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.