Gouda Old Amsterdam 18M

So, I've started to move down the fridge. I have almost tried all of the soft cheeses from France and Quebec, and am now moving across the fridges towards the harder and other European cheeses.
I'm not sure if I've had Gouda before. It tastes, like cheese. Seriously, it tastes like basic orange cheese. Kinda salty. Kinda like those Kraft singles slices that I would fold up into a cube and eat as a kid.
So, the Old Amsterdam 18 months is from North Holland, Huizen to be exact. As the label from the shop says, "Fromage a pate ferme pressee et cuite vieilli 18 mois." (Google translation here)
Meh, nothing too special for this cheese. I'd eat it again, but I'd try other cheeses first.

Coming home

I'm in Neuch right now. I feel like I'm home.
While I only spent three years of my life here, they were formative ones. I moved here to start my (first) career. It was my first job and I had just graduated from university (the first, wait no, actually the second, time). I was young, effervescent (I've recently worried a lot about whether or not I've lost this characteristic), and eager to take on the world.
Everything was wonderful and an adventure.
And here I am again, all these years later. The same person, but so very different.
Even taking my first steps in the Zurich airport felt so good. Getting on the train and hearing the familiar announcement over the intercom made me feel more relaxed (which I needed). Disembarking the train in Neuchatel and been surrounded by such familiar sights, sounds, and smells was so lovely.
I've spent the past two days trying to slow down. And just be. Here.
I'm searching for that inner glow that I haven't felt for awhile. It's gotta be somewhere in there. Being here is helping, I think. I feel like I've got this thick layer of something that's taking away the shine to everything. I'm hoping it's just been a build up of some things over time, and these next couple days in Neuch will help to peel off some of the layers. I feel small glimmers every so often, but I'm not quite where I want to be.

Yesterday and today were pretty great though. Actually, things have been just dandy since I arrive Sunday night. In addition to just feeling like I'm home, I made myself comfortable in the place where I will call home for the rest of this week. It's a beautiful space with a beautiful view. I shall have to take a picture of the view that I wake up to. And then I had fondue for dinner.
Yesterday was a quiet day culminating with a walk to my old neighbourhood, walking by my old apartment, walking to the bus stop as I always did and then to a dear family's house for a raclette dinner. And then back downtown for the fireworks (c'etait la fete nationale). They put on a great show. I've seen quite a lot of fireworks recently (Montreal has them regularly in the summer), and this was so much better. There were some really interesting ones, including one shaped like a teddy bear's head!
Today, I went to the market. I walked around downtown. I walked near the lake. I ate a crepe. I also ate yogurt.†I went to Migros. And Coop. And Denner.

I don't want to live here (forever), but I would like to spend more time here. It's a place that rejuvenates me and feels good. I guess that's because it's home.

Paris, France (July 18-23, 2016)

Paris is (one of) my happy place(s).
It's been five years since I've been here, and it feel like too long. I know that's such a privileged thing to say, but it's the my truth. My first and last day in the city were pretty much for recuperating or traveling, so I really only had 4 days in the city. Four days is not nearly enough.
I did lots of amazing things (might update this post in the future with pictures and more details), but here is a little recap of the highlights:

Colette - This was literally, my first stop (after checking in to my hotel). I love this shop so much. It's a lifestyle store, but for me, what I appreciate is the "curated" clothes/fashion and their presentation. Each time I go upstairs in the shop, I feel like I'm entering a gallery space. The mannequins artfully dressed, it's great. I don't really consider myself a fashion nut, but I guess I'm slightly interested in it.
I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of everything that's in the store. Whomever the buyer is does a great job. I really enjoy the fashion in the store. Touching and taking a close look at the fabric. It's art.

L'As du Fallafel - I don't tend to each much while I'm in the city. I'm too busy walking about and doing different things, that I forget to eat, or just couldn't be bothered. Or, in the summertime, when it's so hot, I usually don't feel like eating. AND, a baguette can take you a long way. I usually just pick up a couple things from a grocery store and snack on the road or back in my hotel with my feet up (my feet REALLY hurt from walking so much). But, I did go (back) to L'As du Fallafel in the Marais for some yummy falafel (hmmm, I guess there are different ways to spell it?). Their falafels (the whole she-bang, but just the falafel pieces) are massive and in my shrunken stomach state, I couldn't finish the whole thing. I ended up eating everything in the pita and then saving the pita itself for a snack a little bit later on in the day. The best part of the falafel is the roasted eggplant. So tasty.

Macarons - As I said, I don't eat a lot while in Paris, but I do always prioritize the eating of macarons. There are two companies that I get my macarons from: Laduree and Pierre Herme. They are both awesome, but different. Laduree has very classic flavours. Par example: vanille, chocolate, pistache, cafe, rose. Pierre Herme has just one or two of the classics, but really experiment with different flavour combinations. Their classic is Mogador, which is chocolate and passion fruit. They have seasonal flavours too. Their theme for the summer is Jardin Enchante, and they've got a lot of citruses and yogurts. My favourite seasonal flavour was citron vert, framboise & piment d'Espelette. It was SO good. I usually try different things each time I return to a restaurant/shop, but I actually went back to get the same flavour. I'm telling you, SO good.

Centre Pompidou - I went to the Paul Klee exhibition at the fun looking building. It really is unique. I only visited the one exhibition. I'd been to the museum before and I'm sure that I'll go again, so I didn't feel the need to visit the regular collection this time around. My brain could only handle this one exhibition.

Foundation Louis Vuitton - Opening in 2014, this was my first chance to visit this museum. It seems to show only one exhibit at a time, and I happened to be in town for "un choix d’oeuvres chinoises de la Collection". Actually, there were two exhibitions happening I suppose, as there was also the L'Observatoire de la lumiere. Both were quite fantastic. I will have to upload some pictures soon (and update this post accordingly). It is a beautiful building and says Frank Gehry all over it. If you know the new AGO building, you know what I'm talking about. Even if you're not keen on the art that's being exhibited when you're in town, I would highly recommend going to visit the building because it's pretty incredible. It really is like a sailboat plopped into a park. There is a lovely water feature beside the building which is so calming too. And with your ticket to the museum, you get admission to the Jardin d'Acclimatation.

Shopping - Of course this would be an important component of my time in Paris. Window shopping is key. When wandering Rue St. Honore and Av. Montaigne (for example), for me, it's akin to Colette. I just go into the boutiques and appreciate what's there. Paris is special for many reasons, and going to the homes of many of these designers is a treat. I was hoping to splurge on something while I was there, but while I did see many things that I liked, there wasn't one item that leap out at me or that I felt comfortable with the price. It may sounds completely ridiculous, but I wasn't in the best emotional state while I was there (due to my fatigue and such), and that negatively affected my purchasing power.

Anyway, it was pretty great to be back to Paris. And I didn't spend nearly enough time this time. I've actually been thinking a lot about vacations (I'm finishing up this post, now, two countries later - although, not completely feeling like I've had any vacation) and how I should try to make them a priority (or, at the very least, some sort of break from work/life). While in Paris, I was actually chatting with someone in a boutique, and she was telling me about all of the vacation time that the French get. That it's part of the culture. Vacations, that is. It really made me reflect on their lifestyle as compared to mine and how each culture/person values different things.

As I've said a couple times in the past little while, I'm a work in progress.

Parmigiano Reggiano, A.O.P.

Wait, so parmesan isn't that powdered stuff that you shake out of a can? Or that stuff that looks like little stringy things that comes of out some weird grinding device?
This hard cheese is crumbly and salty (this had little salt crystals in it too). Maybe a little bit too salty? I guess I would just have to eat small pieces of it. In terms of taste, I don't know...salty and cheesy?
I'm no help, but this might be.

Comte Reservation 18 mois

The market in the summertime is so lovely. I was happily filling up my panier and thought to get some more cheese, because, why not? I tried a different cheese shop this time, La fromagerie Hamel. It's got more than just cheese, in fact, I'd say it's got everything that you could want to go along with your cheese. From breads, to jams, charcuterie, nuts...you know, all the accoutrements. I enjoyed the store. We'll see if I become loyal to one over the other.
Anyway, as per usual, I picked up two cheeses. Usually, I go for a hard cheese and a soft cheese, but this time I went with two hard cheeses. 
The Comte Reservation is a cow-milk's cheese from France. It's a little bit like a cheddar, quite creamy. There seemed to be little salt crystals or something in it, which was a nice little surprise. Very smooth. 
One thing that I prefer about the other cheese shop is that the label that they give you has some tasting notes. I like having immediate access to the info. Today's cheese shop doesn't have that info on their labels but you can find all of the info on their website. So, if you want to read up about the Comte Reservation, click here.

Fete nationale

...is not actually a fete nationale. Sigh. QC, you're special.
Happy St. Jean!

National Circus School

Last week, I attended the two annual shows of the National Circus School, Colibri and Demain. I'm so glad that I went.
The show features performances by the graduating class. The ensemble is made up of the second year students (it's a three-year program). The first years put on a pre-spectacle performance in the foyer.
While both of the shows were incredible, I preferred Colibri. The show was simple, not quite having a storyline, but a clear mood was established. It was etherial, lyrical, and romantic. The mise en scene was simple and the featured acts were so well woven into the show as a whole. Even nicer, I thought was the way that each member of the ensemble had little moments to show their own skills as well as collectively continue to perform without being a distraction from the featured performer.
Demain had more of a folk, fun, and upbeat feel. There was an attempt to have a story keeping the show together, but some parts seemed confusing and superficial. I later learned that each show was put together in three weeks and featured performers came to the shows with the acts that they created for their final assessments for the school. Thus, the "characters" that they embodies for their assessments may not have matched the vision of the show and so the Creative Directors of the show would deal with this in their own ways. The acts from Demain did seem a little bit more eclectic, show perhaps it made it harder for the Creative Director to make things flow authentically. Anyway, I guess it depends what you like in a show. Demain also features more acrobatics (which I love), so it was fun to see performers jumping, tumbling, twisting and turning.
There was one consistent theme across both shows: talent and art. I was impressed at the passion and dedication that these artists/athletes put towards their craft. These young adults focus on developing and honing their skills...for them, it is a full-time position.
I hope that everyone in the world is able to find their passion and puts their entire being into it. As exhausting and discouraging that it sometimes may be, the moments of pure bliss make it sooooo worth it.
Montreal is pretty fantastic for (youth and) the arts. Both the National Circus School and National Theatre School are here. And I can take advantage of both by supporting the students and being inspired by attending their performance.

Pomp and circumstance

It's graduation season.

Graduation ceremonies are a funny ritual. Each institution has its own traditions and it's interesting learning about them. The spectacle of it all is really...errr...well, something. It's fun and amusing. It's also full of pomp and elitism. (Wow, some of my colleagues are really getting to me! Ha!) I try not to think about the latter, and think of it as a celebration and a special occasion that happens rarely in one's life. In my profession, I'm fortunate to be part of many.
At my current institution, the spring convocations are held in a (HUGE) tent on main campus. From the outside (I'm quite bad at scale) it seemed like your average tent used for events. But, as the procession (yes, procession...it's so ridiculous) entered, I was shocked at the crowd that awaited me. It seemed to go on forever. The tent was so large that there was a big screen TV mounted so that those who were seated towards the back could watch the events through the screen.
Speeches are a source of interest. How the speakers interpret their role and what they choose to speak about. I am always interested in finding out if repeat speakers reuse (parts) of speeches.
The moment of "hooding" is one that can vary at institutions. From literally hooding the graduands, to tapping on the shoulder with caps or scrolls. There are options for kneeling or  crouching.
And of course, I must comment on the attire. The procession is probably the most diverse: the different gowns, hoods, and caps that appear are a source of amusement. I choose not to sport a cap and my gown is red and black and my hood is red and white. Quite simple, but elegant. I feel fortunate. I enjoy those who wear the poofy caps, and gowns with awkward colour combinations. A colleague has a lovely bright pink gown and she looks so splendid. As the majority of the ceremony is spent watching graduands cross the stage, as it should be, they are on full display. As their attire is covered with the big gowns, footwear is easiest to consider. From flats to stilettos, I watched their strides with intrigue.  The audience is a little bit too far away to see what they're wearing, but after the ceremony is over, it's nice to see how family and friends have chosen to dress for the occasion.

Anyway, as I said at the beginning. Convocations are a funny ritual. I do feel a little ridiculous being part of the spectacle, yet proud at the same time. I am humbled by my privilege and to be part of a special day. I'm already looking forward to the next ceremony.

Congratulations to all graduands and graduates!

Bixi

A couple years ago, BIXI arrived to Toronto. I think the idea is great. A hop on, hop off bike rental operation. Yet, I never took advantage of it. I loved my Metropass and really, who needs more than the 510? Also, I'm terrified of the idea of biking among the cars in downtown Toronto. I really don't trust the cars/drivers to not hit me, and I think many of them wouldn't trust me. I think BIXI Toronto wasn't doing super well. I see people using them, but I guess not quite enough to make it financially awesome. They're still around though, so I guess it's good enough for now.
Here in Montreal, BIXI stands are all over the place and there are tons of people tiding them. While Montreal seems to have a better infrastructure for bikers (ie. more bike lanes), for me to get to the bike lanes, I'd need to bike among cars for a bit before having a lane all to myself. Also, the 80 is pretty great and I'd have to walk up the big hill if I biked, which in itself is enough of a deterrent. But, when I heard that Bixi Montreal was having Free BIXI Sundays, I wondered if maybe I could take advantage of it and maybe go for a ride along the Lachine Canal (ie. a car free zone). A couple days ago, I did a little research to understand just exactly how the service works (ie. pricing). My idea of going for a leisurely bike along the canal, went out the door, because really, how much can you do when you're on a 30 minute time clock? Ok, so that's kind of annoying. And really, if you want to borrow the bike for a longer period of time, it kind of adds up. I suppose that then clarifies the intention of BIXIs in that they are meant for short trips, commuting, errands, etc. It's not for touring around the city, sightseeing, or getting some exercise. So, by this morning, I had forgotten about my dream to BIXI, until a little brain wave hit just a few minutes before the end of my spin class. Why not take a BIXI home from the gym? I mean, I usually like walking home as a way to cool down and keep my legs and muscles moving, but I could probably have similar benefits by biking home, right? Ok, so here's a funny reality. I've been riding a stationary bike regularly for the past year, but getting on a non-stationary bike is a little bit awkward. I haven't ridden a non-stationary bike since, errr...maybe 7 years ago? While I still know how to ride a bike, I forgot how to (dis)mount one. After getting my BIXI out from the docking station (as simple as sticking in your credit card, entering your phone number, and punching in an access code), I actually walked the bike for a couple blocks to an alleyway so that I would be able to get comfortable on the bike away from cars and people (I mean, who needs witnesses seeing you fall off a bike?!?). I rode in the alley for a bit, figuring out the gears and brakes and then ventured onto the road. I mean, I was a little nervous about riding on the open road, but there was nothing I could do about it. I popped on and off of sidewalks for a bit, but by law, I knew I was supposed to be on the road. I took a couple detours just to see a little bit more of the neighbourhood, but was kind of nervous about: 1) cars/major roads, and 2) my 30 minute timer. So, after what felt like just a a short ride, I docked nearby my house and realized that I was very close to my 30 minute mark. So hopefully, I won't get a fun little surprise on my credit card bill! Also, it showed me that BIXI isn't what I'm looking for/need. I'll need to borrow a bike from a friend for a day or something, not be on the clock.
Still, I'm glad to have taken advantage of the free ride. The bikes are easy to ride and the service is convenient. What I don't like, the the time restriction, but if your plan is to use BIXIs for their purpose, the time wouldn't be an issue.

Notkins

Notkins is a seafood restaurant. While we went for dinner, I would probably return for the Oyster Bar. My main dish wasn't too memorable, but the oysters were good. The decor is chic, although it does seem to give off a Bay Street (ie. financial district) vibe. It seems like an after work drinks kind of place.

Price point: mid

Food (presentation/plating): 3/5
Food (taste/flavour): 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance/decor: 4/5

Would I return again: yes (but I might try other places first)

Mandy's

I really like salads. Call me silly, but I'm happy to spend money on a good salad. I know it's just a bunch of veggies thrown together, but there are so many possible combinations of ingredients and some salads are ok, whereas others can be awesome. There's nothing better than an awesome salad.
Mandy's is a cute restaurant that does gourmet (they said it, not me) salads. It's catering to the yuppy girl. Everything from its decor (cottage-y, cute, California) to some of the products that can be bought (boxed water - barf). Also, they have a location that's at the back of a women's apparel/lifestyle shop on Laurier. It's probably best as a take-out place because it's super busy around lunch. In fact it's only open during the daytime and closes before dinner. The portions are quite large...and in pretty bowls! (They know their demographic!)

Price point: low-mid (I mean, it's on the upper end of price-points for salad)

Food (presentation/plating): 3.5/5
Food (taste/flavour): 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/decor: 3.5/5

Would I return again: yes

Mikado

Mikado is a Japanese restaurant on the (fancy) Laurier Ave. strip known for its sushi. It's quite large and the ambiance is leaning towards a traditional (at least, my interpretation of it) Japanese venue. Simple, with clean lines. The food was a little bit inconsistent. The fish was good, but the rice was cold. I was surprised that they had disposable chopsticks.

Price point: mid

Food (presentation/plating): 4/5
Food (taste/flavour): 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/decor: 3/5

Would I return again: maybe  

Les Enfants Terrible

Les Enfants Terrible is a restaurant that I flagged when I first decided on the area in which I currently live, that I wanted to check out. In nice weather, there is a large terrace (FYI, that's QC-speak for patio) that is ALWAYS busy. There's frequently people just hanging out nearby waiting for a table. Bernard is a bougey street where people like to mill about and be seen, and since I love people watching, it seems like a perfect restaurant to watch the world go by.
The food is decent, as is the service. So the big appeal of the place is still the location and vibe (of the surrounding area). It's a predictable and reliable place to dine. It's good for dining on a sunday when many other restaurants are closed.

Price point: mid

Food (presentation/plating): 3/5
Food (taste/flavour): 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance/decor: 4/5

Would I return again: yes 

La Belle et la Boeuf

La Belle et la Boeuf is known for its burgers. They have burgers ranging from the simple, to the "epic". I had a burger with peanut butter and bananas. It sounded too crazy not to try...and it was REALLY good! It's a pretty loud restaurant drawing folks who want to eat, but also those who like the drink. It's definitely a fun outing and depending on the type of burger you get, it can get kinda messy!

Price point: low-mid (I mean, it's on the upper end of price-points for burgers, but cheap in terms of general side-down places)

Food (presentation/plating): 3/5
Food (taste/flavour): 4/5
Service: 2/5
Ambiance/decor: 2/5

Would I return again: yes (I'd be sure to make a reservation)

Cartel

The menu of Cartel looks awesome. The food...nothing too special. I had heard that the tacos were good and they looked decent on the plate, but they didn't seem to have much flavour. I wonder if the point was that you were to put the hot sauces that were provided on the table. Still, I think a taco on its own should have a decent amount of flavour and that the sauce would just improve or bring out those flavours.
In addition to the tacos, I was intrigued by the Chifa. I don't think that I'd ever encountered Chifa before. A Peruvian and Chinese combo? Interesting. What we ordered was decent, but nothing special.

Price point: low-mid

Food (presentation/plating): 3.5/5
Food (taste/flavour): 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/decor: 4/5

Would I return again: yes, but I'd try other places first.

Burger Royal

You want good/crazy burgers? Go to Burger Royal. If you like simple burgers, they have it. If you like all the fixings, they have that too. They also crazy burgers that I appreciate because who wouldn't want to have a friend egg in your burger? Or mac and cheese? You can also choose the size of your burger and there is the option of going gluten free by having your burger in a lettuce wrap. I like that they serve the burger on top of a little wire pedestal (of sorts). I mean, it's a little stand that allows the oil and excess sauces and toppings to fall out and onto the plate below so that your burger bun doesn't get soggy or whatever. The burgers are yummy.
The poutine is nothing special. I wouldn't get it again.

There's nothing terribly wrong with the restaurant, but if I'm using the same scale as other places that are fine dining, then I have to be fair in that the service staff don't dote on you, and it's clearly a fast food place. I mean, it's everything you'd expect a fast food place to be and it does the job well, so I'm really not complaining about it.

Price point: low-mid (I mean, it's on the upper end of price-points for burgers, but cheap in terms of general side-down places)

Food (presentation/plating): 3/5
Food (taste/flavour): 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/decor: 2.5/5

Would I return again: yes

Piano Piano

At the end of last year, Splendido closed. Chef Barry was ready for a new adventure. Recently, Piano Piano opened in the space. The place was completely redone and seems to have a King West kind of vibe (to me, King West mean schmoozy, yuppy, trying a little too hard). The menu is markedly different from, well, fine dining tasting menu. Simple foods, but quite good. Pizzas and pastas seemed to be the main staple. The price-point is obviously more accessible.

The tenderloin carpaccio was probably the standout dish of the evening. The plating was messy, but I think that was the point. I mean the plate was FULL. I was disappointed by the cavatelli carbonara, but it could be because I've only eaten carbonara (spaghetti) once before and it was in Florence in this tiny little restaurant and it was the BEST. THING. EVER. And so, ever since then, I've built up carbonara in my head and probably as time passes, it gets to be even more of a thing. Everything else that we ordered was good. The quality was quite good, but nothing mindblowing.

The front of house mentioned that they were doing quite well as a new restaurant. The place seemed quite busy. From young professionals to folks dining for a special event, and some older clientele. I always like to see a mixture of diners. The service was a little spotty. We needed to flag people down a couple times and they didn't seem to follow up after service as I thought they should have. Maybe growing pains of a new restaurant?

Nice moment: The front of house remembered my brother and I from the Splendido days. I only dined at the restaurant twice (and years apart).

Price point: mid

Food (presentation/plating): 4/5
Food (taste/flavour): 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/decor: 3.5/5

Would I return again: yes

Dandylion

I went to Dandylion awhile back. It was a low key restaurant, but with a really cute vibe. Kinda of whimsical with wood and concrete walls, flowers and plants and mirrors. It reminded me of NYC somehow. It was one of the best meals that I've had in a long time.

Price point: mid

Food (presentation/plating): 4.5/5
Food (taste/flavour): 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance/decor: 5/5

Would I return again: Definitely!

Saint-Andre

The Saint-Andre cheese is a pasteurized cow milk's cheese from France. As described on the label from the cheese shop:

"Enrichi de creme. Gout de creme fraiche. Riche et fondant. Legerement crayeux au coeur. 1er service. Champagne, cidre. Vin blanc doux et petillant." (Translation, from google).

This cheese was recommended to me after telling the person in the shop that 'd tried a lot of cheeses in the brie section and wondered what else they might recommend. The cheese is really creamy, and spreadable. Lovely with a baguette! It tasted a little bit like cream cheese, but with a slight sour note? It doesn't have too distinct of a flavour, which again, works for me. 

Valbert

Back on the cheese train!
(Also, the market is hopping again! The flowers vendors are out in full force and people are buying plants by the cart full!)
The Valbert is a cow milk cheese from the Fromagerie Lehmann in Lac-Saint-Jean, QC.

As written on the label provided by the cheese shop:
"Fromage fermier a pate ferme pressee et demi-cuite. Croute affinee. Affinage de 6 mois. 2e service. Vin: Blanc fruite et doux." (Translation, by google).

I was telling the person at the cheese shop that I wanted a hard cheese, and that I'd tried a couple of the cheddars that they had, but wanted something different. And this is what was recommended. Well, of course, a couple were recommended, but this is the one that I went with. She described it as having notes of mushrooms, and after tasting it, it seems to sit on my tongue a little nicer than the other one (which I might end up trying in the future). Unsurprisingly, I barely taste mushrooms. And perhaps I only taste them because I know I'm supposed to. It tastes creamy, which I like. And kinda like cheddar. The flavour isn't too strong, just...errr...cheesy?!?

Anyway, it makes for a good snack.

The First Monday in May

I recently went to a screening of The First Monday in May.
It was AWESOME.
The film is a document about the lead up to the 2015 Met Gala, which served as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, and the opening of China: Through the Looking Glass.
I found it fascinating to get a peak into the planning of this massive event and all of the details and moving parts that are associated with it. The preparation and planning of the art exhibit was equally interesting and while I knew that curating an exhibit was a lot of work and very thoughtful, I didn't realize the scope of what mounting an exhibit entails. The amount of planning, research, consultation, marketing, promotion...the different components (e.g., lighting, staging, sound). It was so impressive.
In addition to the leading forces for the Met Ball and the exhibition, Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton, respectively, I appreciated that there was a strong collaborative aspect to both including many talents including Baz Luhrmann and Wong Kar Wai, respectively.
And of course the fashion. The fashion throughout the movie was fantastic. Everything from the day to day clothes that every person on screen was wearing (I had a major "a-ha!" moment when I found out who Andrew Bolton's partner was), to the beautiful pieces in the exhibit, and the pieces worn to the gala. I had some serious clothing/style envy.
From beginning to end, I thought the film was well done. Of course the subject matter appealed to me, but I thought the narrative of the film and cheeky little moments (hint: dragon lady) were spot on.
So yeah, if you can, go watch the film.

- picture courtesy of www.firstmondayinmay.com

OSM

I attended an OSM concert earlier this year for the first time. I've been wanting to go for awhile, but I kind of pick and choose concerts based on the programme. There was a concert earlier with the Rach 2 and Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique - two pieces that I love. The soloist for the Rach 2 was the winner of the Grand Prix du Concours OSM Manuvie 2015, Scott MacIsaac. He did a great job.
I think it would be interesting to attend a youth competition. When I lived in CH, I attended the Prix de Lausanne each year and back in T.O., I attended the Erik Bruhn Prize once as well. Each were equally impressive and inspiring. Here in Montreal, I'm going to thinking about what opportunities are available to see talented youth showing off their talents.
This concert was also the first time that I was in the Maison symphonique de Montreal in Place des Arts - a beautiful concert hall. It reminded me of Roy Thomson Hall with the light wood, choir above and behind the stage, and the organ just above that.
Anyway, it was a lovely night with a nice variety of people in attendance. I hope to go to another concert again soon...maybe even one conducted by Kent Nagano.

Year 2 in review

Hi team,

I'm still here. Just very occupied with life. As I should be, I suppose. Each time I post, I talk about how I want to make blogging more of a priority. And clearly I have not stayed true to my word. But writing this post is progress of some sort, I suppose.

Anyway, I just finished up my second year at this new gig. Gig meaning a new job in a new city, and kind of a new life. And recall that I follow an academic calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar.
It's been interesting. I'm pretty reflective by nature, and the past two years have been an intense journey in self-discovery. Although I have had many different experiences and been fortunate enough to experience many things that most people may not have the opportunity to experience, these past two years have stretched me in many ways and I realize that my sphere has actually been quite limited in certain ways. I guess it's one of those situations where "the more you know, the more you know that you don't know".

In a nutshell, I guess I would describe Year 1 as SHOCK. It was a complete shock to my system. I was so naive commencing on this journey. My self-confidence was really rattled. My understanding of identity was questioned. There were many highs, but quite a few lows. For the first time, my body physically reacted to the change and stress. I'd like to think that I have faced some adversity and pressure in the past, but I guess in retrospect those challenges were nothing. I used to think that I thrive under pressure and while I still think that is true to a certain extent, it turns out that I have some limits. While there were never moments last year that I felt like it was too much, there was clearly something going on because my body signaled as such. By late fall, I was regularly getting hives on my body. At first, I thought that it was some sort of allergic reaction, but based on when the hives would appear and how long they would last that clearly wasn't the case. Luckily, they were localized  in an area that wasn't visible, so I wasn't self-conscious about it. Luckily they weren't painful, and they tended to go away after a couple hours. They were sort of itchy, but that's about it. I had never gotten hives prior to last year, so when they first popped up, I wasn't sure what they were. It kind of freaked me out, but the lovely friend that google is helped me figure things out. I also had two other strange stress reactions last year. It was odd because they both happened in the springtime during times when I wasn't feeling particularly overwhelmed or anything. They also happened randomly, appearing first thing in the morning. And it was darn scary. Nothing dangerous or to really be concerned about, but the fact that it never happened to me in the past and was happening during a time of change and when I was already feeling relatively insecure...well, it was tough. And this had symptoms that I couldn't hide. But, since it was at a time of year that I didn't have to go in to the office (definitely perk of the job), I just hid out at home and relaxed.
The silver lining to all of this, I guess is knowing that I'm not invisible. I mean, that sounds obvious, but I actually think that I'm invisible. I still don't really know what my limits are (and I do like trying to push them), but I'm still more aware of...I don't know. Something. Also, this year, I haven't gotten any hives, so I guess something's better. I did have the other reaction once this year, and I remember that it happened on a day that I was feeling particular stressed. And the reaction didn't seem quite as intense. I also didn't have to go in to work that day, and it seemed to go away quicker than it did last year. And because I'm a little bizarre, it was kind of interesting to experience those reactions. Again, I don't see either of them as particularly worrisome as they didn't have serious side-affects. It was kind of like the stress was lurking in me, and it just kind of came out in this subtle way. A little "poke" from my body to say, "Hey, you're going through so crazy stuff, huh?"I didn't have anything acute. No panic attacks, issues with breathing, nothing like that.
Last year, I learned a lot about what's important to me. I realized that I took some things for granted. I moved to a different environment with a different culture, and quickly figured out that there were some things about where/how I grew up that I really value. So it made me think about these things and just how important they are, whether or not I can compromise in some of these areas, and WHY they are so important to me. I still don't think that I have any definite answers, but I'm more aware of the issues that exist and realistic about the fact that it's a process and journey that I can't just snap my fingers and it will all be sorted out.
And that's kind of one of the big things that I left Year 1 and entered Year 2 with. The fact that I had completely unrealistic expectations about how my new life would unfold. Or at least the speed at which everything would unfold. I still hope to move in the direction that I originally envisioned, but I know that it'll take longer to get there.

So I started Year 2 optimistic and with a fresh attitude of trying to stay in the moment. To stop and smell the roses and just soak up everything that was happening and not think too far ahead. I mean, I do enjoy the day to day (another lovely take home from Year 1, as tough as it was, is that I love what I do and I'm so happy that I'm doing it. That I've worked so hard to get to this point, and now that I'm here...well, it's as awesome as I thought it would be) but I'm really good at not dwelling on the things that are awesome (because they're already awesome, so why 'waste' your time on them? ...yes, I know this sounds a little ridiculous) and focus my efforts/energy on things that I want to be better. I definitely acknowledge awesomeness, but like to make everything awesome and enjoy the challenge of making things awesome, so it often seems like I'm focusing on the negative more than the positive. But it's not as though I'm living in doom and gloom all the time.
This journey seems to be following the stages of grief. Now, I'm not sure if it's five or seven stages that I'm going through, and if I'm going through them in the right order, but Year 2 had some moments of anger. Since Year 1 was a lot of discovery and learning about my new context, Year 2 was kind of like a, "Now I know what the reality is, and I don't necessarily like it or can easily change it, so I'm just angry about it all". Ha. So there were moments of frustration this year...feeling stuck. Wondering why things were the way that they were, why I can't change them, or being annoyed that the change process took longer than I believe it should take. (Did I mention that I'm also impatient? ...which is kind of weird because other people have said that they belief me to be a very patient person. They also see me as very calm, cool under pressure, bubbly, extroverted...so what's going on there? I do have moments of each, but I wouldn't think that they are my hallmark traits.)

Through this two year process, I am reminded of the importance of "people". Friends, confidants, mentors. A support system. I'm very good at thinking through things on my own and think that I'm pretty good at covering all angled, but it's still nice to have a sounding board or someone who's been through it provide support. Since embarking on this journey, I've had a couple people suggest that I speak to someone about some of the issues that I'm thinking about. A therapist or counselor of some sort. It's been interesting receiving these suggestions, because it's never been suggested to me prior. I had to sort though my own misconceptions and biases about this, and even that process of thinking about that and speaking with different people who have/continue to work with therapist has been a great learning experience and chance to broaden my thinking. I'm at a place where I feel quite content with the situation and how I'm handling things, but like with most things, it's nice to know about different options. That being said, I want to reiterate how much I've valued speaking with trusted advisors about some of the questions and issues that I'm trying to sort though. To be reassured that the things that I'm thinking about are reasonable and to be reminded to celebrate the successes...no matter how small they may seem.

So my life is still kind of, ummm, interesting. I'm still trying to figure things out. I mean, I still don't feel settled into my life. I'm not fully comfortable in the city that I live in. I like it, but I don't love it. And it's different from what I'm used to. The job is good, but causes me anxiety. BUT, one of my "A-ha" moment a couple weeks ago brought me to the stage of acceptance. One of my challenges has been figuring out a work-life balance. It's kind of a thing in my profession (I imagine it's also a thing in many other professions, but some not as much). I really value work-life balance and have a certain idea of what they entailed. I'm not sure if what I imagine is completely unattainable (partly, because part of what I imagine is something for the future), but it's something that I'm still working towards. The eureka moment came when I realized that I don't have a 9-5 job where I only work when I'm at work. That I don't have a job that I show up to work every day and know exactly what I need to do, because what I need to do is the same day in and day out. That I don't have a job that's consistent. That it's Monday to Friday, 12 months of the year (with 2 weeks of vacation somewhere). My job doesn't graph as a horizontal line.
I have a job with significant peaks and significant troughs. I recently had a couple days where I worked until 4am (Year 2 revelation - my regular bus route has a night bus! So I didn't have to leave work in time to catch what I thought was the last bus of the night! ...yes, I have also just taken a taxi home too, but when I leave work at embarrassingly late hours like that, I'm usually skipping out of the building feeling really fulfilled and loving the fresh air and walk to the bus stop.). But I also have the luxury of working from home pretty much whenever I want. And taking vacation pretty much whenever I want. I have a job that's super stimulating, but also entails rejection on a regular basis. And I accept that. I accept that my my work graph is bumpy. But for me, it's figuring out how to keep the range of that graph at a minimum.

Anyway, so that's kind of where I'm at right now. Things are good. There are still lots that I'm not super happy with, but in the grand scheme of things, everything is a-ok.

I'm on a summer schedule now, which includes an experiment - not going in to the office one weekday a week (in Year 1, I sometimes went in to the office on weekends, in Year 2, I didn't at all, so that was some nice progress). Whether than means working from home or only working 4 days a week (I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with emails in an efficient and non-all-emcompassing manner), I'm not sure, but I think it'll be a good routine to get into for this next little bit while the weather is nice (I have grand plans for my balconies - I have three...well, one I'm not going to worry about, but the other two are going to be super - one already is with different planters boxes filled with lovely flowers and such...but I also hear that it might snow this week...sigh.).

Hopefully with this one post, it'll get me back into the groove of blogging. I should start small and do some restaurant reviews or mentions of different events/outings that I've had. I haven't done a ton of traveling, so that's one less thing to worry about.

*L*

Fine dining

I enjoy trying new restaurants. I like the experience. I mean, I just can't do it too often because, well, it wouldn't be good for my diet (when I eat out, I kind of just get whatever sounds good and don't think about quantity, health, and cost).
The first SUPER fine dining experience I had was at Les Ambassadeurs in Paris. That was soon followed up by Philippe Rochat's restaurant in Crissier, Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville that I wrote up about here.
I had eaten at a couple nice-ish places in Toronto before that, but definitely not in the realm of three Michelin Stars.
While Toronto doesn't have anything quite to the level of that, there are quite a lot of good restaurants. I enjoy all aspects of dining. The food, the service, the ambiance. It's all important to me. One of the restaurants in Toronto that I think it quite good in all three areas is Splendido. I've been there a couple times and have been impressed each time.
Tonight was no exception.
Splendido is closing its doors at the end of the month. Chef Victor Barry is moving on to other adventures. It is the end of an era.

Let it go

So I'm supposed to be totally into this team, right? I really want to go to a game at some point - I hear the energy is amazing!
Anyway, the video is entertaining.
Also, it's December 11th, and it's 11 degrees outside. Super warm. Last year, I posted about warm weather and then it started to snow. Let's see what (environmental) response this post will get.

Bubkas

I have recently discovered the awesomeness of bubkas. Cheskie's is a Jewish bakery near me that I've heard people talking about since I moved here. I really have intended to go prior to this year, but one lame excuse is that I would usually have time or think about going on a Saturday. And well, they're closed on that day.
Anyway, now that my routine has changed up a bit and I'm regularly walking by the place when it's open, I really have no excuse. But it's very risky. Their bubkas are soooo good. I'm been assured that everything in their shop is good, but I almost don't want to find out for myself.

Welcome to F.L.

Two great things about Toronto: the Toronto International Film Festival and HotDocs.
I've missed attending both festival.

But, the nice thing is that Montreal has its own share of film festivals as well. I think the equivalent festivals to those mentioned above would be the Montreal Film Festival and the Montreal International Documentary Festival.

The Montreal Film Festival has been on my radar ever since I moved here, but I did have a chance to watch any films at the festival this year or the last. I found the synopses of the films not quite as inspired as those written up on the TIFF website, so it was difficult for me to be motivated to go to a screening. In the end, I didn't seem to make the festival a priority, but hopefully I will change my mindset in the future.
And there are some films that actually screen at festivals in both cities (including the one that this post is technically about).
The documentary film festival, on the other hand, seemed to sort of work out. I had bookmarked quite a number of films, but due to various commitments (mainly, out of town visitors - whee!), I wasn't able to attend many screenings. To be specific, I only attended one.
I had actually tried to attend another screening, but it was sold out and I didn't get there early enough to get in via the rush line. I think they cut off the line about 10 people in front of me. Phooey.

So the film I actually did get to see is called Welcome to F.L. (official website here). The filmmaker returned back to her secondary school to film and interview students (mainly those in the graduating class). The students talked about life in high school, their experiences, their hopes and dreams. It was a natural fit for my interests.
My review? Ummm, well, it was a good chance to practice my French. I guess I'm glad that I watched the film? I don't think that there was something lost in translation, but I wasn't really blown away by it. There were some little memorable moments, but I couldn't see the big picture. I wasn't sure what exactly the filmmaker was trying to do. There wasn't a story that was particularly compelling.
The Q&A with the filmmaker didn't really help much. Perhaps after watching an entire film in French (although there were English subtitles), my brain was getting a little fatigued as I started tuning out during the Q&A. But I also think that the questions and how the filmmaker responded didn't really help the situation.

Anyway, my big takeaway from attending the screening was that I really do need to take advantage of the wonderful film festivals that the city had to offer. I'll have to put them into my schedule and make them a priority.

Picture courtesy of http://bienvenueafl.com/

A difference of 70 years

This website was recently forwarded to me. It instantly brought me back to my visit to Normandy. Especially the third and last picture.
You learn about different events in history class. You read books, watch movies...they bring the events to life as much as possible. Yet, imagination is required (for me) to fully comprehend it all.
Nothing can compare to a lived experience. I feel so fortunate to live where I do and to have the life that I have. I will hopefully never have to live through many of the things that others (have) endure(d).
Lest we forget.

How to Age Gracefully

This is a really sweet video.



(Sorry for being MIA on this blog. Lots of awesome things going on that I should be sharing or at least would like to, but I haven't been able to actually get my act together and force myself to sit down and blog. Apologies.)

Fall harvest

Just getting home from a lovely trip to the market.
I really do think that going to the market makes me feel like I'm a tourist (of sorts) in this city somehow. I think, in my mind, because I associate going to markets as something to be done in Europe (where, although I lived there for a couple years, I knew that it was temporary). I wonder how long it takes for notions such as those to be re-programmed.
Anyway, I went to the market and it was so lovely. Although the temperature was chilly, the sun was shining and there were many people there bringing life and warmth to the place. It was a feast for the senses. There were buskers playing live music for us to hear, delicious foods being prepared for us to smell, samples of produce for us to taste, interesting courges for us to touch, and endless stalls and displays of hues and patterns to see.
I wish I could share a picture with you, but I decided to go free of any devices. I usually bring a book to read on the metro, but this time, I was even more basic. Just my sunnies, a $20-bill and my Caban (I still miss that store) market bag.
My goal for today was to pick up items for a roast. I got a capon from the grocery store (I also now know what a capon is), and I'm going to make my place smell lovely (and it won't hurt that it'll warm up the place too) as I prep my meals for the week.

Today's been a lovely, quiet, but fulfilling day. A little bit of a lie-in, and then I re-potted some of the plants on my balconies into smaller pots to sit on my windowsill. My geraniums share a sill with my lavender, and I have another sill with a pot of basil, another of spearmint, and a third with rosemary...which I will need to snip off a sprig to go into my roast.

So, off I go to prep my roast, now to decide on a movie to have playing in the background.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Inuit throat singing

Yesterday, I was at an event that included Inuit throat singing. I think it was the first time that I had heard through singing before. I would describe it as a mixture of humming and beat boxing.
The singers told us that traditionally, throat singing was a competition. That two women would sing together and the first person who missed a beat or started laughing was the loser. The women would be competing for clothes and/or other objects. They even said that a long time ago, the signers would also compete for hunters. Does that mean that women ruled the roost?
The singers were wearing traditional Inuit attire, which was beautiful. Features of the coats/tops include: long fabric that covered their bums (practical when sitting in the snow - and also, as one of the singers joked, good to cover up a big bootie!), a front piece decorated with coins (to protect them from evil spirits) and other special objects (e.g., beads), wide sleeves (practical so that mittens would fit under them), and a big hood (which could function as a baby carrying pouch).
So, when the two women sing, they are facing each other, holding each others arms (around the elbows, sort of) and standing actually quite close to one another. They kind of rock back and forth, presumably to help them keep time. Some of the songs seemed to maintain the same beat, whereas others seemed to speed up in parts. Most of the songs that they sang seemed to be set songs that they both knew. Some of the songs even represented different things - one song made the sound of a saw, and another was the sound of Canada Geese.
It was interesting to see - I think it would be neat to attend a competition at some point. For most of the songs that I heard, I found it difficult to tell who "lost" (although, maybe at this performance, it wasn't about who stopped first) because the singer whom I could see her face looked like she was half smiling and half laughing the entire time.

At the same event, there were many other Native American peoples in attendance and there was a moment where they all got up to dance. Their outfits were absolutely beautiful. I think the host of the event mentioned that there were 13 nations represented at the event. I definitely wasn't able to tell the difference between the people who were their based on their attire, but I'm sure that someone else who know more about the different cultures would have been able to.
Most of the ladies dancing seemed to do something akin to what I would call the "wedding walk". They moved forward around the space, kind of doing a step-touch movement. The men were a little bit more animated, some also doing a step-touch, but with a lot more zest and spring. The grass dancers were more pronounced in their style with some spins and other lunging movements. And I can't overemphasized how musical, ornate, elegant, and beautiful the outfits were.

Straight Outta Compton

I watched Straight Outta Compton last week. It was really good.
I know hardly anything about NWA. I'd heard of them, and more specifically Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. That's it. So I learned a lot from watching this film.
Gangster rap is definitely a music genre that I know very little about and I haven't not listened to. The lyrics of the songs are shocking, not necessarily for the content, but for the language (I blame my day job - I actually cringe when I hear someone swearing). The content, I find fascinating. I can't imagine growing up in that kind of context. A lot of the issues described in the film have come up in recent conversations and events in my life, so it's really made me think even more about race, culture, and discrimination. These are issues that many people don't like to talk about, and I'm still trying to figure out where I stand, what I think, and how I want to act (and maybe be a role model and/or make a difference). It's complicated.
Because I can't help myself, I started thinking about whether or not the portrayal of various characters and stories in this film were skewed. The widow of Easy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre were directly involved with this film. I started trying to dissect how those particular characters, and those closest to them were portrayed. 
Anyway, I left the film feeling wanting to learn more about various themes/topics/people from the film. I do wish that the film went into a little bit more depth about the characters, where they came from, who they're families are, that sort of thing, but I guess you can only do so much in a feature film. I mean, all of a sudden the characters had significant others...I wanted to know more. I mean, there's been some critique about the portrayal (or lack thereof) of women in the film, but I think the critique has to do more with something else than what I was looking for. I'm interested in people, character development, and how people's experiences/contexts shapes who they are so I'm always looking for that.

Also, I had a moment after the first scene where I got that glowing feeling. The opening scene is great...really amps you up for the rest of the film. And I felt that glow that I get when I'm perfectly happy and content. I haven't gotten that feeling in awhile, I think. But in this moment, I was encouraged to continue to keep at it, continue to live my life and do everything that I'm curious to do and live my awesome life. It was a nice feeling.

- picture courtesy of www.imdb.com

How to make a deaf musical

Deaf West is putting on a production of Spring Awakening. This video gives some insight into how the production was created.
Spring Awakening is a great musical. I saw it in New York a bunch of years ago. I happened to see the original cast which included actors/actresses who most people probably know from the TV show Glee.

On y va!

Bonne rentree a tous!

I enjoyed seeing the froshies running around campus last week. It brought back many memories from what seems like a lifetime ago. I still have a couple days before my jitters come back with a vengeance, but today is still special nonetheless.

Quiet

Quiet, by Susan Cain

I'm thinking that my summer of reading is over. I still have a couple books on my shelf that I had borrowed from the library during the summer, and maybe I'll try to read them during the year, but I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I will give it a go.
The most recent book that I read was Quiet, by Susan Cain. I'm not sure how I ended up borrowing this book. I had watched her TED talk, and I think this book popped up on my "recommended" list when I looked up Lean In online, and I find it interesting learning more about personality types...anyway, I borrowed it, and I'm sure glad that I did.
Simply put, this book is about introverts. I liked the book because I feel like I better understand myself. Reading a little bit more about my personality, and why I do what I do and why I like what I like and enjoy what I enjoy. To learn a little bit more about culture and culture clashes (first-generation problems!). I found the book reassuring.
Of course, we are all a mixture of personalities. We might lean towards one side of the spectrum than another. I had a moment when I was reading the book where I wondered it everyone reading this book would find part of themselves in it, just like reading the horoscope. On any given day (or day after), I can read the horoscope of any star sign and see myself and events that have happened in the day. So is this book naturally preaching to the choir because everyone will be able to see themselves in it? Or maybe there is a seriously extroverted person who will read this book and be completely surprised by what they read.
I was also thinking about the message of this book with my profession. I'm in a field where the pendulum is swinging many perceive that a cooperative, discussion- and inquiry-based approach is advocated for. While there are many benefits for this approach, how does this support the learning of introverted students? Personally, I advocate for a diverse and balanced approach to teaching. Our students are diverse. Our students learn and thrive in different contexts, and I want all students to have to opportunity to feel success and be successful. At the same time, I want all students to feel challenged and have an opportunity to develop areas of weakness or learn to make the most out of contexts that are not comfortable. Who knows what kind of context they will end up in and/or whether or not they will have the ability to alter their context to one in which they will thrive (because hopefully they will know more about themselves).
I had a eureka moment when I read about Free Trait Theory, or in general, the idea that you can display a completely different personality in different contexts. It helps me to make sense of my 'different personalities'. I have consistently gotten the feedback that I present myself in a certain kind of way. That impression is completely contradictory to the emotions that I'm feeling in those situations. I was always a little bit confused as to why that was the case, what caused it, how I am able to have the strength to give that impression, and how come I can't channel that person more often? I still don't really have the answer, but I liked reading about it.
Anyway, I really liked this book. It was very easy to read and a nice contribution to my current phase of self-discovery.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

La dolce vita

I write this from the floor of my balcony. This past week, I've realized that putting a blanket on its floor, bringing out a pillow, putting a good playlist on my itunes, some light reading, and snacks is awesome.
The weather's been fantastic this past week and why take the time to pack up your things and walk to the park when you can have a lovely picnic on your very own balcony? And then whenever you get tired of it, you doing have to walk home because you're already there.
Win-win situation if you ask me.
Sure, there are certain times of day that the sun hits the balcony and it gets too hot, but when there's shade it's pretty great because I get a nice breeze.
It's pretty fabulous.
So, I've been living it up here on my balcony for the past week. Making the most out of the final days of summer. I'm back to a more regular work routine starting tomorrow.
It's been a nice summer. I was able to slow down my pace and just 'be'. I feel well rested as I begin the year. And that's a good thing.

Phew!

I finally mustered up the courage to read my course evals from last year.
Folks, we take these things seriously. In a class filled with positive comments, even one negative comment can absolutely shatter an instructor's moral. It's terrifying to read these things. Absolutely terrifying. Those nasty comments stick, and no, I don't know who wrote them, so just knowing that someone out there thinks those things about me is crushing.
I came out of this round unscathed, but I'm still shaking. Opening that file takes courage.
Thank you to those students who took the time to give their thoughtful feedback, and even more thanks to those who are respectful in the process.

I love what I do...so much that sometimes it hurts. But it's worth it.

I Could Do That

I think this is a nicely done video. I wonder if they will create a video discussing how it's decided how much art is worth. I have been looking to purchase some art, but am unsure of my pricepoint. I'm also still in the stage where I don't think I've been exposed to enough art to know what I like to own. Sure, I know that there are certain artists' work that I like, but most of those pieces are not one that I will realistically be able to purchase. I haven't seen a piece recently that I've loved so much that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I do see nice things from time to time, but am never sure if I like it enough to purchase it.
I wonder if I'll ever get to the point of making the commitment and buying something?

Un sejour a Toronto

Just hanging out in the Billy Bishop Airport lounge (P.S. the pedestrian tunnel is quite lovely) and reflecting on the past two (and a bit) weeks here in Toronto.
I worry that each time I’m in Toronto, I only get the “best of” series because I am here for limited amounts of time and actively create my schedule for my visits. Anyway, suffice it to say, I had a lovely time in the city. There was a lot of smiles and laughter and I was mostly in very positive spirits, but I do admit that I did have some moments which ensured that I wasn’t on cloud nine the entire time. I’m learning that it’s okay to have a cry every so often and am trying not to be embarrassed about it. It’s better to let it out (and hopefully move on). But yes, for the first time in awhile, I felt very well-rested, content, and optimistic.
Toronto is fantastic. Here are some reasons why:

• International cuisine. I only scraped the surface by eating American, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Malaysian...and if it counts as a type of cuisine, brunch. Ha. I had intentions of having Caribbean and Vietnamese, but actually ran out of stomach space. In fact, the last three days I was in the city, I only ate one meal a day. After eating a lot, I tend to get into camel-mode and just stop being hungry. Standout food experiences from this trip include: Dandylion and Yasu Omakase Sushi Bar. I'll also mention Greg’s Ice Cream, because it's a classic and their Roasted Marshmallow ice cream is my favorite ice cream that I've ever had, and I can also say that I (waited in line and) ate Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake (tasted more like a cheescake-flavoured steamed egg thingy and was kind of meh). For some interesting flavours, I would recommend going to Kekou Gelato House. Finally, afternoon tea is always a wonderful experience too, and MoRoCo's isn't too bad. 

• Street festivals. I stumbled across Toronto International Buskerfest while wandering the city. While I'm not sure that Toronto can compete with Montreal in terms of its festival scene, I do think that the festivals in the city are becoming larger and they are trying to place them in locations that will become known as spaces for events. I know many people who scoff at Yonge-Dundas Square, but I quite like it and appreciate what it's trying to do/be. 

• (free) Outdoor movie screenings. I was happy to be able to take in part of TIFF in the Park 2015: TIFF 40 and watch one film while in the city. I have always been interested in seeing The Triplets of Belleville, because the soundtrack is so fantastic. The film itself is quite quirky and doesn't make my favourite movies list, but as I said, the music is phenomenal.

• Theatre. I'm a little surprised that when living in the city, I didn't attend shows. When traveling to New York and London, I would frequently attend shows, but never made it a priority in Toronto. On a whim (literally - I walked by the theatre, saw ticketholders entering, and decided to join them...it was just 10 minutes before curtains), I decided to see Newsies. Why not? The singing was great (I'm a sucker for good harmonies, and I was in an emotional space such that the right harmony or lyrics caused my to get teary-eyed) and the dancing was decent (I had very high expectations). It was a nice 2.5 hours and I feel fortunate to be able to have been able to take advantage of the situation that presented itself.

• People. Toronto peeps - you're the best of the best. 

It was great to walk around the city. I did lots of window shopping (disappointed that I wasn't able to find some things that I was hoping to find - but that always happens with me) and enjoyed being able to drive. I miss driving. And swimming is a wonderfully relaxing thing and is calming, refreshing, and therapeutic. I was lucky that part of my time in the city was so wonderfully warm and was fortunate to be able to spent time outside in the pool. 
Prior to booking this trip, I was worried that two weeks would be too long. I didn't think I would be comfortable being away from Montreal for that long. Now that it's over, it went by too quickly. While I was able to do a lot, there is still a lot that...well, there's always more. 
But, here I am, at the airport, waiting to head back to Montreal. Year 2. C'est parti!

Quebec French

In response to merci, it's bienvenue (not de rien).

And it's melon d'eau (not pasteque).

Balsamic BellaVitano

I had intended to only get one type of cheese (the Tete a Papineau), but then, I stated to chat with the salesperson and asked her to give me a rundown of how the cheese in the shop were organized. I asked some very naive questions about how I might think about the different cheeses and what I might consider for the next time and then she asked the deadly question: "Do you want to try something else?" How could I say no? I mean, there were so many different cheeses available, so I wasn't really sure where to begin, so I just asked her what her favourite cheese was, and she said the Balsamic BellaVitano...from Wisconsin. I laughed out loud that it was an American cheese and she chuckled as well. I think it's also part of my silly romanticism of Europe, but I was thinking that I would want to eat my way through European cheeses. But of course Wisconsin would have some good cheeses too!

Here's the description on the label (which, was of course written in French although it's an American cheese): "Fromage a pate ferme affine au vinaigre balsamique gagnant de la 1er place au American cheese Society 2010. Fin 2e. debut 3e service. Vin: Rose de Provence." (Translation, by google)

The cheese (from the Sartori Company) reminded me of a cheddar. Made from pasteurized cow's milk, it's a little harder, and has that kind of "cheddar" taste (I've got to develop a better flavour vocabulary)...I don't know how to describe it...salty? Thick? There is a hint of balsamic vinegar (obviously), but with my crappy palate, it's super subtle to me. The description of the website is helpful and I like the recommendations of what it pairs well with. I mean, that didn't really help me, because I was only looking at it after I'd finished eating, but knowing which foods it would go well with was interesting to think about.

Anyway, another cheese that I enjoyed. I mean, it's great that I'm finding all of these cheeses that I like, but I guess when you are able to taste the cheeses before buying them, that helps. I mean, I usually try one or two cheeses before deciding what to buy, and I don't really think I've actually tried something that I thought was vile. Mind you, I'm probably (based on the salesperson's knowledgeable recommendation) trying cheeses that probably wouldn't be too offensive (to my limited cheese palate). It's been fun going through these different cheeses. I'm really holding back from moving into goat cheese territory, but it seems like there are so many cow's milk cheeses that  don't have to worry too much about it quite yet.

Tete a Papineau

So, I'm continuing to go through the selection of brie-like cheeses at my regular cheese shop. I think at some point, I'll need to move along to other types of cheeses and diversify, but for the meantime, I still start my conversation with whoever's helping me in the shops with something along the lines of, "I usually get something from this section, like a brie...what would you recommend that's similar?"

This time, the recommendation was Tete a Papineau. Another Quebec, pasteurized cow's milk cheese and coming from the Fromagerie Montebello. I wouldn't describe this cheese to be "spreadable" per se. It's softish, but not quite as soft as some of the other cheese that I've gotten. In terms of flavour, this cheese has NO flavour. Like, even eating the rind, I don't get that kind of bitter or funny taste that stays on the tongue. I get no hints of anything, no undertones...so if you like a strong cheese this one is not for you. I googled a little bit more about the cheese and found a description of its flavour as "Douceur, arome de creme fraiche, legerement herbace." (Translation, by google).

The description on the label from the shop reads: "Fromage artisanale a pate demi-ferme & croute lavee. Affinage de 35 a 60 jours. Finalist Fromages Fins Can. 2014. 2e service. Vin: Cahors, pinor noir." (Translation, courtesy of google)

Anyway, it was a light cheese that I enjoyed. Today's incredibly hot outside, and I'm sitting on my balcony (luckily, a big tree is blocking the sun right now), so it's very warm, but there's a nice breeze. And with a fresh baguette, tomatoes and fruit juice, eating this cheese is enjoyable.

Montreal Jazz Festival (June 26-July 5, 2015)

It's festival after festival in Montreal during the summer. One of the big ones that recent finished up was the Festival International de Jazz.
I managed to head down to Place des Arts to take in a couple (free) concerts. That's the awesome thing, Place des Arts is a wonderful set up and they erect massive stages and sound systems and provide opportunities for the public to experience the festivals without having to pay for the festivities. Retailers and concession stands, I'm sure benefit from the traffic.

Three concerts that I attended stood out to me:

Michael Kaeshammer (British Columbia, Canada) -  I guess I would describe this music as big band jazz? Music that you can dance to, that's for sure. It's just such feel-good music.

Ginkgoa (France, pictured above) - I would describe this band as having an electro-swing flavour. As soon as they started playing, I immediate thought of this playlist on Songza. The band was awesome, playing music that you couldn't help but move to. And the lead singer couldn't help but move either. A fun touch was that she tap dancer through one of her songs.

Adam Cohen (pictured, left) - So this is Leonard Cohen's son. I imagine that's a tough gig and maybe I shouldn't have chosen that as the opening to introduce this musician, but to me, it's also a good descriptor of the sound of his voice and style of his music.

It was absolutely incredible how many people attended the festival. There were tons of concepts that you had to buy tickets for, and I'm sure those were well attended too. I just couldn't believe how many people were packed into Place des Arts. For Adam Cohen's concert it was a seriously big deal of a concert. A huge production. Lots of lights, lots of big screens so that people not in front of the stage could still see the performance and of course an awesome sound system so that you could hear the concert from all around. I was so impressed with the show and will the turnout.
There were concerts happening all the time, and of course staggered a bit so that performers weren't competing between the stages. The soundchecks might have overlapped a bit, but that's it. And in between the big(ger) shows were smaller concerts and street performers. In fact, you can the vaudeville street performers pictured here standing in the background (in suits) of Ginkgoa's performance. They were enjoying and respecting fellow artists' performances. And it was impressive how quickly the festival crew was able to clear an area to let the performers set up and to set up the sound system.

I can't wait to continue to explore and experience more festivals in the city.

Twelfth Night (or What You Will)

I had mentioned in a previous post that I would need to check out Repercussion Theatre's Shakespeare production in the park...and I did!
This year, the company put on Twelfth Night (or What You Will). I was recently chatting with a friend about the experience but had forgotten the name of the play. My description was, "You know, that one where a girl dresses up a a guy, and someone falls in love with her/him, but then someone else falls in love with some else, and there's a mix up and some other stuff." Pretty vague and unfortunately encompassing of a couple of Shakespeare's plays!
Anyway, the play was lovely. There were a couple songs in the play and I enjoyed the musical interludes. The last song that was sung to end the play and into the final bows sounded very familiar. Not like, it's a famous song, familiar, but like I'd heard it in another Shakespeare in the Park production. And since I think I've only really seen the Canadian Stage Company's productions in High Park, I'm narrowing it down to something that they did. So, is there a common song for Shakespeare?
As per usual, I packed a picnic dinner for this outing. It was fun. I'm really getting into this whole cheese and baguette thing. The cheese with ferns was purchased for this particular event.
Repercussion Theatre does things a little differently from the Canadian Stage Company. Instead of residing in one venue, the production moves around different parks around Montreal each night. Thus, you are able to select a night of a location that is convenient to you, or visit different parks in the city. It also means that the set and the whole she-bang needs to be easy to set up and rather portable. The set was simple, but effective. I went to the July 3rd show which was at a really large park. It was kinda cool because the entire evening there were people just walking by (because people in Montreal really love wandering and their green space...at least when the weather is nice) and stumbling across the production. There were also teams playing soccer on the fields in the background. And of course lots of people picnicking.
The company is touring until July 26th, so there's still time to catch a show! You can either find a patch of grass to sit on, bring a lawn chair (people here seem to not just bring those collapsible camping chairs, but straight up folding chairs) or even pay $5 to rent a chair (and get a seat right up front). The show is by donation (collected by cast members during intermission - I guess they don't have to bubble themselves throughout the entire show...mixing and mingling with the public doesn't throw them off).

Quebec City

I've been to Quebec City a couple times this year. Unfortunately, neither time was during Carnival, so I'll have to go back again at some point.
Something funny, is that prior to moving to la belle province, I would call Quebec City, "Quebec City". But people here refer to it as "Quebec". Is that what folks in New York refer to New York City as.
For the first little while, I was always confused when people talked about Quebec because it didn't seem like they were referring to the entire province, but then I finally clued into what they were talking about.
I don't know how much of Quebec City I've had the chance the chance to city. Both times I was there, I was staying quite close to downtown. I had a chance to walk around the downtown area and go to the old city and it is quite quaint, but not too large, and I kind of got my fill of the city within an afternoon. I'm sure there's more to see, but it would probably require some sort of transportation more than my feet. I'd like to visit the ice hotel.

Coulommiers Fougerus

On recommendation, I tried a different cheese shop. The shop is small, with a small selection, but a very nice boutique. Apparently they have cheeses that are more rare in the city, and the service was wonderful but I did have to buy my cheese blind because I wasn't offered a chance to taste anything.

Anyway, going with my continued quest to go through the bries, I asked what was available in that family. I was presented with two options, one made with unpasteurized milk and the other, pasteurized. As someone who was enceinte would be probably be eating the cheese, I went with the pasteurized cheese, the Coulommiers Fougerus.

This creamy cheese from France has a rind (still getting used to it) and is covered with ferns (so apparently, there's a hint of fern flavouring the cheese - can't taste it at all). This cheese shop doesn't provide any details about the cheese on the label, so I can't give more specifics about the cheese other than what I can find online. What freaks me out a bit is that through my online reading, this cheese is made from unpasteurized milk. Uh oh. 

The cheese is easy to spread on a baguette and doesn't have a strong flavour, but it does have a bit of an aftertaste. Like that bitter-ish flavour or that rind-y flavour or something. Or maybe it's a little sour. Or mushroomy. It's a decent cheese. I don't LOVE it, but I enjoyed eating it.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture, by Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture is a book based on a talk given by Randy Pausch in Carnegie Mellon's Last Lecture series in 2007 (embedded at the end of this post). You may know of it as it went viral.
At the time, I had seen the video, and followed Randy's blog until he passed away in 2008.
Randy had pancreatic cancer.
Randy was also a tenured professor in computer science, a family man, and a lover of life.
His talk was entitled Really Achieving Your Dreams.
I had enjoyed his lecture and found it TED-talk-esque.
I wasn't really sure what this book would be above and beyond what his talk discussed. The book is quite slim (and a quick read...if you tried, you could probably finish it in an hour or two). I enjoyed the book like I did his talk, but it wasn't quite as rich, expansive and compelling as I had hoped. Randy did remind me of some important life lessons and qualities to live by/for, but the story was rather brief. "Chapters" of the book were a couple pages at most, some even just a couple paragraphs. Perhaps it was because the message was so simple that it didn't need to be belabored. Why take pages and pages to say something that can be said in one? I guess what I was hoping a little bit more for was a lengthier narrative to provide background to his message. To read more about his stories, his life, his experiences. I just wanted more.
Still, I did enjoy this book. Reading it now seemed appropriate. Randy wrote about being an academic. Randy wrote about making the most out of life. Randy wrote about dreams. Randy also wrote about achieving your dreams.
This year has been a strange one for me. It's been a little bit bumpier than I would have liked, and I'm not sure when things will smooth out. But I am alive and thriving. And this book reminded me to make the most out of life, to continue to do awesome things and be positive.



- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca