How we are linked [Feb]

The Discovery Index...

Places
Bombay Mahal
Byblos
Lab Cocktail Counter

Spaces
Moka Danse / Salsa
Lion D'or
Sala Rossa
St. Ambroise Cultural Center

Sounds
Joseph Arthur
Lykke Li
Yerba Buena
Fela Kuti
Femi Kuti
Exclaim

Words
Ports of Call - Amin Maalouf
The Walrus
Maisonneuve

Thought / Action
Ways of Seeing
Freegans
Pangea Day
The Nature of Economies - Jane Jacobs
The Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klein

a picture is worth...
Waltz with Bashir
A Touch of Spice
Fugitive Pieces - book & film
100 Movies you've never seen

truly, maddly, deeply

This is it until the new year, now it's all about friends, family, food and fanfare...

[Geek Chic]
At the CCA - Actions: What You Can Do With the City - a fantastic exhibition on social, environmental, artististic, political contexts and activity in urban environments.

[Creatively speaking]
After happening upon his work in a small town in Nova Scotia, turns out Zane Turner is in Montreal and his work is being shown at Espace B51, a fantastic contemporary gallery on St. Paul.

[Heard]
Via Barcelona, discovered Pablo Diaz-Reixa, the man behind El Guincho, album is El Guincho Alegranza.

[Pages]

I desire a little ruby wine and a book of verses,
Just enough to keep me alive, and half a loaf is needful;
And then, that I and thou should sit in a desolate place
Is better than the kingdom of a sultan.
Edward Heron-Allen (1861-1943) translated from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

[Up Next]
December things get crafty at the Souk and Petits Pains

[Yum]


[Travels]
Dervla Murphy - traveller and writer, just a few interesting bits here:

In the midst of a record-setting blizzard in 1963, Dervla Murphy packed a pistol aboard Roz, her Armstrong Cadet bicycle and set off on her first international bicycle tour - a completely self-supported solo trip from Ireland to India. In Yugoslavia, she began keeping a journal instead of mailing letters home. That journal was later published as her first book Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle, in which, she describes her adventures through Persia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. She particularly enjoyed Afghanistan and wrote lovingly of that country.

most recent book is about Cuba...

Trivial Pursuits...

[Geek Chic]
From Greece, a campaign for a chocolate bar - "Love at first site" is a 17 minute interactive film, shot on the Greek island of Paros, and in Athens. [via Adverblog]

[Creatively speaking]
Saw Sympathy for the Devil - this passage sums it up well:

"It is interesting to explore music that was once so defiantly counter-cultural in the intellectual setting of an art museum. By inspiring contemporary artists today, the music takes on new meaning as a part of our cultural history. While times have changed, the ideas of the rock movement are still present. It is a fairly new anomaly that today’s youth actually looks to music of the past rather than what is being created today, citing Led Zeppelin, Queen and the Rolling Stones among their favorite music artists. We’re also familiar with contemporary artists taking a cue from the past with musical rifts sampled from songs that topped the charts years ago resurfacing in current pop hits... " Megan Driscoll, Big, Red & Shiny.

[Scene]
Fugitive Pieces - beautiful film based on the novel
The Visitor - strong performances - story of "illegals" and their relationship to a New Yorker

[Heard]
Discovered Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría - through the track "mama papa tu" (Afro-American Latin (1969) fantastic stuff that will inspire many a dance...

[Pages]
The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst

BottomFeeder - Taras Grescoe

[Up Next]
CCA - Actions: What You Can Do With the City

The Rover [launch] is an independent review of the arts

[Yum]
On the heels of Marché 27, opening uptown is Greasy Spoon, adding a little more diversity into the Laurier W stretch...

Bits and Passes...

[Geek Chic]
This just in/box: The Rover is an independent review of the arts - and they are launching this month...

Just finished 'soul bits' which means 'common sense' is now in the gallery...

[Creatively speaking]
CBC ran a program this morning on Cloé St-Marie et Gilles Carles - I'm not a huge folk fan, but her voice and how she carries the poetry of her collaborators is good, here's a song/video...

[Scene]
John and Beatrice - summary here. Not one of my favourites, but an interesting concept.

[Heard]
Monthly dance-fest The Goods is still at Sala Rossa, this month mix of 60-70's soul/funk/afrobeat with some old-school De La Soul thrown into the mix. Great way to bust a move. Love the venue but the sound was crap (shows are usually better), oh, and patchouli - yes, it is still around.

[Pages]
Une Vie Francaise - Jean-Paul Dubois

"A French Life was successful in France because it was just that: it held a mirror up to a nation. Paul's running commentaries on current events may sound like the rants of a barfly, but they are believable. (...) The question is, can the novel have universal appeal ? Despite an elegant translation into (American) English, this is dubious. The characters, with the possible exception of the narrator, are mere shadows." - Henri Astier, Times Literary Supplement

we'll see...

[Up Next]
Down Dangerous Passes Road
Talisman Theatre presents the Montreal English-language premiere of Down Dangerous Passes Road by award-winning author Michel Marc Bouchard, translated by Governor General award-winner Linda Gaboriau.

[Yum]
Finally made it to L'Atelier which is now byob. Inventive menu, nice ambience and service. The only weakness from the table was desserts, but by then we were too full to really care.

[Trails]
Have some pics from recent trip to Colorado - incredibly beautiful and anxious to return for some champagne powder...

The rolling hills of Vermont are beckoning, with the usual blend of hippies and republicans that make it oh so interesting...

mi-octobre?!

Currently devouring apples - had a week of lobos but my market guy says they're soft now so on to empires...

[Geek Chic]
Great work still coming from Spain, here's a good case on the concept of fear

[Scene]
I was in the mood for documentaries and video guy (growl!) had two winners; First a doc on the 2006 Homeless World Cup, called Kicking It and second, the story of the "actors" who hang out on Hollywood blvd, Confessions of a Superhero.

[Read/ing]
Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte

[Up Next]
Eli Paperboy Reed (w/Duffy]


[Yum]
Ate at Au Cinquième Péché, last week for the second time and they are still going strong, it was all good. Fall menu includes seal (describe by a table mate as "fishy liver")...uh, pass.

Boozy floozies can now settle in at Lab cocktail counter (1351 rue Rachel Est)- despite the offbeat location, it has a lovely bar and the talents are Fab :-)

[Rants* & Raves!]
Politians who say they are "just like me". I don't want "me" running the country, I want someone smarter, wiser, well travelled and disciplined in all the best ways. We need people to lead us, not manage us. SIGH*

--------------

Saw Beck last week and am back in love after a hiatus of about 3 years. I just stopped listening, but last Monday he reminded me of just how innovate and kooky he is. Théatre St. Denis was not a good venue for said show, but all in all it was fun, thanks to an energetic crows. bravo!

Leaves, they are a' falling...

Fall is a great time for gallery shows, music, book launches, as the leaves fall the stories begin...

[Geek Chic]
First Podcamp Montreal was held weekend of Sept 21, good summary here for the " exciting weekend of unconference"...passionate people, podcasting and peers, what more could you ask for?

[Creatively speaking]
Enjoyed Tout est Parfait, The year my parents went on vacation and, for mild laughs, Baby Mama.

[Read/ing]
Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte, described by the jacket copy as a "beach book for intellectuals" or, online as "a postmodern adventure"..I'm afraid to find out what either means exactly...but giving it a try.

Local Flavours - Deborah Madison, goodbye berries, it's now all about squash...

[Up Next]
Warhol Live : music and dance in Andy Warhol's work - is yet another excuse to have cocktails on a Friday night...

Sympathy for the Devil - did this influence my parents at all?!

Eli Paperboy Reed (w/Duffy] and Beck...both in October

[Yum]
Ate at L'appartement, not memorable, but decent considering the flux of negative reviews it's had since it opened. Some things still ring true - like lacklustre/inexperienced service, but given it wasn't busy, 6 gals got to yack for about fours hours and enjoy the space (over substance that is...)

[Rants* & Raves!]
Listening to Rex Murphy's Sunday show, a caller points out to Stephane Dion (th guest this week) that "studies have shown that people respond to attack ads", hence, since SD is more of 'high road' kind of politician, the Liberals are sliding in the polls. How I wish SD had replied to the effect that people who like attack ads are those who make up the least educated, least likely to vote anyway boors, who get most of their information from reality television and CNN. Best of all, this comment was made just after SD spend 5 minutes explaining why he doesn't take the Harper path when it comes to bashing oponents. *sigh*

--------------

Question of the week from Lynda Barry's latest collection What it is;
What year is it in your imagination?
Does your imagination know what year it is?
What is an image?

I am only on pg 15!

One Liners: simmering summer

Sorry for the lapse, life has been connected more by trains, planes and automobiles than the Internet these past few weeks. A whole lot has been ingested, here's my best recap...

[Geek Chic]
If you want to become president, here's your chance, (with this toy, you get a video to pass around - fun times!)

Something for the ladies - say goodbye to landfill and leaks...

[Creatively speaking]
Vancouver art gallery has some good shows on including KRAZY! and a collection of still images from Zhang Huan called Altered States.

[Read/ing]
Work on your top five!..I've got lists to post and they'll be up soon.

[Travels]
Colorado here we come...

[Up Next]
LOVE via YSL

[Yum]
Since my own city still has an odd bi-law about selling cooked food streetside, I get oddly excited by the prospect of 'street food' including hot (veggie) dogs. So, while in Vancouver I happened on upon a vendor who gave me my goods in a whole wheat bun(?!) That's just going too far in my books - bun is essential to a good dog and whole wheat just can't deliver on texture let alone taste. *sigh*.

[Rants & Raves]
People close to me shared some thoughts on our friendship recently, waking me up to the danger of looking for validation in all the wrong places (like work over, uh, life). Their words were inspiring and touching - no wonder they have seats at my last supper.

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Gmap Pedometer :

[Creatively speaking]
Do you get aroused from squeezing balloons until they explode? Do you quiver with delight as you watch popcorn pop? Have you ever been patient enough to stand in front of a ripe flower bud for hours to witness its slow explosion into full opening? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're in for an orgasmically pleasing week, Aries. Lots of things are going to change into something else through the process of eruption or sprouting or bursting forth. I bet you'll dream of undersea volcanoes spurting.
[how can you not love freewill]

[Seen]
Bella,
The Counterfeiters
(and Batman - but I don't think the summer blockbuster needs more hype)

[Pages]
The Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison [take 2]

[Passages]
"[transported] vegetables have come to lack two features of interest: nutrition and flavor. Storage and transport take predictable tolls on volatile plant compounds that subtly add up to taste and food value...a trade-off that amounts to 'Give me every vegetable in every season, even it if tastes like a cardboard picture of its former self."
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver

[Yum]
Griffintown café has re-opened and offers Friday night jazz and brunch on the weekends...

Top Five - the game(s) begin

The latest "project". email yours [miswitlife@gmail.com] if they aren't listed below (and any corrections) -(yes, fiction and non)...

NF
100 years of solitude
Confederency of Dunces
A Fine Balance
Children of the Circus
Fugitives Pieces

JC
Zorba the Greek
The Enormous Room
The Sun also Rises
Jules et Jim
Being and Time

HM
Big Sur
Like Water for Chocolate
Fall on your Knees
Fugitive Pieces
Amazing Adventures of Cavalier & Klay

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Summertime in Paris - a mix of painting, sculpture and photography currently at The Parisian Laundry

[Creatively speaking]
Who are you? What's your Type?

[Seen]
My Blueberry Nights - simple, well-acted story about longing.

[Passages]
"If every product containing corn or soybeans were removed from your grocery store, it would look more like a hardware store. Alarmingly, the lightbulbs might be naked, since many packaging materials also now contain cornstarch."
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver

[On the road]
My first "clip" pedal ride took me from the south shore, to Fort Chambly, along the Richelieu river, through the farms of St. Phillipe and back across the escalade bride 6hours later in the pouring rain. A long, somewhat exhausting ride, about 125 KM in total, a new level in endurance for my aging self :-).

[Up Next]
La fête Bio Paysanne at the TOHU

[Yum]
The summer round of dinners now includes Lafayette's - a classic on the edge of the Village, "gooey" pizza and possibly the largest plate of poutine I have seen (all at one table ....ooph) was the pitcher of beer really a good idea gang?? Here's a great description from an older CTV piece:
"LAFAYETTE'S RESTAURANT HAS BEEN HERE AT THE CORNER OF STE-CATHERINE EAST & CARTIER FOR 30 YEARS. IT'S A GREASY SPOON IN A GRIMEY AREA OF THE CITY. AND A SURVIVOR."

'nuff said.

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
So, do you LOVE our iphone to DEATH?

[Creatively speaking]
Who doesn't love balloons? (and the ensuing discussion is funny too)

[Seen]
Borderline - amazing role by Isabelle Blais and with some similar struggles over love and self, a moving film from China/France, Summer Palace - both the director and film were "banned" by the Chinese government.

[Offline]
Putain par Nelly Arcan

[Up Next]
Les Francopholies, with a nice summary of possible shows here

[Yum]
Les Havres au Glace - need I say more? there's even a thread on Chowhound of devotees.

Lundi, latin style

So, my weekly dance lesson was moved to Mondays for now, and after a somewhat scarring experience at a club this weekend, I didn't do my teacher proud - but he's a patient guy and will eventually get me to slow down :-)

[Geek Chic]
Last time I worked in an ad agency, I kept a jar of Chuppa Chups on my desk to woo and sooth creative teams into agreeing to tight timelines and budgets. Shameful, but we all enjoy candy so let's celebrate turning 50!!

[Creatively speaking]
Discovered Steven Klein and Julian Wolkenstein recently - wow.

[Seen]
Be Kind, Rewind - as much as like Jack Black and love Mos Def, AND, enjoyed 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind', I didn't get this.

[Offline]
What is the What [struggling] and Putain [possibly a struggle]

[Up Next]
Shakespeare in the park, hopefully no tempest for the The Tempest

[Yum]
Had an amazing experience this past weekend in a few forested enclaves of the eastern townships picking mushrooms - came home with a bag of chanterelles that were pretty and tasty. Accompanied by three french men who know FAR too much about mushrooms, cheese and apple cider - I felt like a foodie princess.

[Heard]
In an effort to learn how to count properly, this week is all courtesy of the
Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Back in the Saddle

A month offline!? There is so much going it gets overwhelming, need some time to let it all sink in. The summer's theme is turning out to be 'non-fiction'. I even ran across David Sedaris (who was in town promoting his new book). It was weird and timely and despite all the craziness in my life these days, it all seems to work...

[Geek Chic]
The only thing that will get me out of bed tomorrow is a lovely number by Stacey Zhang, newcomer to the boutiques that surround me. In her words, "fetching!".

[Creatively speaking]
Finished Common Cents, and learned a lot in the process like spray paint gets everywhere, pennies don't stick easily and next time, the canvas will be painted white...

next, (inspired by a spontaneous catchphrase at a dinner this past weekend) a piece called "soul bits".


[Seen]
from the jazz festivals caught Laila Biali Trio, Bran Van 3000
Zaki Ibrahim, Way out West, Nate James.

[Offline]
Magical Thinking - Augusten Burrows...This gets my vote for creative non-fiction. If you even have a slight interest in advertisting, this is guaranteed to make you laugh and if not, enjoy his absurd take on/life.

What it Is - Lynda Barry...hot of the press, a graphic novel exploring the creative process and asking many questions that can fill drunken nights with rants. excellent.

[Up Next]
Just for Laughs - Eat my shorts
Sophie Calle's Prenez soin de vous at DHC/ART

[Yum]
Wonderful food, atmosphere and experience at Banu in Toronto, my only advice is to go easy on the generous vodka based experiments from the bar :-)

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
A site that asks - how nerdy are you? [Belgium]

[Creatively speaking]
Love tribute to YSL -R.I.P.

[Seen]
Before the Devil knows your dead - good story, even Ethan Hawke was bearable.

Jimmy Carter Man from Plains - revolves around the book tour for 'Palestine: peace not apartheid'. Interesting perspective/insight into Carter's beliefs, but it becomes repetitive and could have been shorter or, dug into the issues more.

[Offline]
Left to Tell - Immaculée Ilibagiza

[Up Next]
L'off festival de jazz

CV - Reviews / June 2-6

[Music: Alicia Keyes]
Getting floor seats at a stadium show was a first - and they were 20 rows back, dead center. So great for seeing miss Keyes tap the keys, but overall the sound was a mess, hard to distinguish instruments and voices. Best parts were her piano driven songs. A very talented woman, but as many have said, poorly produced.
6/10 [AK gets a 10 because she's simple and fabulous]

[Theatre: Import/Export]
Saw this play as part of TransAmerique and have to say that I liked the production of it (staging/props/concept) but the narrative was loose and the 'politic' didn't bring anything new to the subject. The multi-language approach was cool and the acting believable so not a total loss.
5/10

[Food: Cash & Curry]
Intimate space in that fun hub between St Laurent and St Denis on Duluth. As part of a larger group we were treated to apps and mains of Malaysian cooking. Large groups are often a challenge for a kitchen - so I'll be back to try more à la carte.
7/10

One Liners: June Bug

On the weather front, summer is off to a slow start, but festival frenzy has begun and year after year, the signs of Grand Prix signal the start of summer for me....

[Geek Chic]
This made a recent afternoon...so many words, so little time....

[Creatively speaking]
As I live and breath re-org, enjoyed 'Marketing is dead....' via Leigh's Blitherings

[Read/ing]
Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part (*sigh*, me too)

[Travels]
email invites from Rome. Friends in Greece. déjeuner à l'herbe with the ladies. road trip, Boston.

[Up Next]
Fringe!


[Yum]
Ate at Lémeac last Sunday - wasn't a top choice but all the smaller bistros are closed on Sundays. It was fine - steady, but lacks ambience. Hadn't been in a couple of years, I think the decor may have changed, couldn't quite put my finger on it. En tout cas, the company was much better the second time around and nice to walk off the mean down st. laurent...

A Muse, toi...

Looking for the point of you
I found a Muse.

A mental frenzy
a pleasant journey
are you?

Getting some Art action

Point Rouge is one of a few recent Galleries in St. Henri, today they had a 'working exhibit'; around 8 artist working on pieces, all different styles, textures etc. One the better contemporary galleries I've been too, they've always got a great point of vue...(there pun, not mine) Point Rouge, 2471 Notre Dame (east of Atwater)

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
A fantastic lecture/reading by Barbara Kingsolver and her husband&daugher at McGill about their experience and new book Animal,Vegetable,Miracle. Nothing earth-shattering but they are very creative, humourous people who now live sustainably off their farm.

[Creatively Speaking]
Montreal Photo Coop

12th annual Webby Awards are online

[Heard]
Headlights -marvin gaye, mercury rev, the band, bjork, 60's french girl pop, chopin, my bloody valentine ... what more could you ask for?

[Seen]
Not sure what all the whining was about, Darjeeling Limited is what it is...I like this review, particularly "an odd, flawed, but nonetheless beautifully handmade object as apt to win affection as to provoke annoyance. You might say that it has sentimental value." yep.

Also La Vie en Rose was fantastic (but tragic), you'll never heard Edith Piaf the same way again.

[Up Next]
Import/Export as part of the Festival TransAmeriques

The Point of You

Every encounter begs for
the point of you

The catalyst who moves to
reflect, revel, recant, react(?)

Waking up unsure of
the point of you,
I continue to shift my perspective.

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Working on a new series of 'displaced' in the city...latest, here.

[Creatively Speaking]
Good post/discussion on tag lines

[Read/ing]
My name is Red, Orhan Pamuk

[Up Next]
39 Cannes Palm D'or

For all the font freaks

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Pangea Day a resounding success!

[Creatively Speaking]
Like how the porfolio is built and some lovely illustration by Arwen Giel

[Read/ing]
The Lizard Cage

[Seen]
Osmosaic at the St.Ambroise Cultural Center..fantastic folk(s)...They'll be playing as part of the Fringe, watch for them.

[Heard]
Loving the sounds of West-London's Estelle and the retro soul of Eli "Paperboy" Reed

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Design Spotter - blog on 'where design happens'..includes a curious piece for a Canada Lifestyle Tour (that excludes Mtl oddly given the context) exploring concept of "lifestyle".

[Déja Vu]
Ghosts of Cité Soleil - powerful film about Haitian gangs
Scenes of a Sexual Nature - title sums it up, light and charming...

[Up Next]
E-pop courtesy of Robyn at La Tulipe

Lobster Tales

Friday
Landed in Halifax, drove south/west through Yarmouth to Pinkney's Point. Finally saw M's house by the ocean and understand why she bought it. We drank two bottles of wine, talk incessantly (amazing after a 3.5 hour car ride). Fall to sleep with ocean smell and air through the windows.

Saturday
Decide that chairs outside are just not going to cut what looks like a full-on sunny day. Put air mattress outside, lay down pillows, blankets, books, beer and settle in.
Neighbours come a-visiting, apparently M's (girl)friends are popular out here. Make some comment about "scratching" that will now have rumours flying about M's sexual preferences (sorry).

Buy lobster from handsome fisherman/cousin-although-not-by-blood of M's - we bring them home and realize we are too scared to touch them. Oops, M runs off to get the neighbour who, like a true hero, rescues the damsels and stuffs the lobsters in the pot after killing them under a hot tap. who knew?! Shuck, eat and drink more. Hard days work!

Sunday
Meet some more family, eat some more lobster, finish it off by eating more lobster (pasta, hmmm) drinking...ooph.

here are some country pics...

mon/tues/wed
Halifax - reminds me a lot of Ottawa, could have been all the Uni-students who insist on wearing flip-flops and shorts in less than warm weather... I toured the sites on tues and met an old friend for the afternooon. Next two days ate our way through a few restaurants; Chives, Jane's on the Common, Fid...I am now officially full. We also went to an event I thought was cool called "Battlesnap" you can find out more here...neat idea.

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
intro for a new book on the power of collaboration, web, innovation - watch the video

[Travels]
East coast down, now time to head West..and for touring got a new ride, made (for the most part) locally...

[Seen]
Two fairly recent films, both well worth a couple of hours; The Savages and Dialogue avec mon jardinier

[Heard]
Saturday past, the sounds of Souljazz Orchestra at Sala Rossa...

[Yum]
Back in beer mode, have been enjoying the selections at Dieu du Ciel again...

[Up Next]
Friday night at MACM

Overheard [paraphrase]

On the montreal metro, a couple in their mid-20's:

woman: Have you ever given blood?

man: yes

woman: I gave blood once, but now they just keep bugging me to give more

man: really?

woman: yah! but like, I need my blood! I can't like, give it all away!

CV: *sigh*

======================
In a sushi restaurant, three Uni-girls, early 20's?

girl one: but I can't come to your grandma's for dinner, I'll be high!
girl two: don't worry, she won't notice
girl three: well, we have to have dinner with grandma, it's passover
girl one: well, I'm going to get high
girl two: so, that means, passover is a tradition for us, just as smoking up is a tradition for you...

[minute of awkward silence as girl one wonders if 2 is being sarcastic]

all three nod and carry on...

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Judging from the volumes of people starting to reappear after a long hibernation this article might come in a handy before that spring fling..:-) It’s Not You, It’s Your Books

[Creatively Speaking]
The current show on at the musée contemporain is well worth a visit, focus is on 'conceptual art', the process and production as well as social commentary. Geoffrey Farmer's work was interesting especially his victorian 'box' at the entry.

[Travels]
Halifax on the radar as well as 3 days on the water prior in Nova Scotia. Not the warmest time of year but looking forward to eating my way through it...

[Heard]
Adele - absolutely brilliant show at Cabaret, in a small crowd of 200 two weeks ago, we were treated to this 19 yr old, south london wit and beautiful voice...CD is '19'.

[Seen]
There will be Blood - now I get the Oscar win - gripping story, visual and soundtrack, the acting wasn't half-bad either :-)

[Yum]
Had a wonderful meal at Au Cinquième Péché this weekend, the reviews since the chef change last year are true, interesting combinations and warm service.

[Up Next]
Caramel - the first feature film by Lebanese director/actress Nadine Labaki (2007/Cannes) is now showing in Montreal...

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Photo-savvy friends showed us these cameras recently - using stop-motion feature you can then load to QT for some fun video in progress - et voila

[Creatively Speaking]
Montreal Start Up List

[Read/ing]
échecs amoureux et autre niaiseries and about 8 back issues of Walrus

[Travels]
Skied at Mont Sutton for the past couple of days, beautiful glades and old-school charm. Spring brings a first trip to Halifax and a return to NYC...

[Up Next]
South London comes to Montreal... Adele

But, what's with the Ladybirds?!...

With Winter officially over, we are now "spring" skiing - and had a wonderful start at Sutton, 1.5 hrs east of montreal with a weekend of beautiful glades and deep powder thanks to a snowfall the night before. The chalet was close by, making it easy to run home to friends, tiaras, disco ball, bubbles and the unforgettable meals and baked goods :-)
Thanks for another great rendez-vous...

Déja Vu...

Le Ring - excellent film from Québec by director Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, also won a Jutra for best music. The young actor who plays Jessy, the main character is brilliant.

The Gates - saw this as part of this year's FIFA...interesting history, production and development of Christo's The Gates project in NY's Central park.

My Kid Could Paint That - a discussion of modern art, perception, ignorance and pride. and the kid has nothing to do with any of it, just paints.

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
I saw a presentation of this Adobe campaign recently, love the rich yet minimalist approach.

[Creatively Speaking]
The Sound of Color is a collaborative project launched by Gap. 5 colors, 5 musicians, 5 directors.

[Read/ing]
The Poisonwood Bible, Siddhartha

[Travels]
Skied at Lake Placid last week - stunning landscape, high vertical, but tougher runs and yes, it lived up to it's nickname, 'iceface' from time to time.

[Up Next]
Fifa and Jully Black

Stop and listen...

This is so powerful, it get's it's own post - take a hearing test

Hot milk indeed.....and MOBY!

It's my fault, I know, for frequenting Starbucks. Got a gift card and have been having a latte daily until the $$ runs out. Which will be soon because as we know SB is WAY overpriced. Today's coffee delivered something rather disturbing along with the price:

1. "The Way I see It" 294

2. On the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving toward the sound of the guns.
– Newt Gingrich (Former Speaker of the House of Representatives)

3. Relating to point 1 - Starbuck's puts a big fat disclaimer that the opinions expressed are those of the author and not SB.

WHAT? First I laughed at the "ideas" and "guns" and "battlefield"..it was all a bit surreal. Then, I read the disclaimer and thought if SB is so innovative, what are they afraid of? And finally, just got tired of everything trying to be edgy AND safe.

*sigh*

On the flip side, fun event at the SAT this week

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
Smile Test

[Creatively Speaking]
Breakin' Bread A Last Supper mockumentary...]

[Read/ing]
The Poisonwood Bible , embroideries

[Travels]
Miami was interesting, hot and humid and a good mix of work and play. Play was a weekend of beach, drinks, art opening, contemporary dance (Your Blood, My Blood), more drinks and a long walk on the beach to end the weekend. After that, headed to downtown Miami to speak at Marketing Sherpa's email summit and listen to case studies for two days. Very good topics, interesting and engaged people from NA and Europe.

[Up Next]
Cuba Art et Histoire, Geoffrey Farmer

[Yum]
Haven't been home for awhile so I can only mention Robin des Bois has moved into a new location, much bigger, longer hours and looks great. Well worth a visit.

In South beach ate at Tantra - that manages to party hard on Monday nights, self-described as "sensual, exotic, opulent, sexy, primal" - saddly the food wasn't :-)

My fiscus and I...

Realized the other day how much my fiscus and my relationships have in common:

- When I bought it I thought it was lush, beautiful and full of potential for growth
- After a month it lost a few leaves, this seemed natural given the transition indoors
- more lost leaves; take a look to see if there was a problem, hoped for the best, carry on, plants are fussy.
- More leaves drop - now I analyze; too much light? not enough? water? food? arg.
- Still hope it will revive on it's own time, but don't work too hard to figure it out
- As leaves continue to fall, I start to feel worse each time I look at it.
- I know something is wrong, but have no idea how to fix it. Friends/family offer much general advice, mostly, don't "overwater".
- But I think there's not enough water because I've been too afraid all along of overwatering it! arg,arg.
- hit a wall, depressed it's possibly dying, get mad and shake the rest of the leaves off. fuck off then!
- move the plant out of sight, thoughts of throwing in out cross my mind
- one day, someones asks if it at least has new leaves growing? WHAT???? It never even occured to me look.
- New leaves are sprouting for a few months now
- incredible feeling of relief, hope and confidence
- looking forward to seeing the 'new' fiscus

is it possible I'm actually a getting a green thumb? :-)

One Liners

[Creatively speaking]

HEMA online

And The Breakup is still so good...]

[Read/ing]
The Poisonwood Bible

[Travels]
Miami ! Photos to follow...

[Up Next]
Cuba Art et Histoire

[Yum]
Had another fun Friday at Holder with good service and wine to boot. Nice reasonable bill at the end of the night too, it's a keeper!

For your viewing pleasure

I have a great local video store; their 'indie'/quebec/foreign section is impressive, and, they have a section devoted to requested of top, often hard to find films that both customers and staff have asked for.

Here's a few of late that are great for that Saturday morning on the couch:
Bluff, Durs à Cuire, Reprise

On War...
Went to see Persepolis last week - storytelling at it's best, simple graphics, insightful, touching and funny.

At this year's Wildside festival, saw an incredible one-man performance revolving around the end of WWII, "and stockings for the ladies". Acting by Brendan Howlett was incredibly fluid and complex at the same time - immediately drawn in to the 10 characters (at least) he 'plays', supported by great writing...look forward to what's next.

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
please don't let me see this in action

[Read/ing]
Maynard and Jennica, The Poisonwood Bible

[Travels]
Feb: Miami

[Up Next]
Persepolis

[Yum]
Ate at Le Pois Penché and M:Burger in the last couple of weeks, because they are in my work neighbourhood, nothing to scream about but each had interesting points. Visit the Chowhound board for comments.

On the Road...

A recap of some recent travels and a question to guide upcoming ones:

New York
This trip was a mix of Ab Fab, What not to wear, and Seinfeld. Theatre and Bob Dillon aside, it was far less cultural than we usually allow, but a hell of a lot of fun, decandence and debauchery. Next time I promise to be more 'arty'.

One and Only Palmilla, Cabo st. lucas
Work trip and despite long delays, it was nice to end up in balmy Mexico early Dec. Driving up through the "one and only" resort was a shock since the exact same layout and plan is in southern Thailand under a similar name. I had been there a few years ago and asked the driver if it was the same company, he said no...apparently there's an underground market for this kind of thing :-)

Whistler
After three years I finally make it and couldn't have asked for a better day. Big fat snowflakes, friends and a personal tour made my first time out this season pure bliss. oh, and know I now know what it is to ski in snow - hard work...

Toronto
Funny to think that "Toronto", a former home for me, is now a place I just travel to and actually feel like a tourist. Despite many attempts to Facebook me, my brokers kept the visit small and intimate. Laughed big fat clown tears for most of the trip -exhausting in the best way.

Seattle
Work trip - always a pleasure to be in moderate climate in January, it's like the spring we never get in Montreal. Stayed on the waterfront - not sunny, but i love the dramatic grey against the water. Had surprise gifts waiting at Pike Market thanks to some friends who live nearby. Will have to re-visit and spend more time exploring, nice vibe.

question of the day(s) ahead:
"My purest enthusiasm" is...

One Liners

[Geek Chic]
3D animation for the masses

[Read/ing]
Maynard and Jennica, A Spot of Bother

[Travels]
Dec: New York, Mexico ~ Jan: Vancouver, Seattle ~ Feb: Miami

[Up Next]
Centaur's Wildside Festival

[Yum]
Top 10 des meilleurs restos "apportez votre vin"

Two Thousand and Eight

times I change my mind about blogging. I deleted all 2007 posts through no fault of their own, they were part of a forgettable year. But then all the things that get stuffed into my head start to get unmanageable and I need a place for storage. So here we are again. No set agenda, just the things that catch my senses, stay tuned.