Last night I was very fortunate to attend the dress rehearsal of the Olympics Opening Ceremony. What an amazing once in a lifetime experience!! Even though it was just a dress rehearsal, you could feel the energy and excitement in the air!
You can't compare anything to Beijing, so don't even bother. However, it is wonderfully Canadian. I'm not one to blindly love my country, I know it has its faults. But it's nice to feel some Canadian pride and last night, I was brought to tears with it.
I don't want to give anything away, but you can probably google and some idiot in the crowd has most likely done a tell-all by now online somewhere. The performers were not all there - though one big name was present, and sang for us. That was definitely a sweet surprise. They used stand-ins for the other performers while they played the song that is to be used. You can kinda guess from the songs and the vocals, who will be performing. There is definitely one huge star that's going to be performing and I think when this person takes the stage, it will be absolutely breathtaking.
Don't miss the opening ceremonies, broadcast on NBC this Friday!!!!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
TODAY in Vancouver!
The Today Show has officially arrived in Vancouver. Matt Lauer snuck into the city this morning, with Meredith Viera joining him shortly. He did his portion of this morning's broadcast from the new communications centre which is less than a block away from my work!
I recorded the show this morning just to see the segment that they do featuring Vancouver. It's always interesting to see your city through someone else's eyes!
Here's hoping I run into Mr. Lauer!!!
I recorded the show this morning just to see the segment that they do featuring Vancouver. It's always interesting to see your city through someone else's eyes!
Here's hoping I run into Mr. Lauer!!!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Flashmob
Sound of Music Flashmob in Belgium:
London Flashmob:
Janet Jackson Flashmob, with a special surprise at the end...:
And now... will it be Vancouver's turn??
A flashmob is planned for this upcoming weekend, when the Olympics hit town. Have you learned all the dance moves yet? See you there?
London Flashmob:
Janet Jackson Flashmob, with a special surprise at the end...:
And now... will it be Vancouver's turn??
A flashmob is planned for this upcoming weekend, when the Olympics hit town. Have you learned all the dance moves yet? See you there?
Olympics 2010: Light Show
The light show in English Bay takes place all month from dusk to dawn, so there is plenty of time for you to go catch this amazing spectacle in the sky.
Even though you can see the spotlights painting the sky's canvas all the way in Surrey, there's no better vantage point than right at the water's edge down in English Bay, or on the other side in Vanier Park. Seeing the spotlights stretch from the ground all the way up to the heavens is actually pretty breath-taking. And the way they form their designs, the light beams criss-crossing one another over the water, is a pretty magical site.
There were lots of folks out with their tripods and cameras last night trying to capture some of the moments. This is a fantastic place to bring someone on a date! Just stroll along the sea wall while catching the light show makes for a perfect evening!
Even though you can see the spotlights painting the sky's canvas all the way in Surrey, there's no better vantage point than right at the water's edge down in English Bay, or on the other side in Vanier Park. Seeing the spotlights stretch from the ground all the way up to the heavens is actually pretty breath-taking. And the way they form their designs, the light beams criss-crossing one another over the water, is a pretty magical site.
There were lots of folks out with their tripods and cameras last night trying to capture some of the moments. This is a fantastic place to bring someone on a date! Just stroll along the sea wall while catching the light show makes for a perfect evening!
2010 Olympics: Swiss House
Last night the Ex and I visited Swiss House, on Granville Island, the official home for the Swiss athletes and guests. Open till midnight every night, it's currently just a restaurant, with a sprinkling of Swiss decor here and there. We did sit down to grab a bite and the Swiss specials on the menu were interesting - from a cheese and sausage salad to the mac and cheese that I ordered which had ham and potatoes baked right into it. We also had a taste of their official drink, Rivella.
The service was atrocious however. I think it was our waiter. He took forever to serve us and we were just very unimpressed, considering the world is coming to town and it's gonna be pretty damn busy in there.
The service was atrocious however. I think it was our waiter. He took forever to serve us and we were just very unimpressed, considering the world is coming to town and it's gonna be pretty damn busy in there.
Eating: Chef Hung
Yesterday I went out to Richmond to check out the much ballyhooed about restaurant, Chef Hung's Taiwanese Beef Noodle House. Philip and I were greeted with a big line-up, but unlike Michael from the day before, he didn't mind queuing up for a good half an hour before we managed to get a table.
And boy was it worth it!!! Some of you might think, noodles are noodles, but these ones were delicious, I must admit!
We both ordered the Champion noodle dish, pictured below. The broth was amazing, and I ordered flat noodles which came with a bit of a twist to them - literally, it was like they were given a mini perm. The rippled noodle felt like I was eating an ocean wave of buttery beef broth. We also shared some chicken nuggets, which I guess is what they call their Taiwanese pepper-salt fried chicken. Definitely somewhere I'd recommend!! Can't wait to go back!
And boy was it worth it!!! Some of you might think, noodles are noodles, but these ones were delicious, I must admit!
We both ordered the Champion noodle dish, pictured below. The broth was amazing, and I ordered flat noodles which came with a bit of a twist to them - literally, it was like they were given a mini perm. The rippled noodle felt like I was eating an ocean wave of buttery beef broth. We also shared some chicken nuggets, which I guess is what they call their Taiwanese pepper-salt fried chicken. Definitely somewhere I'd recommend!! Can't wait to go back!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday Night's Alright For Fighting (and Dancing!)
It all started with a perogie.
Michael and I had planned for several weeks now to attend Perogie night at the Ukranian church, on the first Friday of every month. Crowds are expected, I warned him, and he thought I was joking.
He wanted me to drive him to Walmart. He doesn't have a car, so okay, I can do this favour. Why not go after Perogie night, yes? So we get to the church and the line-up is out the door, per usual. He is appalled and suggests going elsewhere, but I have been looking forward to this all week long. I don't have many people I can go to Perogie night with. I used to drag The Ex with me a few times, but he's not a big perogie fan. I've gone with different friends as well, but it's never enough for me. If I had it my way, I'd be there every month. Once I even went into their "take out" line and bought a big container to take home and eat in front of the TV.
I heart my perogies.
So we're in the line-up, which is growing behind us, all the way down the block. He is griping and whining about the whole experience, and continues to suggest we go elsewhere. By now, the fun of the evening has been tampered with for me. I don't really want to hold a gun to someone's head if they are obviously not wanting to go somewhere.
To make an already too-long story short, we end up leaving the line - even though we're right by the door. Of course I'm pretty upset by this, and him not acknowledging it makes it even moreso. "Are you mad?" he asks, and as I'm trying to tell him that Yes I'm bloody mad, someone he knows walks out of a nearby restaurant and he greets them, "Hey how's it going!? I'm good, you?!" At this point, I've got zero patience because he's not even remotely interested in hearing why I'm upset, so that's when I exit stage left, storming off into the night. This isn't the first time I've had it with this friend and stormed off on him. He's got a great knack for inviting me out and then ignoring me all night long. This was just another extension of it.
It could've ended up with me, my snuggie, and some night cheese on a Friday night, but thankfully I checked my text messages and saw that Lukasz was going out to this queer dance night called SPIT.
Alright, I'm in.
Two glasses of white wine and a tequilla shot later, I found myself sipping on foamy beers and bumping into people I hadn't seen for awhile. By midnight, I was dancing with a coworker of mine whom I knew was going to be in attendance, as she was prodding me to come with her and her girlfriend. And did I mention she had crocheted pasties on her tits? Those didn't last long and she was so lit, she had to explain to me that she was naked from the waist up, to which I exclaimed, "I KNOW!!" When she fell onto the floor after a pole dance experiment gone wrong, I helped her up and thought, Gosh how embarassing!!
Cut to Lukasz and I falling onto the floor while dancing to Kylie's Slow and me telling the group of strangers who helped us up, "I'm not even drunk!" A remix of Into the Groove got us back in our game, followed by the new Goldfrapp song which basically made my night. I knew it was time to go when beers went flying. Literally, I had a beer in my hand and the next thing you know, the cup was on the floor and the beer was all over my t-shirt and face and shoes. Amazing.
Michael and I had planned for several weeks now to attend Perogie night at the Ukranian church, on the first Friday of every month. Crowds are expected, I warned him, and he thought I was joking.
He wanted me to drive him to Walmart. He doesn't have a car, so okay, I can do this favour. Why not go after Perogie night, yes? So we get to the church and the line-up is out the door, per usual. He is appalled and suggests going elsewhere, but I have been looking forward to this all week long. I don't have many people I can go to Perogie night with. I used to drag The Ex with me a few times, but he's not a big perogie fan. I've gone with different friends as well, but it's never enough for me. If I had it my way, I'd be there every month. Once I even went into their "take out" line and bought a big container to take home and eat in front of the TV.
I heart my perogies.
So we're in the line-up, which is growing behind us, all the way down the block. He is griping and whining about the whole experience, and continues to suggest we go elsewhere. By now, the fun of the evening has been tampered with for me. I don't really want to hold a gun to someone's head if they are obviously not wanting to go somewhere.
To make an already too-long story short, we end up leaving the line - even though we're right by the door. Of course I'm pretty upset by this, and him not acknowledging it makes it even moreso. "Are you mad?" he asks, and as I'm trying to tell him that Yes I'm bloody mad, someone he knows walks out of a nearby restaurant and he greets them, "Hey how's it going!? I'm good, you?!" At this point, I've got zero patience because he's not even remotely interested in hearing why I'm upset, so that's when I exit stage left, storming off into the night. This isn't the first time I've had it with this friend and stormed off on him. He's got a great knack for inviting me out and then ignoring me all night long. This was just another extension of it.
It could've ended up with me, my snuggie, and some night cheese on a Friday night, but thankfully I checked my text messages and saw that Lukasz was going out to this queer dance night called SPIT.
Alright, I'm in.
Two glasses of white wine and a tequilla shot later, I found myself sipping on foamy beers and bumping into people I hadn't seen for awhile. By midnight, I was dancing with a coworker of mine whom I knew was going to be in attendance, as she was prodding me to come with her and her girlfriend. And did I mention she had crocheted pasties on her tits? Those didn't last long and she was so lit, she had to explain to me that she was naked from the waist up, to which I exclaimed, "I KNOW!!" When she fell onto the floor after a pole dance experiment gone wrong, I helped her up and thought, Gosh how embarassing!!
Cut to Lukasz and I falling onto the floor while dancing to Kylie's Slow and me telling the group of strangers who helped us up, "I'm not even drunk!" A remix of Into the Groove got us back in our game, followed by the new Goldfrapp song which basically made my night. I knew it was time to go when beers went flying. Literally, I had a beer in my hand and the next thing you know, the cup was on the floor and the beer was all over my t-shirt and face and shoes. Amazing.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Rehearsal!!
So, I am fortunate enough to be going to the Olympics Opening Ceremonies Rehearsal on Monday!!!!
Am very excited!! The "big name" performers who have been kept under lock and key will NOT be there, so I won't have a leg up on that info, but I will get to see what the whole thing looks like, apparently! We were also told to wear white, so maybe they're going to be projecting images on the audience? Or maybe we form the Canada flag? I don't know...
Can't wait!!
Am very excited!! The "big name" performers who have been kept under lock and key will NOT be there, so I won't have a leg up on that info, but I will get to see what the whole thing looks like, apparently! We were also told to wear white, so maybe they're going to be projecting images on the audience? Or maybe we form the Canada flag? I don't know...
Can't wait!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Vancouver
I know I'm a week behind with this, as this video went viral already but for the few that may not have seen it (it could've only gone viral in the city that it's about, who knows), here's a lovely time-lapse video of Vancouver. It's done well, though I wish it had captured some moments of rain, since rain is definitely a defining factor of this place.
Having grown up here, I've both loved and hated it. At times I wanted to get out, and other times I just can't bring myself to leave - but that could be due to other issues and not my draw to the city itself. But with its relatively mild weather, clean air, and familliar surroundings, I am happy to be calling Vancouver my home.
Having grown up here, I've both loved and hated it. At times I wanted to get out, and other times I just can't bring myself to leave - but that could be due to other issues and not my draw to the city itself. But with its relatively mild weather, clean air, and familliar surroundings, I am happy to be calling Vancouver my home.
Stelton! Stelton! Stelton!
This past weekend I went to interview my friend Roger, who has a vast collection of teapots, all from China. He is a retired art history professor and he examines these teapots in terms of their aesthetics, technique, and mainly their relation/symbolism of Chinese culture. Knowledgeable and terribly interesting, I spent a good hour talking to him about his collection of upwards of 200 tiny teapots.
However, his piece de resistance was his original Arne Jacobsen Stelton Tea and Coffee Service. It took everything I had to not shove these into my bag and run out the door with them. Oh, I covet!!! Aren't they so sexy!?!!?
However, his piece de resistance was his original Arne Jacobsen Stelton Tea and Coffee Service. It took everything I had to not shove these into my bag and run out the door with them. Oh, I covet!!! Aren't they so sexy!?!!?
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