Lucky Live Music

Still at home for the holidays, a few of us went out to Lucky Bar last night for a Joel Plaskett concert. I know him thanks to my CBC radio 3 habit, and was thrilled to see him live for the first time. It was just him, without his band, because he's spending Christmas with his in-laws in Brentwood Bay and thought he might as well play a couple of concerts while he's here. I love live music because it's more personal, especially at a small venue like Lucky. Joel Plaskett's stage banter is a bit dorky, and the music is probably better with the whole band, but it was still fantastic to see him live.

One of my New Years resolutions is to try to see more live music.

Ps. He's heading on tour in Australia in January if anyone is interested...

This time last year: Christmas in Nicaragua

It's hard for me to believe that this time last year I was in Nicaragua. I spent Christmas Eve of 2006 playing in the waves at Las Penitas, a beach that reminds me of Tofino but with warm water and tropical shells. I was with a nice group of travellers from England, Israel, France and Canada. I bought a shell from a local girl for the equivalent of 20 cents, and she said it was alright when I asked if I could take a photo of her.

In the evening I was back in the colonial city of Leon and went to the Parque Central (town square) that was buzzing with activity. A massive market had set up around the cathedral which had grown over the past several days that I had been staying in Leon. The market sold mostly toys, jewelry, and other novelties. Many stalls were also selling apples imported from Washington state and grapes, which are apparently a Christmas treat in Nicaragua.

The cathedral had its doors flung open and the crowd was moving through it as if it was an extension of the public square. Despite the hot weather, there was a Santa in the crowd. I was there in a sleeveless shirt, and I can't imagine how hot he was in that costume! Santa seems to me such an incogruous theme for Christmas in Nicaragua.

Then there is the Gigantona, pictured in the crowd outside the cathedral, a unique Christmas season tradition in Nicaragua.

I would love to visit Nicaragua again. This year, I am so happy to be celebrating Christmas with my family.

New Knits

It's been a busy knitting season in our house with Christmas approaching. Jaunts up the street to the yarn store abound, and projects are flying off the needles. There is some diversity, but this knit farm is a bit of a monoculture at the moment. A brilliant pattern for fingerless gloves is the project of choice, and here are two recent examples:

The Beach Crawl

What could be better than a sunny day spent outside with friends? Especially when most of our days are spent in class or writing assignments in our less-than-bright basement suite.

Then we moved on to Wreck Beach,

and frolicked.

What a glorious day.

It has been four months

It has been ages since I've updated this blog. (So I was reminded by Kyle who is threatening to remove me from the "blogs I read" column on his blog.) I suppose Facebook has taken the place of it in some way, but I don't really like Facebook even though I endure it in order to keep in touch with friends. Almost daily, I internally threaten to remove my profile, just on principle. I'd kind of like to boast that I'm not on Facebook. But then, what would I miss out on?

So what is happening now? I am living in East Vancouver, in a basement suite with two wonderful friends. We have just heard that the people upstairs are moving out and we are plotting to take their place but we need one more roommate. Know anyone? It would be wonderful to be away from the chilly floors, and move to new carpet, new paint, a deck, view of the mountains, natural light... Imagine!

I am taking classes AND working on my thesis, theoretically. The thesis is really taking the backburner, mostly due to a lack of motivation rather than a lack of time. I seem busy, but I could find the time if I really had to.

It's Halloween today, and I don't have any plans. I celebrated on Saturday at the Parade of Lost Souls, so I don't feel like a complete party-pooper. What are you doing for Halloween?

Victoria Harbour to Sidney Harbour

Two weekends ago Jake (a friend I met in Guatemala, who is from the UK, but is currently living in Victoria) and I embarked on a harbour-to-harbour voyage. It was an epic journey from Victoria to Sidney in three days and two nights

At Ogden Point we encountered this behemoth and wondered at what it would be like to be beside one of these in the open ocean.

This is Jake by Trial Island with the glorious evening sun.

We camped here on Discovery Island the first night, drank some wine, stared at the fire, and went to bed both exhausted (from a week of work) and rejuvenated (from being on the water).


The next day we had a fabulous tail wind and tried sailing. We worked out some kinks along the way and ended up with a pretty decent setup. Always room for improvement though.


This is Suzanne who met up with us for the second night on D'Arcy Island. I'm trying to get her and the rainbow in the picture, but moving kayak pictures are kind of hard.

It was a fabulous weekend of paddling and hanging out. Great to squeeze trips like this in on the weekend so I don't feel like I am wasting my summer sitting in an office.

This is Work

My work this summer has me half of the time at the Tsawout reserve working from the office of an alliance of 4 First Nations. Most of the time I just sit in the office and do my stuff while I absorb the atmosphere around me. A couple of weeks ago, however, was a canoe blessing ceremony for a brand new dugout canoe that a few men from Tsawout built. This is it. The name means mermaid in the Sencot'en language.

The blessing ceremony involved dancers in regalia, which noone was allowed to take pictures of. Then the canoe was loaded onto a flatbed trailer and taken down to Saanichton Bay for its first dip into the ocean.

Last week I also had the opportunity to observe a meeting with Tsawwassen in the Tsawout longhouse. The meeting was to do with the Tsawwassen treaty, and was from what I gather a momentous first step towards nation-to-nation talks in a more traditional setting than the typical hotel conference room. The treaty commissioner was there and said something to this effect. I feel so lucky to be a part of things like this.

Another interesting day at work had me out with the archaeologists on a beautiful day on Sidney Spit. We didn't find anything earth-shattering, but I learned about "cores", that are distinct basalt rocks that have been hit so that flakes will come off with sharp edges on them to be used as tools or weapons. It also got me out of the office enjoying the sunshine.

Home Sweet Home

The last month has been a bit of a whirlwind. I have landed a great summer internship in Sidney (BC), and moved back to the Island with less than 24 hours notice. I'm living with my family, growing a garden, catching up with friends, and kayaking lots. I have been so busy I feel like I've barely had time to sit down for a second. Partly it's my doing since I've been going on weekend kayak trips, and partly it is that I know so many people in Victoria, hanging out with them all just takes time. I can't complain!

I'm off kayaking this weekend, taking a bunch of friends into the Gulf Islands. It's been a lot of planning but I think it will be worth it. I have done lots of kayaking but very little with friends, so I'm really looking forward to this! Pictures will be posted soon I hope.

Road Trip to Utah

This blog has been silent over the last month because I've been all over the place. As soon as I handed in my last assignments a month ago, I headed to Kelowna for a planning conference. It was fantastic and a good career move and all that, but I don't exactly have any blog worthy stories from it.

I do, however, have many bloggable tidbits from the road trip I went on with Melissa and Christine the day after I got back from the conference (things have been busy here for sure!)

We drove for two and a half days to Arches National Park in Utah. It may have only been two days if it hadn't been for the L-O-N-G wait to cross the border. FePo was getting bored, as many kids do on road trips, so we bought him a girlfriend (if only it was that easy for us humans).

I can't well enough describe in words how stunned we were by the beauty of the landscape in Arches National Park. After a couple of days we became more used to seeing all the red rocks and strange formations, but driving into it and gradually seeing the rocks appear and the trees disappear was a very memorable experience. We couldn't stop taking photos as it seemed there was an amazing sight around every corner.

Our group morale hit an all-time low the next morning when at 7:30am we were too late to get a spot in the campground in the park. A couple of hours later, however, we were high on rocks, arches and fins. After a full day of hiking and dodging hail pellets we kicked back in the Moab brewery and talked about how we didn't want to be in the stupid national park campsite anyway. It was probably full of huge trailers and boring people. That's what we told ourselves anyway.

Next stop, Zion National Park. Although I no longer had that awe of seeing something for the first time, the Zion Canyon is pretty darn amazing. We camped in the park this time, and for the rest of our stay there we didn't have to drive anywhere, just hopped on the shuttle to various trail heads and points of interest.

We hiked to Angel's Landing, which was not nearly as scary as it was made out to be. Sheer drop offs on either side of a three foot wide trail sounds scary. Well, it's wasn't that bad with the chain handrail and all. It was still a great hike with a fantastic view.

The highlight for me was the rainstorm we were caught in later that day on a hike to the Emerald Pools, and the subsequent waterfalls that sprouted up (or down?) in various places. Since I read about the risk of flash floods in the canyon I was secretly (well, actually quite openly) hoping for one. If everyone was okay, wouldn't that be cool to see? So when it began to rain/thunder/lighting/totally downpour, I was thinking this may be the time for a flash flood. We didn't see one, but did see some cool waterfalls after emerging from our sad little rocky covers from the rain.

We had many other great times and experiences including a visit to an old Mormon fort on our way back towards Salt Lake City, whacking some balls at the driving range at one of our campsites, cooking oysters over the campfire (back at the coast of course), and visiting Mt. St. Helens (a bit of a hidden gem I think).

I have lots more pictures to show (too many because I go crazy with digital) and will post just a few more on the blog here before saying goodbye.

Curried lentils recipe

Due to popular demand (okay, one person asked), here is the recipe for the curried lentils I was raving about a while ago:

Step 1.
Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes:
1 c. lentils
1 1/2 c. water
2 beef boullion cubues
1 bay leaf
1 t. salt

Step 2.
Saute together:
1/4 c. margarine
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Add:
1 t. salt
1-2 T. curry powder

Fry briefly. Add to step 1 with:
2 T. lemon juice
chopped parsley

My boat is once again afloat

I'm back from guiding my first kayak trip of the season. And it was fantastic! It's nice to be reminded of how much I love something.

I was a bit nervous about the trip because it was guiding a group of grade 10 boys from private school. That's pretty much the demographic I feel most uncomfortable with...or at least I thought I did. What do I know about boys? And that age I just find tough because I worry that they won't think I'm cool and will be mean to me. I know how mean kids can be to a bad substitute teacher!

In spite of all my anxieties, it went extremely well! A few of them were definitely a pain in the ass some of the time, but some of them were also keen and funny and interesting. I laughed a lot, and got a real kick out of what city boys many of them were. I got them to touch the tentacles of little aggregate sea anemones, and they screamed like girls. No word of a lie. One afternoon on land we split into two groups and I took one and the other guide took the other. First, I had my group set up a tarp on their own, then I came along and gave them some advice on how to improve it. It was awesome watching them work together to set it up, and really take it seriously (it was also hilarious to see the final product...which was definitely in need of improvement!) Then I took them on an hour-long beach walk where we poked more sea creatures, looked at pictures of impossibly phallic geoducks, and talked about middens.

In the end I got new "friends" on Facebook (a little weird but what the heck) and would actually really like to work with kids that age again. Even boys!

Lentils are my new found love

The latest low-cost and nutritious food to float my boat is lentils. In a perusal of "More With Less" this morning as I avoided doing work, I became inspired to purchase some lentils and begin experimenting.

Experiment #1: Curried lentils.

Prep time = 30 minutes

Cost = <$1 for 3 servings

Nutrition = combine with a grain (like bread) for a decent dose of protein

This was seriously so delicious I keep sneaking into the fridge for more. And it was so incredibly easy I can't believe I haven't discovered lentils until now!

By the way, I took the chocolate beet cake to share with one of my classes last night and it got rave reviews. I'll definitely make that one again too.

In other food news, I attended a fantastic event at UBC today with several speakers on food policy and how it should taken seriously by planners. Things like community gardens, farmers markets, and encouraging the sale of locally produced food were all on the agenda. Check out Vancouver's food policy if you're particularly interested.

This fantastic event (which was probably made more fantastic by the fact that it was a distraction from the papers I have to write) was followed by a swanky reception with local food including salmon, cheeses, veggies, and lots and lots of wine. I ran into Jen, who some of you know, which was quite funny because I sat beside her and it was a good two minutes before either of us had a good look at the person we were sitting beside and realized that we knew each other. Jen is new homeowner and has her own garden. I'm jealous.

Chocolate Beet Cake is a Hit!

There is that earthy beet taste, but the cake is so chocolaty it doesn't overwhelm. The best part is the pretty pink batter before you add the chocolate. Try it!

Spring has Sprung

The cherry blossoms are out...

...and I'm wearing my Chacos.

My beet dreams come true

There is a fantastic ode to beets in the Food section of the Vancouver Sun today along with several recipes. There are two that I can't wait to make: Beet Cranberry Soup and Chocolate Beet Cake. That's right, no type-o, beets in a chocolate cake. The subtitle says "If you can have carrot cake why not beet cake?" Good question!

Stay tuned for a progress report.

Everyone loves a good slaw

I think that a picture always improves a post, so here is one from the archives. This is Marla at Wickanninish Beach last summer.

I have been storing up several things to say for days now, and I am finally ready to blog them. Let me start with cabbage. Thanks to Sheena's postcard recipe, I made a delicious and simple cabbage and noodle dish last night. (My roommate says it's Hungarian, and that her grandma makes it all the time.) I learned, however, that cabbage shrinks down a lot when you cook it. So it turned out to be more of an appetizer than a full meal. (Sheena, I didn't follow your measurements for amounts, just followed the basic idea to make it for one person...and made it for half a person.)

By the way, receiving a recipe on a postcard was super cool. I support Canada Post!

Also on the topic of cabbage (there's so much you can do with one head), I made a slaw from the Rebar Cookbook that is absolutely delicious. I discovered that the food processor part of my hand blender does a fine job of shredding the veggies, so that makes it extremely quick to prepare. However, I have to admit my biggest flaw as a cook: I have a terrible tendency to put too much onion and/or garlic in things. And I did put too much onion in this slaw, and have had onion breath for two days. (Sorry Mike and Bri for the salad on Friday. I realized afterwards that there was way too much garlic in the dressing!)

I just read Jessica's recommendation of the More with Less cookbook and I want it. Can you say used book store scrounging? I wonder if it's at the UBC library. Somehow I don't think they have cookbooks. (Just checked, no dice.)

In other news, the second sock has taken backstage to a visit from Mom, homework, and watching Battlestar Galactica (thanks Bri and Mike). I haven't even finished the ribbing at the top yet. That's the problem with socks. You finish one, and it's great and wonderful and you're so happy, but then you have to make another one exactly the same. What's the fun in that? I'd be happier to knit socks for amputees.

One down one to go

Day of Destruction

Woah, you'll never believe it. I wrote a great long post about the Day of Destruction last week, and just when I was about to post it... DESTROYED by the Internet gnomes. What could this mean? I'm creeped out.

The Day of Destruction was a fine, cold and cloudy yet not rainy Vancouver day. Bri, Mike and I set out to survey the "destruction" in Stanley Park after a winter of severe windstorms that toppled innumerable ancient trees. We began with a stroll along the seawall, that was cut short by the chain link barricade evidently set up to protect the City from liability. We could have scampered around it but instead elected for the inland path...The Path of Destruction.

There were many more trees over the path than I expected. At times you couldn't even really see the path at all. I didn't cry or donate money to the restoration effort, in fact, I feel kind of proud of "nature" for so easily making nearly impassable a human-made trail. Here's my mini rant: why are people so upset about these trees knocked over by the wind (might I remind you that wind is "natural"), but are not equally upset about the huge amount of logging that goes on in our province every day (might I remind you that large scale mechanized logging is NOT "natural)?

Our Day of Destruction continued with a sighting of a Danger Duck. We were very quiet and didn't get between it and its ducklings so although my heart was beating so hard I thought it would leap out of my chest, we were alright.

The Day of Destruction was going to conclude with a trip to Locarno Beach to see the set of a plane crash for the movie Passenger. But we decided not to go because it was kind of late. Our plans were DESTROYED!

A knitting post

In Yarn Harlot style, I have taken my partly knit sock out to the streets of the city. I predict that you will see more knitting pictures on this blog in the future, as I seem to have leaped full speed ahead back into this hobby.


I got quite a bit done today on the bus to Commercial Drive for the first session of filming our video "Downhill Both Ways" (we do fun things in planning school), then quite a bit more done as Max and I waited an HOUR for our other group member who unfortunately was the one with the camera.

Then I got quite a lot more knitting done on the bus BACK to UBC because the guy never showed up! We knocked on his door and he's like "oh, hi" and we're like "where the #*^% were you?" And he's like...

Okay, so this could go on and on. The short story is he had no excuse and is just extremely irresponsible and I can't believe I have to work with him!!!

*end rant*

So the sock. I love the sock so far, but am kind of mad at myself for spending so much on the yarn. It's hard to find cheap yarn in Vancouver with stores called things like "Urban Yarns" and "Homecraft Importers". These socks will hopefully end up being warm, comfy and stylish, but will have cost about the same as a pair of Smartwools, and taken hours more than it would to go to the store and buy them. But no need to become obsessed with money, it's fun, and gives me something to do while waiting AN HOUR in the COLD at Broadway and Commercial for a delinquent group member who never showed up! (oops, rant was over)

Back to (somewhat) happy things. Before I started the sock, I decided I should use up some of the big bag of yarn I already have. So I knit a dishcloth. Not just any dishcloth, but a HUGE dishcloth. I don't really know why I didn't start over when only a few rows in I realized that if I was going to make it square, it would be huge. Perhaps I figured if I took it all out that would be it; it would be another two years before I felt the urge to knit again. My roommates assure me that the dishcloth is very nice, and even though as it stretches out we have to fold it several times to be a manageable size, we are still using it three days later. Something very good has come of the huge dishcloth, however. I have learned a very nice texture, the "waffle" knit, and figured how to "K1 in next stitch in row below" after a very long time with Google and trial and error.

Here is the HUGE dishcloth (that has now evidently stretched in a strange way so it is much more rectangular than square), and a close up of the waffle pattern.

A perfect Saturday morning

I woke up and put the kettle on. I had a look at the weather out the window: cloudy but not raining. I got the paper and read the first couple of sections over cafe au lait and toast.

Equipped with my camera, binoculars and Peterson's Field Guide, I went down to the beach. I had a peaceful, soul-centering time observing what was going on. I saw a pair of Barrows goldeneye, about 50 red-breasted mergansers, a couple buffleheads and some mallards.

Also, to my pleasant surprise, I met Mr, and Mrs. Eagle's new eaglet! They have not brought him/her to the perch tree outside my window, so I didn't know they had a baby.

When I got home I was in the mood for some housecleaning, so our floor is now vacuumed and swept (at long last). After lunch I buckled down to some school work, which has been slow to start but that's okay. There is nothing hugely pressing and I'm having a very nice Saturday.