Sarah Richards' Travel Blog

Newspaper articles

2010-01-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5663344.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/5452128.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/features/5989872.html

Soy Surprises Again at the 25th International Vegetarian Food Fair

2009-09-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget that the squishy chunks of tofu and the bright green edamame pods at my favorite Japanese restaurant come from the same humble plant as many industrial products

like hydraulic fluid, biodiesel, and printing ink. It's the demonstration of soy's incredible versatility that always surprises me at the International Vegetarian Food Fair at the Harbourfront. This year in addition to the usual tempeh and miso soup, I tried ice cream, cheesecake, chicken nuggets, and even a turkey drumstick—all magically crafted from soy protein.

But soy wasn't the only star. In the World Cafe, which was dominated by South Asian foods, I tried a whole range of vegan delights. Mirch Masala had a killer channa masala (spicy chickpeas in a tomato sauce), Udupi Palace, the infamous South Indian eatery at Coxwell and Gerrard were frying up very tasty masala dosa (lentil pancake stuffed with spicy potatoes), and Govinda's Hare Krishna restaurant had a sampler plate of ten curries for $8. King's Cafe took charge of the Chinese contingent, with gingery dumplings, fried noodles, and sweet and sour "pork."

After I'd polished off at least enough food for two, I realized that I'd missed a whole section of food stalls outside. With only enough space in my belly for one more snack, I had to choose wisely. The tantalizing scents of garlic and berbere wafting over from the Ethiopian stall, M&B Yummy, and the fresh and colorful Mexican food at Rancho Relaxo weren't making my decision any easier. In the end, I went for a little hemp butter toast by Manitoba Harvest and a Ginger Snapper cookie by New Moon Kitchen.

Luckily the International Marketplace featured products that I couldn't shove in my mouth. The Toronto Vegetarian Association bookstore had a few dozen cookbooks, including the educational Get It Ripe by local vegan author jae steele, and tons of literature on how to make the transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Ella's Botanicals, Sigrid Natural Skin Care, and Arbonne International had cool cruelty-free beauty products like herbal moisturizers and all-natural makeup. And after I'd gone through all the anti-meat clothing at Sick on Sin and the non-leather vegan accessories at LAVA, my mind somehow wandered right back to edibles. I found myself at the E3Live booth downing free shots of live blue-green algae. After all, how many times in your life does an offer like that come along?

The most hardcore of vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists descend on this annual festival in droves, but in recent years they've been rubbing shoulders with thousands of veg-curious Torontonians. Last year I met a whole busload of meat eaters from Detroit and a few devoted vegans who came from as far away as Halifax and Los Angeles, and this year's festival promises to be even bigger and better. Saturday and Sunday will host vegan stand-up comedian Ben Shaberman, registered dietician Brenda Davis who will be deconstructing common myths about vegetarianism ("but you need meat to survive!"), and other speakers lecturing about disease prevention and reducing our carbon footprints through a meat-free lifestyle. Cooking demonstrators will cover everything from Butterscotch Blondies to raw "junk food" and outside on stage, you can catch jazz and folk performances all weekend long. The festival runs from at noon-9pm on Saturday and noon-7pm on Sunday.

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot

2009-09-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature must be a fan of fiery hot curries and spicy jerk chicken because it took a celebration of the chili pepper, in all its spicy splendour, for this summer's cursed weather—thunderstorms, cold spells, rain, and even a tornado—to come to an end. I took advantage of this week-long dose of blue skies and brilliant sunshine to head down to the Hot and Spicy food festival happening all weekend long (including Labour Day) at the Harbourfront Centre. Because there's nothing that goes better with hot weather and a cool breeze off Lake Ontario than a plate of spicy food and a cold beer.

Though I've never been known for my spice bravado, in fact "spice wimp" is exactly how my husband would best describe me and my not-so-daring palate, I decided to head down to educate myself in the ways of the chili. I started in the World Cafe, where things weren't officially opening until noon, but hoards of spice fiends had already started long, winding lineups by quarter to. At Makkah Indian Restaurant, the chickpeas were rich and flavourful, the samosas left me gasping for water; over at the Jamaican Jerk stall, where an equally long and lengthy lineup was forming, the crowds couldn't get enough of the stellar jerk chicken and goat curry. And there were stalls selling cold exotic fruits and creamy ice cream—perfect endings to feasts of fire and spice. Even Natrel had set up a little promotional tent to give out mini cartons of 2% milk.

At the Red Hot Marketplace, things got a whole lot hotter. I sampled a little of Jake Albert's Fuego Rojo, a dubious combination of sweet pomegranate fruit and smoky Habanero chili. Strange, but delicious. I chased that fairly mild concoction with a little of Peppermaster's Sexy Salsa before cooling my tingling taste buds with a sip of Raspberry In Heat, a sampler from their Sweet Seductions dessert line. At Susie's Hot Sauce table, I lingered long enough to go from the Mango Mandingo sauce—a tangy yet playful fruit sauce—to Hot Desire, a medium-hot sauce blended with yellow scotch bonnet peppers. And then just when I thought I'd gotten the hang of this hot and spicy thing, my self-confidence ablaze, I decided to take it to the next level. The name said it all: Susie's Teardrops. But did I listen? No, instead I ingested a big heaping spoonful of pure West Indian red Habanero pepper. At the initial tingle my stomach barely quivered and I was ready to declare victory, but it wasn't long before I felt the zing of the Habanero coming back for a second round. First the fireball exploded in my mouth, then it traveled slowly and painfully down my throat and into my stomach where the flames slashed and burned their way through my stomach lining. It wasn't long before my own teardrops started flowing. There was only one thing to do: head back to the Natrel stall to cool down the flames with a little milk.

After my brush with death, I was only too happy to get lost for an hour or so in the racks of the International Marketplace, a few dozen stalls selling mainly textiles and jewellery from those countries blessed with hot and steamy climates. It was a vivid display of colour and texture, from Nepalese silk sarongs to Peruvian alpaca clothing to Kashmiri pashminas.

If you're like me, a spice lightweight with a death wish, or one of those heat junkies that drinks Tabasco sauce like water, then you've got one more day to explore all that the Hot and Spicy festival has to offer. Labour Day festivities include capoeira, a Brazilian dance blending elements of martial arts and music, the finale of the Food Network Canada's International Iron Chef competition, one of the ten "Tastes To Try Before You Die" cooking demonstrations, and a performance by Grammy-award winning artist Terrance Simien, who will rock the stage with his unique mix of Creole Zydeco music. The festival ends at 8pm.

Virginia - Last Day

2008-07-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Today I did the whole journey between Toronto and Richmond, Virginia in reverse. The bus was 1 1/2 hours late picking us up in Charlottesville, so I arrived at the Richmond Greyhound station with little time to spare. The cab driver sympathized and sped all the way to the airport. He talked non-stop about his family in Africa, and how he hoped they could all go to Canada to study at university. He had hopes for each of them: one would be a doctor, another a pharmacist, another a lawyer and one a police officer. That way he would keep all bases covered.
I arrived at the airport after my flight had closed and for a while it looked like they wouldn't let me on the flight. The Air Canada counter was actually just a small sign, and so I had to deal with United airlines staff who couldn't really figure out "those Canadian flights." Finally, after much pleading and puppy dog eyes, someone had the brilliant idea to call the Air Canada help line and get the computer system open again.
The flight was really turbulent, as we passed through many massive cumulus cloud formations. There were a few times when the plane just started to plummet, sending us spiraling downwards, but then within a second, something kicked into high gear and took us back up.

Here are some photos:

Virginia - Day 12

2008-07-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from my last day. We went to the JPA neighbourhood (named after the street, Jefferson Park Avenue) just north of campus, in hopes of trying Charlottesville's most famous restaurant, Thai '99. Unfortunately it was closed, and we found ourselves far from home with thunderclouds brewing above our heads. Luckily we made it back to the apartment just as the storm began to unleash its fury.

Virginia - Day 11

2008-07-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

Today we finally found the Rivanna hiking trail. I guess it helps when you don't forget the maps at home. We entered the path via the Woolen Mills neighbourhood, which is centered around an old textiles factory that operated between 1795 and the 1960s and clothed everyone in town, from slaves to soldiers. Some early twentieth century paintings of the area can be seen at the Charlottesville Mayor's blog. There was a little too much wildlife in the forested area near the rugged Rivanna River path, including a million little frogs and mosquitoes, flying beetles, and all sorts of other frightful creepy crawlies, so we took the paved trail instead. It snaked around the eastern border of Charlottesville.

Virginia - Day 10

2008-07-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

Independence Day in Charlottesville started with a visit from President Bush, who was heckled all the way through his July 4th speech (see here for the video).

In the afternoon we decided to go hiking along the Rivanna Trail, a nature trail that follows the circumference of the city. Instead we got lost in the southern suburbs and walked around in circles for about three hours.

In the evening, we joined the festivities in McIntire Park, where they had all sorts of goodies: turkey legs, funnel cakes, "Sunshine" (Christian?) rock music, and fireworks!

Virginia - Day 9

2008-07-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Barracks Shopping Center, which is basically a colossal strip mall on the side of Highway 29. It's so big that the city bus stops at three different points inside.
The parking lot takes up more space than the actual stores, and being surrounded by so many cars got me very excited. Virginians really take car culture to a whole new level, as if their automobile were actually an extension of their home. Or perhaps, judging by the bumper stickers and vanity plates, the cars are actually extensions of themselves?

Virginia - Day 8

2008-07-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Virginia is North America’s vanity license plate capital?

Below are a few of the gems I've found around town. There will be more to come. An opportunity like this only comes around once in a lifetime.

Click here for more fun facts about Virginia.

Virginia - Day 7

2008-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

I've already gone into detail about Charlottesville's two main entertainment districts, the "corner" and the pedestrian mall (below). But perhaps you're wondering what takes place in between? It's a mystery to many tourists since the very smart city tourism board has created a free trolley service that shuttles visitors (and the rare car-less local) between the two areas every fifteen minutes. I'll never know why Thomas Jefferson had the University of Virginia built so far from the courthouse and downtown commercial district, but I do know the reason that they don't want tourists poking around. That's not to say I don't find it attractive, but only in an empty wasteland kind of way.

Virginia - Day 6

2008-06-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

In the east end of town is Charlottesville’s attractive pedestrian mall. This eleven-block long strip of Main Street is closed to car traffic and lined with stores, restaurants, bars and cafes. Italian bistros and burger joints spill out into the street in the form of airy patios and there are fountains and street performers providing entertainment. If there's a concert at the open-air amphitheatre straddling the far eastern end, then al fresco diners are also graced with a little background music. The atmosphere at the mall is always boisterous, even in the midst of a thunderstorm, which we experienced today. No one brings an umbrella and so most people huddle under patio coverings or store fronts until the short, but fierce, torrential downpour comes to an end. It doesn't take long before the sun comes back out and the business of sipping wine and chatting with friends resumes.

Virginia - Day 5

2008-06-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today we stumbled on Court Square, where the historic courthouse and jail are located. The big claim to fame here is that three presidents (Jefferson, Monroe and Madison) all presided over this courthouse at some point during their careers. Parts of the original structures remain intact and the area feels like a sort of outdoor museum with red brick buildings, cobblestoned walkways and a leafy park. Although just a stone's throw from the downtown commercial district, it was completely deserted on this pleasant Sunday.

Virginia - Day 4

2008-06-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

On first inspection, this tiny town (population 40,000) is quintessentially southern—the stuff of movies and novels. The iced tea is tart, the cornbread slightly sweet and the deep southern drawl fills the air like music. But Charlottesville itself also embodies elements of a classic American college town. More than half the map is dominated by the University of Virginia in one way or another. Right on the edge of campus, where the commercial Main Street meets UVA's sprawling lawns and red brick buildings is the "corner." Within this three-block soft bend in the road are about twenty bars, restaurants, ice cream parlors and book stores catering to students and their parents and selling everything from Georgia peach slushies to cheap Mexican fast food to underwear with "wahoo" emblazoned across the back. "Wahoo" is a nickname for UVA that originated in the late 19th century when UVA supporters cheered "wahoowa" at baseball games.

Virginia - Day 3

2008-06-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today I visited the mighty Rotunda, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson and modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. When all but the brick frame was burned to the ground in 1895, the Rotunda was reconstructed with slight modifications, including the addition of extra porticoes and an extended skylight. In an effort to restore the structure to match Jefferson’s original design, the rotunda underwent yet another reconstruction project in 1975. Today it looks just as it did when it was first built in the 1820s.

Virginia - Day 2

2008-06-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Charlottesville, Virginia is where Ben is taking a two-month, intensive colloquial Tibetan language course. The classes are being offered at the University of Virginia, which was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. UVA enjoys the honor of being the only university in the USA designated as a World heritage site by UNESCO.
Not surprisingly the grounds are impeccably clean; I’ve yet to see even one piece of litter. That’s probably why the squirrels are so scrawny.

Virginia - Day 1

2008-06-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today I flew to Richmond, Virginia on a putt-putt plane. You know the kind: propellers on the wings, deafening humming, jerky landing. The flight departed from a hidden corner of Pearson Airport, the east hold room, which has replaced the now defunct Terminal 2. Not surprisingly, the plane itself was more than half empty, sparsely populated by a few businessmen, a couple of Richmond locals, and me.
Because there is no easy/cheap way to get to Charlottesville, I took a taxi from Richmond airport to the Greyhound station, and then a bus to downtown Charlottesville. I met a lot of interesting characters on my journey: a male nurse from the Sudan, a taxi driver who believed polar bears roamed Toronto, a handful of former convicts, and a friendly drunk or two.

Here are some photos taken while flying over Richmond's suburbs.

Photo Albums

2008-06-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

Two new galleries! You can check them out on the left side of the page.

Exploring Toronto: West Queen West

2008-06-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite like taking a mini-vacation in your own city. It's so liberating to pack up your things, check into a hotel (one you've probably passed a million times before, but never gone inside), and then hit the city streets with fresh, open eyes. One of the best places in Toronto for a little weekend excursion is West Queen West.

West Queen West
What Bay Street is to bankers and investors, Queen Street West is to artists, designers and rebels of any persuasion. Local talents fed up with the Gap-ization of Queen West in the 1990s, have moved shop further west to flee the outbreak of mainstream fashions. After Bathurst Street, where the brick storefronts begin to fray at the edges, the neighbourhood takes on a new identity, known as “West Queen West” or the “Gallery District.” Creative energy and constant innovation, plus the arrival of the über-cool Drake Hotel, has pushed West Queen West’s boundaries all the way past Dufferin Street. But it wasn’t long before the less jaded, borderline-yuppie crowd followed and began to fill up the favorite hangouts of the neighbourhood hipsters. So further west they ran; setting up studios in Parkdale, a formerly run-down, crime-infested quarter. But for all us more modest urbanites, West Queen West is still one of the coolest places in town with its ethnic restaurants, upscale shops, organic day spas and cutting-edge art galleries. It’s a great place to wander; and there are plenty of cafes for refueling along the way. Streetcar #501 spans the entire length of Queen Street West and runs 24 hours.

Where to Stay?

The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St W; 416.531.5042 or 866.372.5386; www.thedrakehotel.ca; rooms from $199) “The Drake,” a sort of local artists’ clubhouse, has become synonymous with all that is cool, current and cutting edge in Toronto. Stylish rooms, or “Crash Pads,” blend practicality (queen sized beds, flat screen TVs, etc.) with radical design (original artwork, vintage wallpaper, retro furniture, etc.). You’ll find a bar, restaurant and night club under the same roof, so be sure to bring ear plugs if you expect to sleep.

Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St W; 416.531.4635; www.gladstonehotel.com; rooms from $175) This hotel feels slightly more refined and subtle than its puffed up neighbour, the Drake Hotel (see previous). The restaurant and bar here have a British pub quality, with rummage sale treasures filling in the nooks and crannies of its wood-paneled interiors. Themed bed rooms, designed by local artists, take hotel decor up a few notches in creativity and sophistication. Room 404, for example, explores “Canadiana,” with a mural of a forest and cottage, fragrant cedar trees and CN rail lines.

Where to Eat?

Fressen (478 Queen St. W; 416.504.5127; reservations essential) The daring vegan haute cuisine here, which brilliantly fuses earthy flavours with French sophistication, is delivered in the form of tapas-style mini-dishes. It all starts with soft olive bread, hummus and tapenade; and could end with strawberries dipped in heavenly dark chocolate. In between, wise choices include creative stuffed pasta (squash ravioli with sesame butter, basil and tomato sauce $9) or a coconut-infused soup ($6).

The Beaconsfield (1154 Queen St W) This boisterous local hangout serves above-average pub grub with creative presentation. West-enders gather in large numbers on Friday nights; and the music gets jacked way up after dining hours. The gourmet burgers served with roasted potatoes are the biggest hits on the menu.

Bacchus Roti Shop (1376 Queen St W) Brave fluorescent lit, cafeteria-type ambiance to sample the best West Indian roti in Toronto.

Tibet Kitchen (1544 Queen St W, closed Tuesday) The closest to Lhasa you'll ever get without boarding a plane, this little Tibetan za khang (restaurant) serves up traditional fare including Tsel Shae Mo (dumplings $5). You know it's good since most of the clientele here is Tibetan.

What to See?

Fu Sien Tong Buddhist Temple (185 Niagara St, south of Queen St W, 416.504.4486) From its location, among a row of average-looking houses, this ruby-red temple with elaborate blue wings, looks ready to take flight. Twice monthly, on Saturday mornings at 11am (call ahead to confirm), join free meditation classes followed by a vegetarian lunch. English is limited here, but that's part of the fun.

MoCCA (952 Queen W, 416.395.0067, www.mocca.toronto.on.ca, closed Monday) The newish Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art has made great headway in the past few years, thanks to the vibrant art community in this neighbourhood. Controversial exhibits such as the collection of Istvan Kantor's canvases painted with his own blood have helped stir up publicity, whether positive or negative, for the MoCCA. The permanent collection boasts works by Paterson Ewen, Betty Goodwin, Micah Lexier, Arnaud Maggs and Roland Poulin, among many others.

Stephen Bulger Gallery (1026 Queen St W, 416.504.0575, closed Sunday, Monday) Documentary and historical photography is featured here. Previous exhibitions have included Canadian greats Robert Giard, Shelby Lee Adams and Larry Towell.

Exploring Toronto: The Hazelton Hotel

2008-06-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Excerpt III from Vegetarian Guidebooks: Toronto (pg. 73)

..."Hazelton Hotel (118 Yorkville Ave; 416.963.6300, 866.473.6301;
www.thehazeltonhotel.com; TTC Bay; rooms from $450; map pg.40) Unofficially dubbed “Toronto’s first five-star hotel,” a title it somehow received before opening, this was the most talked about place in Yorkville during its inaugural month (which happened to coincide with the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival). Word is still out on whether the Hazelton will actually survive in the fierce hotel jungle dominated by the Park Hyatt (see next) and the Four Seasons (see below), but the Hazelton Hotel, an explosion of eye candy, shows serious potential..."

Update: After spending the night, it's obvious that the Hazelton is in a whole category of its own. From the intuitive staff who sense your every need to the rich green marble flowing over every surface in the luxurious bathroom to the 42" TV screen (affixed to a great extending arm), this hotel has truly taken luxury to new heights. Our room had French doors overlooking the boisterous patio of ONE restaurant below and the pleasant street scene of Victorian houses, classy boutiques and leafy trees. So you didn't really need to leave your bed to enjoy life on the street, and an electronic console that controlled the curtains, the virtual "do not disturb" sign and the room lighting made lethargy even more convenient. Even the sewing kit came with needles already threaded. Now that's service!

Exploring Toronto: Yorkville

2008-05-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Excerpt II from Vegetarian Guidebooks: Toronto

"...Toronto’s answer to New York’s Fifth Avenue, Yorkville attracts big spenders to its four- and five-star hotels, upmarket French restaurants and designer boutiques. For the city’s upper crust and many visiting celebrities it’s the place to be seen, where air kisses and valet parking are the norm; and poodles in handbags wouldn’t draw a second glance.
Yorkville was the first village to be annexed by the City of Toronto in 1883, although it has retained its own individual identity ever since. In the ‘60s this neighbourhood was a hippie haven, providing fertile ground in which Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young could pave their way to musical stardom. Though the crowd has levitated an economic class or two, it won’t be long before Yorkville undergoes another unexpected rebirth. In the meantime, you can explore this posh neighbourhood on foot by winding along its main thoroughfares—Bloor St W, Yorkville Ave and Cumberland St..."

Exploring Toronto: The Junction

2008-05-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Excerpt I from Vegetarian Guidebooks: Toronto (pg.21-22)

"...Marooned somewhere between the bustling Eastern European Roncesvalles and Bloor West Village, this strip of Dundas West is a jumble of organic restaurants, cafes displaying local art and quaintly ragged local dives. 'Junction' refers to the convergence of three railway lines that enclose the entire neighbourhood in the shape of a triangle. It stands roughly at the meeting of Dundas St W, St Clair W and Keele St.

During its heyday, in the late 19th century, the Junction thrived as a manufacturing town, attracting immigrants from as far away as Ireland, Croatia, Russia and Poland. An economic recession at the turn of the 20th century brought extreme poverty and alcoholism to the area, which was curbed by the introduction of prohibition laws in 1904.

Surprisingly, Junction citizens voted to keep this bylaw in place until the year 2000, when local restaurants were finally permitted to serve alcohol.

As the Junction undergoes an intense process of gentrification, locals predict it is going to be Toronto's next it spot....."

To get here, walk north along Keele St/Dundas St W from Keele/Dundas West subway stations. You'll notice that most of the new businesses breathing life into once derelict storefronts tend to be organic eateries, whole food stores and independent shops. Some notables include:

The Beet (2945 Dundas St W): a light and airy cafe housed in a former Dominion Bank serving mainly organic and always creative vegetarian dishes. See last picture.

Sweet Potato (2995 Dundas St W): a massive health food emporium.

Delight (3040 Dundas St W): a teeny tiny shop specializing in decadent Fair Trade chocolate and truffles.

Vegetarian Guidebooks

2008-04-29T08:22:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe it's been two months since I wrote anything. I've been living in a bubble, writing my first travel guide book, Vegetarian Guidebooks: Toronto, in a new series that caters to vegans and vegetarians. Don't worry, it's not only for animal-lovers and militant vegans. Aside from the focus of the Eating chapter, the whole book follows a typical guide book formula. There are chapters for hotels, tourist attractions, outdoor activities, entertainment options (bars, clubs, the arts, movies, etc.) and a directory. Even the Eating chapter includes non-vegetarian restaurants. Don't worry, the ever so subtle vegetarian propaganda has been carefully disguised....
Anyways, check it out here! You can order a copy on the website, which is the quickest option. Or order through Amazon and wait for me to ship it to Kentucky, have them repackage it and then send it to you.
And of course comments are greatly appreciated. There's a comment form on the website. You can forgo the Name and Email fields if you want to make it anonymous.

2008-02-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

I always love going to Campbell River, a small town (population: 30,000) hugging the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. It's quiet; it's calm; and it's so different from Toronto that you'd swear it was a foreign country. Shop clerks smile, passing pedestrians wave hello and young hooligans gather around the bus station and fist fight---you know, typical small town Canada kind of stuff.

The best part of this little adventure is the propeller plane that shuttles passengers between Vancouver and Campbell River. The whirling engines fill the cabin with loud noises and the wings provide no protection against the rough winds coming off the water below. All of this is part of the charm. And then there's the scenery. I'm convinced it's one of the most stunning regions of Canada. This time a thick blanket of puffy white clouds separated me from the view of the Strait of Georgia below. But like the verdant islands, the sparkling blue sea and the white-capped mountain peaks, the clouds are very much a part of the scenery in coastal British Columbia. Here are a few shots.

One day we made our way down the island to Coombs, the location of a very famous food market that features "goats on the roof".
Since February is the coldest part of the year, most of the goats had been taken to warmer digs for the winter. But I did find one hiding up behind the garden centre.

More snow and more alleys

2008-02-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well after a big dump of snow, and some bizarre thunder snow last night, my new favorite alley way looked completely different on my way to work this afternoon.

Alley

2008-02-06T18:01:00.001-08:00

Just when my usual walking route to work was getting a little predictable, I discovered a new alley way. Although I've probably passed the entrance to the alley a thousand times in the two years I've lived here, it was like I'd stepped into a new neighborhood. There were so many new things to explore. And after a big dump of snow, everything looked crisp and delicate.

San Francisco pictures

2008-02-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

Thought I'd make a web gallery, but I got really lazy. So here are my favorite photos from our trip to San Francisco:

Udupi Palace - Berkeley

2008-02-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

We took the BART to Berkeley today for lunch at Udupi Palace, a great South Indian thosai restaurant. It's amazing how far some people will travel for food.

While there, we decided to check out the university campus. It was verdant and pleasant, and the air tasted sweet.

And no trip to Berkeley could be complete without a protest or two.

San Francisco dining

2008-01-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

All I wanted to do was eat in San Francisco. It was probably because restaurant and wine standards were so ridiculously high that it seemed impossible to have a bad meal anywhere. We visited a few of the top 100, a list of San Francisco's "best" (and priciest) restaurants. Luckily our good friend Mastercard picked up the tab.

SFO Airport

2008-01-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

I read all six of my magazines within the first half of the flight. So you can imagine my joy when they played 'RushHour 3' on the TV screen. And it was because of Jackie Chan and his terrible jokes that I had to put down my window shade. It was for the courtesy of other passengers who were actually watching the movie. I snuck in just one illegal shot...

We took the BART from the airport to our hotel at Union Square. Here's a shot of the colorful suburbs.

The ROM - Royal Ontario Museum

2008-01-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today we visited the ROM. Just when we decided to stop being such cheapskates and shell out the hefty entrance fee ($20 per person), we arrived to discover that admission is free between 4:45-5:30pm on Sundays. And that was just enough time to see the much anticipated dinosaur exhibit and relive Ben's childhood memories in the Bat Cave. The new Chin Crystal addition was very pleasing to the eye.

Where in Toronto...

2008-01-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

....are these pictures taken? Prizes for winners.....Big, wonderful prizes!

Holiday Hedonism

2008-01-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

For me the holidays always amount to lethargic behaviour, over-spending and eating really indulgent foods. I don't know how it always manages to happen, but it does. In my apartment building, there was a non-stop party, from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day. It felt like living in a dormitory during Frosh week. Now that the holidays have officially ended, the halls have become eerily quiet and people are populating the laundry room once again. It's like midterms have arrived.
It's slightly depressing when the holidays end and we get our credit card bills, but at least we can look forward to doing it all over again in eleven months.
Here are some pictures from Queen West on New Year's Eve:

Walk Score

2007-12-29T08:29:00.001-08:00

In downtown Toronto, I feel like there are two types of people: those with cars and those without. The ones who drive, do so despite traffic jams and expensive parking; in addition to the obvious disregard for environmental preservation. The ones who rely on the TTC, do so despite the frequent subway delays and unreliable streetcar service. Pedestrians and bicyclists go about their day, despite the city's aggression against non-drivers. Seriously. Why doesn't the city have any pedestrianized streets? Blocking off the streets in Kensington Market once a month is hardly an accomplishment. And why do snow removal trucks dump all the snow in the city's too few bicycle lanes?
Perhaps this universal unhappiness manifests itself in honking cars, creased foreheads on the city's bicyclists and the angry faces of delayed commuters teetering on the edge of the subway platform. Is owning a car a personality trait, or does it completely depend on the location of your apartment/house? And why do we choose these locations?
I live at Summerhill station. Just a little north is St. Clair/Yonge, with its faux British pubs and bad Pan-Asian restaurants. Although I'm grateful the area is not saddled with any strip malls or Walmart-type department stores, the smaller independent shops are more expensive and keep less convenient opening hours. In a similar vein, the southern direction is full of boutiques and gourmet food shops which are nice; a bit too nice, since my wallet and Rosedale don't exactly hit it off. But at least it's possible to walk downtown, west to the Annex and beyond to the ethnic enclaves scattered throughout the west end---Chinatown, Kensington Market, Koreatown, Bloorcourt "Ethiopian" Village, Roncesvalles Village, etc. There are also plenty of green spots in the neighborhood, as well as a connection to Toronto's ravine network. We have schools, libraries and grocery stores within minutes of our building; and the idea of getting a car at our current location would be quite unnecessary. I suppose this is why our address gets a walking score of 73/100. This is deemed "Very Walkable".
How does your neighborhood add up?

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

Some very non-festive Christmas pictures from the neighborhood....

Blizzard in Toronto

2007-12-16T08:18:00.001-08:00

and sadly there was no food in the apartment. Here are some pictures from our foraging mission in the neighborhood.

Picture Galleries IV: Montreal 2007 Winter

2007-12-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

Another photo gallery......

Words

2007-12-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get sick of words?

Sometimes I just feel like taking a break from words. I'm working on two writing assignments simultaneously,and there are only so many "nature's wonders", "undiminished beauty" and "sun-streaked rainbows" you can type before your brain starts to ache. So I'll take a break. And do what?

Write Christmas cards? Lots of words...
Listen to music? Lyrics are words.....
Exercise? Impossible without music.....
Work on a blog entry? MORE pesky words...
TV? Read a novel? Ahhhhhhhh.....

Ben thinks I'm cracking up. He's probably right about that.

Top Ten Songs

2007-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Our train was delayed on the way back to Toronto on Sunday evening, giving my iPod and me a chance to really bond. I rediscovered/discovered a new/old list of favorite songs:
1. 'Videotape' - Radiohead (In Rainbows)
2. 'The Second Part' - The Dears
3. 'My Ex-Lover Is Dead' - Stars
4. 'Living Proof' - Cat Power
5. 'Hong Kong' - Gorillaz
6. 'Five-O' - James
7. 'My Moon My Man' - Feist
8. 'There is a Light That Never Goes Out' - The Smiths
9. 'Empty' - Metric
10. 'Broken Toy' - Keane

Montréal

2007-12-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

We set off at the ungodly hour of 7am, our train pulling out of Union Station covered in ice chunks and clumps of hardened snow. All that winter mess had melted by the time we pulled into Gare Centrale, giving us the false illusion that Montreal was actually alot warmer than -16C (which was the day-time high).

Frozen and hungry we descended on Les Cuisines Tibet Libre, in the Plateau area (Beaubien station), which is not a Tibetan restaurant as the name would suggest, but actually a vegetarian pizzeria. The Margherita ($7) scored a whopping 10 on the BPS---aka Ben's Pizza Scale. Compare that to a BPS of 4 for Pizza Pizza and 9 for Terroni, and you can see just how amazing this place was.

Une excursion

2007-11-30T16:44:00.001-08:00

Two days without laptops, email and dishes; just all the poutine we can handle.
See you next week!

Strange clouds

2007-11-28T05:19:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you live at your office? Or at your school? Or at your factory? Or wherever it is that you work? Like it would just be easier to spend the night curled up under your desk instead of going home. In Japan, when I worked at a publishing company in Tokyo, many of the workers would arrive 8:45am and stay until around 10pm. They ate every meal at their tiny little desks, often plowing through a bento while going through page after page of useless paperwork. Today in Toronto it was lunch and dinner at my place of work, dining chez Tim Horton's while reading through equally useless paperwork. Funny how this pathetic-ness is universal.

This morning, just as I was cursing the world for having to get up and go do it all over again, I was struck by the swirly, velvety clouds hanging outside my kitchen window. Can't say it cured my grumpiness, but it did distract me temporarily.

I need sleep

2007-11-27T16:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I took three days off teaching. I had hoped the extra time would allow me to catch up on a few writing assignments that have been relegated to the bottom of my mental in-tray. But I got nothing done except alot of sleeping in.
I admit, it was blissful. It was heavenly. But it was the biggest mistake I could have made. Now I can't wake up! The alarm went off at 7am this morning and it felt like a gunshot in my ear (and that's through earplugs...). I used the 'snooze' function for about 45min. Every five minutes it would go off again and send my heart racing. But that didn't deter me from falling back into a deep sleep every time. I must have screamed a hundred obscenities at that clock before Ben came in with my coffee---the whiff of a double shot of espresso is the only thing that can get me up anymore. How pathetic is that!?

Christmas Shopping: Bust

2007-11-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sundays are meant to be relaxing. This is why we took one look at the crowds in Dufferin Mall and got out while we still had our sanity. Christmas shopping has suddenly become a dreaded activity.

We took a breather in the park opposite the mall. This girl had the right idea....

Then we walked home. We passed by the ROM, where others had even better ideas.

Snow

2007-11-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

Being the true Tim Horton's-loving Canadian I am, I spent the first snowfall of the season hunched over my computer, sipping a warm beverage and lamenting the lost days of summer. When I finally did venture outside it was cold and windy, the snow getting tangled up in my hair and making me generally unpleasant.

But today, now that the flakes have stopped falling and the sun is shining, things look much better.

And I suppose our Christmas tree looks better against the backdrop of a snowy roof. It *almost* makes me forget that our apartment is small and cramped, and overlooks a snowy roof.

Ode to point cards

2007-11-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

Next week we are going to Montreal to see the Stars (http://www.myspace.com/stars) perform at Le National. The amazing thing is that the whole trip is funded by points. We booked our Via seats with Via Preference points; and the hotel cost only 21,000 Aeroplan miles. If we actually end up in an executive room with a giant king size bed at Le Centre Sheraton, I'll never bad-mouth Air Canada again.

Picture Galleries III

2007-11-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

New gallery: In Transit (on the left).

Picture Galleries II

2007-11-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

OK, I've run links to my web photo albums on the left hand side. I decided to keep a slideshow going at the same time. And another blog poll! I was feeling like taking a walk on the wild side...
Oh, and now there is a counter at the bottom, so I can actually see if anyone other reads this thing, other than myself...

Picture Galleries

2007-11-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

I've started making photo slideshows, which load on the left side of the page. I've only got Japan and Toronto so far. Stay tuned for more....

Happy 30th Birthday

2007-11-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Ben's birthday and he received a cell phone. Now he can feel like "a real human being". He chose the Asian-friendly option, after all it would be very un-PC not to, and as a result, the telephone number they gave him doesn't include any 4s. So there goes both of Toronto's area codes (416, 647), leaving him with the '905' option. Now everyone is going to think he's from the suburbs....ha ha ha.

Sakyamuni

2007-11-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

OK first he appeared in my coffee in Sherbrooke. Then when the bathroom wall completely fell off one day, there he was again, hiding behind the cheap latex paint: Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
Is it a sign?

Ani DiFranco

2007-11-08T05:09:00.000-08:00

Last night we watched Ani DiFranco at the Danforth Music Hall. It was the largest group of dreadlocked, beer-guzzling women I've seen in a long time. When I saw her perform in Quebec, it was mostly hippies, both male and female. But this tour had some bizarre political slant, and opened with a 'slam poet', Buddy Wakefield. Yeah, I know. What on earth is that? You can check out some of his performances here:
http://198.65.45.203/buddy/tour/wordpress/index.php?cat=14
And the leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May, gave a speech about stopping nuclear proliferation. Part of the proceeds from the concert went to the Nuclear Information Resource Service (NIRS).
http://www.greenparty.ca/en/releases/06.11.2007
She played a lot of new stuff but also took requests from the audience. What other artist actually bothers? And then out of her absolutely massive song pool, she could just remember all the guitar chords and lyrics to a song she wrote 15 years ago.
At the risk of talking only about food on this blog (as I've been criticized for in the past....) I will only briefly mention dinner at Shee e Punjab, near Chester station. Definitely not worth a visit for vegetarians. Although the potent, gingery Shahi Kofta completely cleared out my sinuses.

A Day of Food

2007-11-04T04:59:00.000-08:00

Today was a day of non-stop eating. First we had brunch at LIVE, an organic/raw/vegan restaurant on Dupont Street. It was a little over-the-top, even for us, but perhaps the most creative food I've ever eaten. The group beside us entered the restaurant, sat down and asked, "is it vegetarian"? I felt really sorry for them....

My dish was salad with ginger dressing, tofu scramble (unfried of course) on a spelt-sesame-hemp crust, plus marinated carrots & cucumber slices. It tasted raw, naturally, and a bit weird.
Here are some pictures of the cheery decor in the restaurant. It was a little frustrating to eat at lego tables, because my tea pot (bodum) kept falling into the holes and threatening to spill everywhere.

I forgot what going to the movies on Sunday afternoon was like, especially when it's cold outside. But we braved the crowds to watch "Eastern Promises". It was so intense; an impressive amount of violence packed into 2 hours. One fight scene took place in a sauna, between a naked, tattooed man and a leather-clad Russian mafia dude. It was so gruesome, with blood everywhere. Just when we thought it was over, he stabbed the guy in the eye with a knife. Yuck! Someone in the theatre actually yelled, "Nooooo".

Despite the gore, we had quite an appetite after that. We decided on Rashnaa, a Sri Lankan restaurant near St. Jamestown in the east end of downtown. The restaurant was dark and dingy, but the magical smells emanating from the kitchen were enough to make you forget everything. We had thosai, rotty, vegetarian thali and channa masala. Amazing!

Yoav

2007-11-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Heard a new singer, Yoav, last week who does really crazy stuff with his guitar. Be prepared, the lyrics are a little lame.

http://www.myspace.com/yoavmusic

The Dalai Lama

2007-11-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

We spent Halloween at the Rogers Centre, watching a lecture given by the Dalai Lama. It was really quite incredible, despite the bad acoustics and hoards of people moving in and out of the stadium. He spoke about how the cultivation of warm-heartedness within families and in communities can transform the world. His message was simple, as always, but profound in its delivery. He was incredibly charismatic and funny; while seemingly trying not to be. It was fascinating to watch his translator, whispering the difficult words he needed to express his ideas into his ear. Probably from spending so much time together, the translator could anticipate the Dalai Lama's linguistic struggle even before it happened. It was quite remarkable.
Here he is on the big screen....

Project Jungle

2007-10-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ben wants turn our apartment into a jungle. I thought it was a passing phase, like the time he wanted to make our room a Sultan's den and forgo furniture for floor cushions in every room. But no, he's really set on this jungle thing.
So we went to IKEA to get some spiffy new plant pots to repot our rapidly growing plant collection. We had bought a few square shaped and cylindrical ceramic planters last year, but of course they are already out of style and therefore, discontinued stock. So we spent nearly one hour in IKEA shopping around the "marketplace", getting pretty unimpressed by their selection but filling up our cart nonetheless. Then we got to the checkout and just couldn't handle it anymore. Maybe it was the sickly sweet smell of cinnamon everywhere or the long lineups at the cash registers, but we ditched our cart and just walked out.
Sunday we awoke more optimistic. When we went for a walk in the morning we came across a rummage sale at the local Agon Shu temple (!?). They had a great cache of flower pots (and Japanese kanji books for children)---all for less than a dollar each. Oh and they burned a prayer stick and said a little prayer for me, which was an added bonus.
Luckily we have a Canadian Tire in our neighborhood.

Unluckily, their garden centre is being taken over by the Christmas section as the days get colder and colder. But we found some soil and a big planter for Ben's new tree. It only took one hour of humming and hawing to pick it out. Here is our planting station:

It's okay. Go ahead and say it. We know how lame we've become....

This is Not a Complete Waste of Time

2007-10-28T19:32:00.001-07:00

Some one actually reads this blog!! It's a miracle. Here is a photo for him....

An Extreme Sunday

2007-10-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

What a day of extremes! First we started by enjoying the 25-degree-plus weather that came back for a third weekend in a row. Then, we wandered through Yorkville and stopped in at the Hazelton Hotel's slick new eatery, ONE restaurant. This place is so swank that everyone drinks bottles of champagne for brunch and the butter balls are painstakingly carved into intricate little flowers. The mains don't even come with side dishes---they have to be ordered separately, for $12 each. And the decor? Well, what do you think? I say it smacks of the '80s, but not in a tragic, blue eye shadow kind of way.

"Worth every penny," I was surprised to hear myself say about our "heirloom carrots" dish, which included not only your average orange carrots, but also red, white and purple ones too, plus a few slabs of perfectly riped avocado and a fresh lemony garlic sauce. Second was frites with truffle oil mayonnaise and finally, a fluffy omelette filled with fresh vegetables. It was the most exciting dining experience I've had in ages, enhanced even more by the very aged, plasticky Russian lady beside us who couldn't get past the fact that the kitchen was out of sardines. I couldn't get past the fact that her male dining companion was younger than me!!

In the afternoon we headed to the east end to shop at Zeller's, where Ben got fooled into watching a Ginsu knife demonstration with the promise of a free present. After 20 minutes he finally got it......a plastic apple corer! He took one look it and threw it in the garbage.

Here is a shot of Main & Danforth at sunset. Romantic, isn't it?

Monkeys

2007-10-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

For our second 'Sunday off' we went really wild and set our sights on a slightly more ambitious plan: The Toronto Zoo. We needed enough energy to make it through the tedious 2 hour TTC venture, so we fueled up at Mars Diner at Yonge-Eglinton first.

The zoo is located in the Rouge River district, on the other side of Scarborough, and the heavily forested surroundings are awash in a sea of orange, red and yellow at this time of year. Ben was keen to see tigers, but I was on the lookout for monkeys. They didn't just have one type of monkey or ape, but seven different kinds!

Gorilla

Lion-tailed Macaques

Mandrill

Marmoset

Spider Monkey

Sumatran Orangutan

White-handed Gibbon

We also saw a Tapir:

And a sleepy tiger:

And a Clouded Leopard:

A Commitment

2007-10-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

We have decided to take every Sunday off. No e-mail, no work, and if one of us so much as opens a laptop, they will be punished severely. It's a fairly large commitment, I think, since we basically surrender ourselves into our computers every morning and then let them control us for the rest of the day. So the new rules on Sundays state that I can have my espresso delivered to my bedside (yes, I'm spoiled), instead of computer side (yes, I'm really spoiled) and we can actually take a few hours to just hang out. It's great to just read the newspaper or a magazine. Then we go explore a new neighborhood in Toronto. We are living at 'the centre-of-the-universe', so we should probably learn a little more about it.

Last Sunday we went to Queen West West, or West Queen West depending on which guidebook I'm working on. I'd been lamenting since the summer about how lame Toronto is compared to Montreal, the relative lack of independent cafes, laid-back vibe, etc., and figured that if it existed anywhere in Toronto, it would have to be here, the city's truly hipster neighborhood.
Our goal was the Drake Hotel, which had changed phenomenally since I wrote about it three years ago: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/accommodation/destination/toronto?poi=122710
It was a pretty crappy review, and it's really out of date, but it's still the coolest hotel in TO. The streets were dead quiet, it was Sunday afternoon, and the weather had gone from good to bad overnight, but the Drake Hotel was absolutely packed.
We passed 1001 Queen, a long-term mental health facility (a branch of CAMH), the presence of which creates an odd atmosphere in the neighborhood. We pondered this over coffee and cookies in Cafe Bernate, which overlooks the facility. I couldn't help be slightly envious of the inmates across the street who couldn't get a better piece of real estate if they tried. Here is a car wash near the cafe:

Whole Foods

2007-10-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a celebrity in Whole Foods for the first time. Well, I mean Hollywood celebrity (we saw a an actor from Royal Canadian Air Farce buying potato chips last Sunday, but that doesn't really count...). It's about time. I've been pouring thousands of dollars into that place, being the major food snob I am, and it's about time that my efforts pay off. I tried to act so cool and make him feel less like a CELEBRITY, but the poor guy was accosted by a crowd of old ladies who followed him around the produce section going on about all the movies he's been in. They trailed him all the way to the checkout talking his ear off!

For dinner, I bought fresh Ontario basil and now that I've released it from its plastic prison, the entire apartment smells like a pesto paradise. Once I get the garlic and pine nuts going and the tomato sauce bubbling, the neighbors are going to be fighting to get in.

Now I'm only buying local produce because NOW magazine told me I should. Well, that's with the exception of the food stalls in Chinatown, because we don't want to know where that produce came from and why it's so damn cheap. Seems like a good fad to get all hot and bothered about, and easier than the current no plastic and only organic diet I'm failing miserably at.

Well between Ben's recent croissant addiction and my obsession with everything else at Whole Foods, oh and our recent six-month expedition, we're completely broke. Which is why I dragged myself out of bed at 7am last Saturday to stumble to work. At least I got some great shots of the neighborhood.

Contest

2007-09-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

We're having a contest. Who looks more down and out?

Cast your votes now....

Prizes to be announced soon.

Tripod Temptation

2007-09-25T15:42:00.001-07:00

Today I flirted with the idea of switching blog service providers to Tripod, but chickened out in the end. They enticed me with fancy emoticons and the promise of photo albums and website builders; and I even had a blog border made of carrots! It was certainly tempting. In the end I decided that it would be too confusing for my enormous fan base to switch bookmarks.

I jogged this evening in the freak hot spell we're experiencing (imagine 31 C at night) and almost died. I was running through the ravine near my house when I felt the urge to just pass out. In my delirium, I realized that the ravine would be the best place to hide a dead body. There are so many pits and ditches. Just in case you were wondering....

Eastern Townships

2007-08-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the Eastern Townships, in southern Quebec, near the border with Vermont. The prettiest was North Hatley, a small town on Lac Massawippi.

After about five minutes, I was getting small town anxiety - you know, the feeling that you'll be
abducted by hillbillies and never see Starbucks again. After checking out a few hotels, we got back in the car only to realize that the gas tank was empty. Somehow the scrap of gas left and the coasting in neutral over the hilly terrain got us to the next major town - Magog - where we could fill up the tank.

Back in Montreal,

we made a trek to the big Orange Julep ball, a retro drive-in restaurant with sickly-sweet, frothy juice drinks (similar to Orange Julius, but better).

The bizarre building is such a sharp contrast to the surrounding cement wasteland and busy Decarie Expressway.

The Laurentians

2007-08-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today we rented a car and drove around the Laurentians, a series of small villages that weave through a small mountain range north of Montreal. It was my first time driving on a highway in at least 5 years, and I had a mini-breakdown on Route 15 when I realized I had to drive 120km/hr to keep up with everyone. I don't know how people commute everyday, because I'd be a basketcase. Here is a picture from St. Sauveur

and a few from the Village of Mont Tremblant, a big skiing resort.

The best part of having a car in Montreal is driving to out-of-the-way places that are boring to walk to, such as Pushap's Indian restaurant at Namur metro station. We had the thali set meal; the tarka dahl was heavenly.

Here was a parking lot near Decarie & Jean Talon.

Canadians in Tibet

2007-08-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent media frenzy, here's a link to Ben's blog which has some great pictures of Western Tibet from his Site Seminar earlier this summer.

http://ben-m-wood.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

Food snob

2007-08-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

I've become absolutely obsessed with food. I dream about produce at the Jean Talon market near Little Italy, and decadent pastries at the Heimishe bakeries in Mile End. It's hard to go back to bland grocery store avocados once you've had the best.

A day of walking

2007-08-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today we felt like walking....alot. We went from Outremont to the Plateau, via St. Viateur, past the Polish church, St. Michael's, which we see from our apartment.

Then we wandered east along Mont Royal until the shops and cafes petered out. I finally got my picture of the French-icized Second Cup.

Afterwards we headed south to the Gay Village, where the Divers-Cite festival was underway. These guys in green are representing the sponsor, TD Canada Trust, but..... barely.

Then we wandered down over to Old Montreal for dinner. It was absolutely crammed with tourists, and it's not a place I'd usually go for dinner, but it turned out well.

Juliette et Chocolat

2007-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Only in Montreal could you find a cafe devoted to chocolate in every shape and form. At Juliette et Chocolat we tried dark chocolate brownies, chocolate shots and even truffles filled with red wine. They even had dark chocolate truffles with Guinness beer inside. Ben tried a cappuccino and I had my usual shot of espresso (this was an educational trip, after all) to wash it all down with. But even after all that caffeine and sugar we went straight home and passed out. I think it was just too much for our systems to process.
Here are some pictures of the cafe.

And the winner is.........

2007-08-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some more espresso finalists. I couldn't possibly list the winner now because then my game would be over and I'd have no excuse to procrastinate work by going out for coffee.
1. Caffe ArtJava
Still Ben's favorite for their cappuccinos (pictured below). The espresso shots are so bitter, they're almost sweet. I know it's hard to imagine, but that's the best way to explain it.

2. La Croissanterie Figaro
I just love the atmosphere here. Apparently the bowls of cafe au lait are incredible; the espresso is considerably weaker here than in the Italian coffee bars, but very smooth and velvety.

3. Caffe Italia
Still the best so far, in my books. Shots are neat and tidy; yet rich and creamy.

4. La Paryse
Ben says this latte was terrible (probably because it's a burger joint). I'm just posing with it for a bio picture.

Ode to Wikipedia

2007-08-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight Ben and I argued about whether Second Cup was really a Quebec company. I was sure they were, because it would be the only way to explain their all-English name and signage. Ben said he wished we had Wikipedia in our brains, or attached to our wrists like those geeky calculator watches from the '80s for times like these. Yes we all know Wikipedia is not always accurate, but he claims that people should take all information they receive with a grain of salt anyways. At least they can get a general idea.
Of course it was the first thing I did when I got home. Before even taking off my shoes, I headed straight for my laptop. It turns out that (according to Wikipedia) Second Cup is a Quebecois company, yet was firebombed three times in 2001 by separatists who disapproved of their English name. This explains why many branches are now called "Les cafes Second Cup". Crazy. It's also bizarre that outside Canada, they have branches in Oman, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Wow, next they'll be opening a Tim Horton's in Afghanistan (yes I know they already have one).
All this coffee talk came about because I'm on a quest to find the best espresso in the city. I thought nothing could top the shots at Caffe Italia in Littly Italy (pictured below), but Ben is convinced that Cafe ArtJava is even better. I think Cafe Olimpico is also a contender. I'll be sampling a few more today and if I'm not completely whigged out after all that caffeine, I'll post the winner. What suspense.....!

I am the Walrus

2007-08-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

I am the walrus, koo koo ka choo.....

Tam Tams

2007-07-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the view from my computer desk in my subletted apartment. It's the east end of Montreal.

The heady scents of patchouli and marijuana filled the air at the weekly "Tam Tam" celebration, held in Mont Royal park. Here's a picture of the dancers, drummers and observers.

Coffee Woes

2007-07-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

This is what I've been reduced to: boiled PC coffee in a fake bodum, served in a duckie mug. I miss my espresso maker in Toronto!!

Montreal

2007-07-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

It feels great to be back in Canada! I rushed through Customs in Toronto and made a beeline for Tim Horton's. The super-powerful caffeine/sugar rush combo of coffee and Timbits jolted me out of my jet-lagged blur.
The flight was uneventful, which is just the kind of flight I like. In fifteen hours I crammed in one episode of the Office and five movies: The Lives of Others, The Curse of the Golden Flower, Namesake, some movie about the Spanish Civil War and Wild Hogs (ok, I was running out of options at this point). I filled the rest of the time staring at the little plane on the big map of the flight path, willing it to move faster across the screen. Here is a picture of the sunset at the end of the journey.

And here is our airport hotel in Montreal. Pretty nice as far as parking lot views go, don't you think?

Macao

2007-07-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

It was so incredible to see the old Portuguese churches and squares mixed with the crumbling Chinese apartment buildings and gaudy Vegas-style casinos lining the waterfront.

Canned Meat

2007-07-13T02:33:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find a pig endorsing the consumption of his own flesh strange?

Po Lin

2007-07-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

After a combination of subway, ferry and bus rides, we finally arrived at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island.
Ben was pretty bored by the time we reached the bus.

Here are some pictures of the temple grounds and the enormous Buddha statue.

Repulse Bay

2007-07-10T02:12:00.000-07:00

Today we took a bus to Repulse Bay on the southern shore of Hong Kong island. We spent three hours in the ocean, and came out as red as lobsters. But it was fun!

The Peak

2007-07-09T01:56:00.000-07:00

We went to the Peak for great views over Hong Kong and Kowloon. Here are some pictures of the panorama:

At night we went in search of a restaurant in the Soho District.

But ended up in at Greenland, a magical place with happy mushrooms and green fairies.

Yau Ma Tei

2007-07-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

Today I write from Hung Hom train station where I'm stealing wi-fi access from Starbucks. I’m surrounded in fast food stalls---selling barbecued ducks (on display in the window), big steamy bowls of congee soup and dumplings. Oh and the wonderful wafts of McDonalds are making their way over here too. Can you tell I'm hungry?
Recently I have been spending alot of time around Yau Ma Tei because that's where I found a great vegetarian dim sum restaurant.
Here is an apartment building in the area:

At the opposite end of the religious spectrum is the Tin Hau Taoist temple:

A small market in the back streets:

Dragon Boat Races

2007-06-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today I watched the Dragon Boat Races along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. All the teams had very colorful uniforms, like the Brazilians who were in green.

Until the temperature reached 33 degrees and the uniforms came off.

Oh and of course there were races to watch too.

In the final race, eight finalists (out of a total of 281 teams) battled it out.

I think these were the winners (but it was really hard to tell).

Hong Kong

2007-06-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

Today I rode along Hong Kong Island on one of the not-so-old-fashioned trams. Traffic was unreal.

Then I visited Hollywood Road and Man Mo Temple.

And took the Star Ferry back to Tsim Sha Tsui.

Free Hugs!

2007-06-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday at the Ladies Market and Goldfish Market were packed. Unfortunately the gates of the nearby Bird Market had just been closed by authorities after a starling tested positive for bird flu. The vendors were allowed inside to feed the birds, but their businesses are not making any money.

Perhaps as a result, these friendly guys were giving away free hugs!

Still in Kowloon

2007-06-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Still have yet to explore Hong Kong, but I do enjoy taking pictures of it:

And the Temple Street Night Market:

Purple pandas

2007-06-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

In the buildup to the 10-year celebration of the Chinese handover, the city has been decorated with purple panda bears.

Museum of History

2007-06-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today I visited the Hong Kong Museum of History. It was very interesting to read about the tumultuous history of the island, from the Opium Wars to Japanese Occupation to modern day. Here are some Japanese propaganda posters I liked.

Night in Kowloon

2007-06-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Some shots of the neighborhood at night.

Bamboo Scaffolding

2007-06-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Seeing such modern buildings, you’d never imagine that they were constructed using bamboo scaffolding.

Festival of Lights

2007-06-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

On my first day in Hong Kong I wandered around Kowloon and took in the Festival of Lights show at the waterfront in the evening.

Anne Black Guest House

2007-06-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

This is my room for the next month. It's cosy and clean, and a little reminiscent of my dorm at university.

Here are the views from my window:

Lhasa to Hong Kong on Air China

2007-06-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

Today I flew from Lhasa to Hong Kong (this is a picture of the Lhasa aiport parking lot)

via chengdu airport.

The Air China flight was quite uneventful except for the turbulence. The mountains in Tibet seemed so close to the plane that I could touch them.

Last Shots of Lhasa

2007-06-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some more shots from the Barkhor area of Lhasa

and a typical courtyard. This house would have once belonged to one, very rich family but now is shared by numerous families.

Also one more meat market. I couldn't resist.....

Tea Houses

2007-06-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

I became quite attached to Tibetan Sweet Tea (black tea with sugar and yak milk) during my time in Lhasa. Here are some tea houses I frequented.

Our neighborhood

2007-06-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

Our hotel is near a big Muslim area. Here are some picture of the local mosque, one of many meat shops (Tibetans do not kill the animals themselves) and a business deal in action.

Video clips

2007-06-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos Ben made:

http://vimeo.com/204507
http://vimeo.com/204220
http://vimeo.com/192715
http://vimeo.com/202706
http://vimeo.com/187231

Norbulinka

2007-05-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the busiest day of the Sakadawa festival, with the thickest stream of pilgrims I'd seen so far, but the grounds of Norbulinka---the Dalai Lama’s summer residence---were almost deserted.

Here we visited a very decrepit zoo with very sad animals, with the exception of one happy pig,

and two bunnies.

But the highlight of the afternoon was the performance by these two musicians.

Cave Temple

2007-05-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today we walked to the main branch of the Bank of China to access Lhasa’s only Mastercard-friendly ATM machine. It only allowed us to take out $400 so we took numbers and wait with the other 40 customers. After two hours the numbers hadn't seemed to move; it didn't take long for patient customers to grow restless, start yelling and charge the tellers. Finally the Bank of China hostess, who tried to stop the riot that was brewing, threw up her arms and told everyone to just line up.

On the way to the bank we stopped at a cave temple,

and a nunnery, where a group of very kind ladies shared their tsampa (cake made from barley flour and yak butter) with us.

Tashilhunpo Monastery

2007-05-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

We awoke refreshed at the very plush Shigatse Hotel, checked out and went to explore the controversial Tashilhunpo Monastery, which houses the empty seat of the Chinese-appointed 11th Panchen Lama.

We had dinner back in Lhasa at a Tibetan restaurant next to the Mandala Hotel. It had great views over Barkhor Square.

and the Potala at sunset.

Yamdrok Lake & Gyantse

2007-05-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

We left Lhasa by the west at the crack of dawn---7:30am in this part of the world. We crossed the Tangpo Bridge and headed south to the entrance of the Khamba La pass. This mountain pass winded back and forth along a very narrow road that slowly climbed to a height of 4794m (almost 1100m higher than Lhasa). It was quite terrifying, especially when impatient Chinese tour buses passed us on the hairpin turns at a speed of 90km/hour. From the top of mountain we got a great view of Yamdrok Lake and the mountains of Bhutan.

Since the quick, scenic route over the mountain and along the lake to Gyantse was closed, we had to take the long way back down the mountain pass, and along the highway that follows the Yarlung River. We stopped along the way at a Chinese restaurant for lunch. When we sat down the waitress sauntered over, threw down a roll of toilet paper, then proceeded to dole out tea leaves into our paper cups with her hands. It was quite an interesting place!

At some point , our driver decided to take a dirt road through a big desert to meet up with the southern highway that lead to Gyantse. During the two-hour, very bumpy drive across, we were grateful for Gravol. The scenery changed dramatically as we went over sand dunes and through some interesting little villages.

In Gyantse we visited the grounds of Palkor Choide and the Kumbum, where you can wind your way up through lots of small chapels and past thousands of murals painted by Newari artists---most of which are in the dark.

Here is one that was unveiled by the flash of our camera.

Ganden Monastery

2007-05-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Leaving Lhasa, we passed many Chinese fishing villas, schools and industrial blight. It wasn’t until we neared Ganden Monastery that the landscape returned to bucolic villages, sprawling grasslands and craggy mountain peaks.

We climbed up a terrifying road to get to the monastery, and our bodies had another altitude shift of 600 meters.

After visiting the halls and chapels,

we had lunch in the guesthouse. It was a packed lunch provided by the tour company consisting of an apple and banana, a cheese sandwich and a bag of carrots and cucumber sticks. The non-vegetarian lunch was the same but with a sausage, a chicken drumstick and a boiled egg. Our friendly tour guide, Gyatso, shared his yak milk tea with us. We watched the yaks over lunch and then went to pet them after eating. Here is my sister-in-law, Emma.

Next we walked the ‘kora’, a circuit around the back of the mountain. It took us past the police station---where constant surveillance by Chinese guards began after a series of monastic uprisings in the 1980s and 1990s. Then suddenly the route became desolate and hugged a rocky cliff peppered with small rock carvings, shrines and millions of prayer flags.

The view was great. Here is Ben, his mother, our driver and tour guide.