’s hard to leave the Westcoast in general, but after a couple of weeks in Vancouver and Vancouver Island, I admit that it was a little emotional having to cross over the border, leaving Canada and returning to the US.  And even though it’s only been a week, the vacation is becoming a distant memory.  But as I flip through the photos and look at everything we ‘checked off our list’, I get those warm fuzzy feelings that you can only get from a fantastic vacation.


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , ,
Categories : Vancouver

Olympic Memories

7 03 2010

After 16 days of checking the CTV Olympic Iphone App every hour, spending every evening falling asleep to speed skating, figure skating, bobsledding and other winter sporting events and pointing out to Nathan that although the US may have more medals in total, Canada has more GOLD medals….the Olympics are over.

Even though I only had a chance to take in the Olympic frenzy for the opening weekend, the memories are definitely going to be lasting.   Where else other than Disneyland do you chase people down the street yelling, “can we take a picture with you?” AND when are they standing around (like Disney characters) waiting to have their picture taken?

When else would I drag myself out of bed (after only 4 hours of sleep) to get on a bus while it’s still dark outside to go to an arena where there “may or may not be athletes present”? Lucky for me, there were athletes present during the pairs figure skating training session, and also lucky for me, I was not the only one that got sucked into paying for tickets to a non-event, with no promise of athletes showing up except for the zamboni man (who, I have to say, lived up to my expectations!).

When else will I ever LOVE the fact that I look exactly like everyone else in Vancouver and exasperate my friends more when I wander off and blend into the crowd – EVERYONE is dressed in a Canada toque, scarf, and red mittens – and the majority of people – Asian!

When else would I be at a Sweden vs Switzerland hockey game yelling my head off and annoying my neighbours while clanging a commemorative cow bell?  Maybe the bigger question is, when else will I ever have another  commemorative cow bell?  And, is there ever going to be another time when I’m running down the streets of Vancouver thinking that I’m running towards Wayne Gretzky only to realize that we’re running in the wrong direction, and then get stopped by the police to make way for Vice President Joe Biden’s motorcade?

All I can say with certainty is that I have never had more Canadian pride than seeing people dressed in red, with Canadian sweatshirts, scarves, toques, red Olympic mittens and Canada Flags draped around their shoulders hosting the world in my favourite Canadian city – Vancouver.

The only true way to experience the Olympic Games is when its in your hometown and you’re in the heart of it.


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Vancouver

« Previous Entries Next Entries »