Home (?)

It is so weird being back home.  From the moment we stepped off the airplane in Newark Airport (which used to be my second home), my stress level went up slightly.  It was a stressful time before leaving for Vancouver, so I'm working on disassociating that feeling with the location.  

Anyway, it has been really great seeing old faces! We had a blast with our college friends in Philly, forgetting how good a greasy cheesesteak is at 1:00am.  Melvin went out with the guys on Friday night and I with the gals on Saturday night. Julian had a few play dates, so all were very happy.  

Our restaurant of choice on Saturday was Koozeedoo, which features Portuguese fare in the Northern Liberties neighborhood.  Having been to Portugal  twice (Lisbon & Sintra), it definitely brought me back.  The food was excellent and is shared family style, so we dined on Duck with Baked Rice (excellent-good call by my friend Beverly), Seafood Feijoada (tasty, but I prefer Brazilian Feijoada - if you are ever in Brazil there is a huge Feijoada buffet at the Sofitel Hotel Rio de Janeiro every Saturday that is to die for), Potato Croquettes (also tasty, but the Spaniards do it better), Steak with Fried Potatoes & Fried Egg (excellent - so glad we got 2 orders of this!), Shrimp with Hot Sauce (yummy, yum, yum and it had major kick) and finally, Bread Soup with Mushrooms, Cheese & Poached Egg (could've done without...gimme the mushrooms and hold everything else).  For dessert, I got the traditional egg custard, which was just good.  I was really hoping for a traditional Pasteis de Nata, but I guess there's nothing like the original in Lisbon.  If you ever find yourself in Lisbon, make your way to Antiga Confeitaria de Belem, which is located by the waterfront in Belem.  They let you take those bad boys on the airplane, so I brought back a dozen (not to share) and it was just heaven.  There is also a place in Newark, NJ (Teixeira Bakery) that sells them and they are a good fix, since Lisbon is not a hop, skip, jump away. 

Last night, we went to Ephendi with our Rockland friends and had a wonderful time. Ephendi (New City, NY) is the sister restaurant of Turkois Grille (Airmont, NY) and features Turkish cuisine, which is amazing. We each had our own plate and I have to say that this place does not have a bad dish on the menu.  The food is so fresh, whether it's the fish, kebobs (lamb, chicken, etc) or appetizers.  The main dishes are served with a bulgar pilaf in tomato sauce that is just to die for.  It was definitely a great night with good food and friends.

Okay, must get ready for the day.  We have been shopping like crazy because sales tax in Vancouver is 12%, so need to stock up on kids clothes while we are here.  We also got the kids' Halloween costumes - Thomas the Train for Julian and a Hot Pink Ladybug for the little one. I'm going to need a vacation from this vacation for sure.

Traveling with the kids...

Portable DVD Player - Check
3 DVDs - Check
Library Books - Check
Hootie Hider - Check
Dry Ice & Breastmilk - Check
Car Seat - Check
Passports - Check

Prana (energy or life force - "essence")

Yesterday, during our graduation potluck, we presented our teacher with a couple plants for the new Prana Centre and as a gift from us, since we were the first group to graduate from the new location. 

Anyway, my classmate was in charge of the gift and card (guess who organized the potluck and everyone's duties?  hehe) .  She printed up this poem that she has been carrying around with her for a couple years now.  We read it aloud and our teacher was like, "who wrote that?" and my friend said she didn't know and she came across it online years ago.  Well, it turns out my teacher wrote it back in 2007!!  How weird, right?


I wanted to document it on my blog and share with anyone interested.


Prana Bridge
..is a suspended bridge that connects the muddy land of the small-self with the fertile land of the higher-self.  When the bridge sways from side to side in the storms of the mind, it is impossible to walk on it and reach the higher-self.  In extreme storms, you may continuously fall from the bridge into the ocean of ignorance.


When the bridge is still, you arrive safely on the other side to the island of realization.  The moment you step on the land of realization, the bridge disappears and with it the ocean, the storm, the mind and the ignorance...


...Relax your shoulders and Breathe...


-shakti mhi

Graduation

My graduation from the yoga teacher training is today.  I'm so sad it's over, but am trying to live in the moment and be ready for whatever comes my way.  We have our "ritual" today at 3:00pm and then family are welcome to join us in the potluck.  It should be super fun for my classmates to see the kids and see why I was pumping diligently twice a day to feed sweet Amélie . 


Time to start packing for our trip back to NY...

Déjà vu

My yoga teacher training at Prana Yoga College is coming to an end tomorrow (waaah!) and I got together with some friends I've made to "cram".  We have to each teach about 10 postures tomorrow, plus a written exam.  I felt like I was back at Drexel again cramming for a test (not) - haha.  I remember those days at the library, where Melvin really wanted to study and I looked around doing everything in my power to not study. 


Anyway, I'm as prepared as I'll ever be.  I'll be teaching the following flow tomorrow:


Up to all 4s, downward facing dog, pigeon (right leg and mirroring to class), downward facing dog, child's pose, rag doll up to sitting, camel, child's pose, downward facing dog, pigeon (left leg and mirroring to class), downward facing dog, child's pose


WISH ME LUCK!!

Bliss

Happiness is one of those things that many are always searching for.  What will make one happy?  Love? Success? Money? Vacation?  


One of the things I learned in my yoga teacher training course (it's almost over, so these entries some of you may find annoying will eventually come to an end!) is that people shouldn't look for happiness or try to achieve happiness.  With happiness, there is also unhappiness.


Happiness often relies on circumstance:
I can't wait until I graduate college...
I can't wait until I get married...
I can't wait until I go on vacation...
I can't wait to become a millionaire...
I can't wait to retire...


What you should strive for is...BLISS.  Bliss is the internal state of being that does not rely on circumstance.  It is a place where you are at ease no matter the situation in your life.  What is the opposite of bliss?  The dictionary says "misery", but when we had a discussion in my class today, I totally get it and I totally believe that once you are in a state of bliss, that's it. No one and nothing can take that away from you, except yourself.

Question of the Day

...Are you living life or just existing?


For the first time in my life, I can honestly say I am no longer living for the weekend or for my next vacation...Monday is no longer a dreaded day.


At the ripe age of 30 (almost 31 - gulp), I am, without a doubt, living life!!

Canucks vs. Mighty Ducks

Last night, we went to our first Canadian hockey game.  Vancouver Canucks vs. Anaheim Might Ducks...Vancouver won 4-1.  The hockey rink where the Olympic hiockey games were held is a 10 minute walk from our apartment (pretty much a 1 minute drive).  Well, it was a pre-season game and we figured it'd be pretty empty, so we'll just drive, so we don't have to walk back so late.  Uh, can you say traffic?


We drove BACK to our apartment, parked in the garage and decided to walk.  I guess hockey really IS a big deal here!  Sheesh.  This pre-season game was packed!


I got tickets for Melvin's birthday - club seats, row 10.  It was pretty cool.  Lot of fights!


Speaking of birthdays, we went to a kids birthday party today.  We had some amazing Persian food.  The basmati rice had this herb called Zaresh (snuck into Canada from Iran!) and it was a perfect complement to lamb kebabs and marinated chicken fresh off the grill.  YUM!


Everyone was discussing how the rain "is just beginning"....we are totally nervous about this winter!  I hope the mild temperatures compensate for everything...fingers crossed!

Interesting Story

Sorry for slacking on the blog.  It's been crazy busy and I'm getting ready for my final teachings and exam and then "graduation" from my teacher training program (so so sad it is ending), as well as mentally preparing myself for our trip back to NY on Oct. 5th.


I did want to quickly share this story my yoga teacher told us.


One day, she and another instructor were sitting at a cafe in Yaletown.  They were discussing food (don't know specifics) when a truck driver at the next table interrupted them and said, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help listen to your conversation.  I just wanted to add that you both don't have any idea how bad it REALLY is."  He was taking a break from delivering bananas to Urban Fare, the supermarket that is across the street from our apartment.


It turns out this truck driver drives bananas from the States to Canada.  That is his job - banana driver.  Anyway, he explained to them that whenever bananas leave the U.S. to be exported, they have to be green.  They only bring over green bananas to Canada.  When he reaches the border crossing, he has to call the supermarkets in Vancouver - Safeway, Urban Fare, Choices, etc. to see how their supplies are doing.  So, if Safeway has a ton of bananas left, they say to bring the green ones in, as is.  However, if Safeway is running low on yellow/ripened bananas they need them ASAP.  So you know what this guy does?  He presses a button on the truck, which emits gas to the bananas, so that by the time they reach the respective supermarket, they are yellow.  The border is only 45 minutes away to downtown.  


That, my friends, is the reason to go for organic produce whenever possible.

Happy Birthday!

...to my hubby!

Hope you enjoyed your day, even though you had to work.  Love ya!

Season in Review

Today is the last day of the summer.  When we arrived in Vancouver, it was the first day of summer, so we've been here an entire season already.  It has really flown by!!

Season in Review
The summer in Vancouver is, by far, spectacular.  I will do a review of every season, but if I were to make a recommendation, I would say: come visit us in the summer!   We welcome you during all seasons; however, I can only speak intelligently about the summer so far.  Water activities are bountiful, mornings/evenings are comfortable, mountains are green and lush and the city is best seen on foot.  Summer fruits, like berries (3rd largest producer of blueberries in the world) are everywhere!  Farmer's markets, in practically every town, are in effect every week.   People dine on fresh coho salmon on restaurant patios all around town.  Rainy days are scarce in the summer (at least this year), but when it does rain, there is at least 4-5 hours of beautiful sunshine to be outdoors.  Also, I have not minded wearing my rain jacket and my wonderful Michael Kors rain boots.

As we move into the fall, I wonder how the rest of the year will be.  I still can't believe we are here.

Grouse Grind - Part Deux

Vrksasana - Tree Pose

Today, we hiked up Grouse Mountain's Grouse Grind during the kids' nap.  I thought that we could get back in time for Amélie's next feeding, but no such luck.

I came with the "I got this" attitude, so the first 1/4 was fine.  Then, I went into "oh shit" mode when I realized we'd only gone 1/4 of the way up Grouse Mountain.  Also, I saw a couple of my yoga peeps coming down as they couldn't make it up the mountain, so then I was a bit discouraged.

Well, long story short, we made it up, but I didn't beat Melvin's time - we did it in 1 hour and 27 minutes though.  I also got my Lululemon gear all dirtied up, which was unfortunate.  Note to self: no need to wear leg warmers just to look cute.  I decided to do the Tree Pose and practice oneness with the trees about 3/4 of the way up.    

It was a good time.  

To summarize for anyone planning to do the Grind anytime soon, here's my take on it:

1/4 - the longest trail, zig zags and is less steep

1/2 - getting a bit steeper and where most people lose hope

3/4 - point of no return and straight up rock climbing, there are ropes to help people along

last 1/4 - steepest and the point where people fear leg cramps

Full Circle

It's funny how some things in life come to a full circle.  There will be a huge Yoga Convention in Vancouver the weekend of October 1st, which I don't plan on attending as that is my "graduation" weekend for the 200-hr teacher training program.  In any case, I was browsing through the catalog just to see what is being featured when I came across a name and face that looked so very familiar.

One of my old yoga and pilates teachers from Philadelphia is teaching a couple workshops at the convention!  I find this to be so strange as she was one of the reasons I became interested in yoga.  Her teaching was so distinct that I remember her 11 years later.  I just recently learned how to teach Anuloma Viloma, (a fairly complex alternate nostril breathing exercise) and she is the only teacher that has ever taught it in a class that I've been to.  I discovered her specialty is the Prana Flow Hatha Yoga that I am learning now.  Pretty crazy how things in the past turn up like that.

The same thing has happened with work.  One of my old contractors that I used to hire for meetings emailed me on Sunday.  It turns out she and her husband live in Vancouver for part of the year and have a business here.  She heard through the industry grapevine that I moved here and wants to see if I'm interested in working with them.  Anyway, I'm meeting with her on Sunday to find out more details, so we will see, but again, very weird how things like that happen in life.

Be nice to your co-workers.  You never know when one might end up being your boss.

Organics

I knew this would be an eventual entry as I have pretty strong feelings about it...

Time Magazine just had an article about Organic Food in a recent issue and the beginning annoyed me a bit, but then it got better, but just wanted mention a couple points.

Before I start, I completely agree that  food choices are totally a lifestyle choice.  It's just really important to know the facts.

The main reason to eat organic food is NOT because the food is supposed to "taste better" or "have more vitamins".  I think that is a common misconception people have.  Food tasting better may be a "side effect"; however, the more important reason is that it is chemical, pesticide and (whatever else) free food.  Also, it's better for the planet.  Up to 10 million tons of chemical fertilizer per year are poured onto fields to cultivate corn alone - scary!  The toxic runoffs are poisoning the Gulf of Mexico.  Beef  raised in industrial conditions are dosed with antibiotics and growth boosting hormones, leaving chemical residues in meat and milk.  Melvin recently asked my why I bought organic butter.  Um, well, what do you think butter is made of?

Also, the fact that you can find 'out of season' foods available in all seasons means that crops must be grown in one place and are flown all over the world to those demanding year-round strawberries, plums, etc.  This leaves a major carbon footprint on our Earth.  I was very surprised to find clementines available in the summer last year.  They used to only be available in November (and maybe October) when I was growing up.

Some other misconceptions:

"All-Natural" does not equal pesticide or antibiotic/hormone free.  It is just like "low-fat" means it is 3 grams OR LESS fat than a regular product.

"Farmer's Market" does not equal organic.  It is nice to support local farmers though.

"Grass-Fed" does not mean the animal was able to graze grass through their lifetime.  If you are interested in eating "free" animals, you want to look for "Grass-Finished" meats.

"Free Range" is a very abused term in the market. It simply indicates that chicken are not in cages, but doesn't mean they are outside of the "building".  Those that saw Food, Inc. know what I'm talking about.

I could go on, but I won't.  I don't eat ALL organic, but try as best as we can for most of our foods cooked at home.  It is just way too hard to know the source of the foods served at restaurants.  I have to say the main reason is for our kids (Julian eats better than we do).  As a parent, there is just that need to protect them from everything...including pesticides.

Food for Thought

Here are some of my favorite ideas, findings and quotes from my yoga teacher training so far.  I just randomly listed it but would love to talk more in depth about this stuff to whomever is interested in a deep conversation.

We can perceive only from what we know (i.e. the world is flat)...and what we know creates our reality (i.e. if you ask a child to draw a monster, they will only draw body parts that they know but how they perceive a monster to look - like a monster with one eye).


There are no muscles whatsoever in our fingers & toes...so I guess I really DO have fat fingers!

Tantric Yoga - did you know this yoga practice stops women from getting their period and teaches men to make love without ejaculating??  Crazy stuff, huh?  Let's see if Melvin will let me pay to take this workshop.  LOL

Lotus Flower - it is the symbolic flower of yoga.  The roots of a lotus flower are in the mud and it blossoms above water.

Quote: Some bamboo are short and some are tall. What do you think this means?

Quote: We search for unconditional love because we don't love ourselves.


Quote: Freedom is letting go of the small self.


Quote: Realization is so hard to grasp because our mind is so complicated.


Quote: Suffering is a result of the perceptions of the mind.  When we identify ourselves with something lesser than us, suffering arises. (For example, our name, our gender, our nationality, etc)  This is one of my favorites and it is such an interesting concept.

Finally, Yoga is NOT a practice of self-improvement...it is about radical self transformation.  The essence of what you are, not form.


One of the most important things I've learned during my course thus far is that yoga is NOT a workout.  It is about the practice of "stillness" and "finding your inner bliss".  Again, the biggest challenge that most people have, including myself, is being still and being in the present.

Toons for Toddlers

We took Julian to his very first movie today.  Canada has this program called "Toons for Toddlers" where they have specific showings targeting his age.  Anyway, the movie was called "Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue" and some of the things they do to keep it toddler friendly are:

- Keep the lights dimmed so kids and parents can get to the washroom
- Have space available for strollers at the front and back of the theater
- Keep the sound lower so not to scare the kids
- Keep movies under 60 minutes long to avoid restlessness

It was really great and he loved it.  Melvin and I took full advantage and both took naps, during the movie, after we all shared a large popcorn.

Spirituality

...has been a huge topic in my yoga teacher training classes, particularly the "meaning" of it - to you, to others, to everyone.  Deep stuff, my brain hurts.


The most magical and spiritual place I have ever experienced is Bali.  Tonight, we watched a movie (book turned movie) called Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I knew there was no way I'd enjoy the movie more than the book. The concepts and ideas are way too deep to be portrayed visually.  Instead, the reason we chose to watch it was to be reminded of the beautiful landscapes, glistening water, humble people, and peaceful island called Bali, within Indonesia, that is often misinterpreted because of its location. It was our honeymoon spot and best vacation ever (R & R - you are going to LOVE it).  Of the 14,000 islands called Indonesia, it is probably the island where its people have the most tolerance.  You'd have to have that tolerance to exude the essence of spirituality the way it does.


Spirituality: Elevating ourselves above our evolutionary roles of animals serving evolutionary functions. 


Food for Thought: Are our choices "authentic" or a result of our programming?

Mindfulness

I've been learning a ton at my yoga teacher training classes.  It is such a wonderful experience for me and my teacher is one of those worldly, all-knowing (even though there's no such thing) people.  Today was my fourth day and I feel like I could write a book about some of the topics that have come up in class, but I'll spare you.

Here are some things I've walked away with thus far.

Mindfulness - Shakti (my teacher) says it's not healthy to be TOO pure.  For example, she is okay with smoking as long as it's "mindful" smoking....drop everything, pick up that cigarette, breathe, enjoy and be mindful of the moment (don't smoke while walking, eating, driving, pooping, etc or else it'll just be a habit).  I discovered that I do not know how to "mindfully gamble" after I lost $200 at the casino last night.  Whoops.

Running Kills Your Body - We've been covering a ton of anatomy and I realized how much training for a marathon a few years ago killed my joints, tendons, spine, internal organs, etc.  Scary.

Yoga Philosophy - I could write a book about our lesson this afternoon, but I learned that everything that we do has not changed from the ice age.  We just do things differently.  This could be a very interesting discussion over wine and cheese another time.

Gender Matters -  men and women are all wired so differently - again reference to the ice age.  Women, don't try to change your husbands.  It ain't gonna work!

Quantum Physics and Yoga are very much the same - don't even ask, I'd have to refer to my notes

I could go on and on but it's only the 4th day.  Today, I also taught my first asana to a class of 10 people.  It was completely invigorating and I loved it - more than I thought I would.

Chinatown Night Market

This weekend is the last weekend of Vancouver's Chinatown Night Market, which is about a 2-minute drive from our place.  We checked it out tonight and guess what I found?? 

...decent Hong Kong Cake!!!  I don't want to dwell on this, but seriously, it is hard to find.  I was ecstatic and of course Melvin finally admitted that "they are good".  Still not like Cecilia Tam was on Mosco St. (NYC) - just to pay her more homage than I already have, check out this Appreciation Thread I found.  Kudos to the foodies out there that know when to recognize innovation.

I was disappointed to find out that this particular vendor only sold their cakes during the Summer Night Market, so I guess we'll have to wait until next May to indulge again.  That may be a good thing.

So, the night market was rather disappointing after growing up going to NYC's Chinatown and having been to Hong Kong twice. It just doesn't compare to either, but the fact we are minutes away makes up for the disappointment.

I have lots to update about my yoga teacher training, which I LOVE, but will have to do it another night.

Living Social

I haven't mentioned that I've been helping a friend market her new business out here in Vancouver.  As I mentioned in my "Asana" entry, I'm unable to "sit" or "be in the present" for too long...that being said, my time as solely a stay at home mom/housewife was pretty much non-existent.  Anyway, my friend's business has been really fun and a place I could escape to when I need a break from the kids or when I need something to jolt my inner juices.  I've met some very cool people in the process.

Anyway, I managed to get them a feature on www.livingsocial.com yesterday!  It was extremely successful and yesterday was exhilarating watching the numbers climb and exceeding my expectations.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that feeling of success!

694 units sold = CHA-CHING!!

Asana

I had my first yoga teacher training class today at Prana Yoga College.  It was loads of fun and I'm loving it so far, except for the fact I had to pump every break we had, rather than socialize with the students.  I found though that people kept me company while I pumped under my Hootie Hider (a necessity for breastfeeding moms).  One minute we'd be eating and chatting and then I'd hear, "What's that sound?"..."It's my freakin pump, got a problem with that?"  Just kidding, I didn't say that (but I was thinking it)."


Asana (or posture): "to sit" or "be present" 


Hmm...I'm not sure I'll be good at this.  Many of you that know me well know that I cannot sit still, nor live in the present moment.  I guess I'll have something to work on :)


PS - sorry in advance for the yoga talk, but that is my life for the next month!

Poutine

Last night, Melvin and I took in a movie with another couple.  Afterward, we indulged in some Poutine for the first time - it is so bad for you, yet so good.  I thought it was from France, but it's actually less exotic and was created by French Canadians.


POUTINE -  dish consisting of French Fries topped with fresh cheese curd, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients.


Now, I'm getting ready for my first yoga class, hoping last night's indulgence doesn't screw me up today.  Poutine at 11:00pm and downward facing dog?  Not a good mix.

It's down pouring today...

...and I get to rock my brand new Michael Kors rain boots!


Just trying to look at the brighter side of things :)

Five Years...

...and counting!

This past weekend, Melvin and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary.  It is amazing how many changes we've gone through in half a decade - Melvin changed jobs, we bought our first house, I changed jobs, had a baby, left that job, experienced the death of a parent, had another baby, sold our first house, and moved to another country!  Mind you, 5 of these life altering changes happened this year, but still lots of changes we've experienced together.

To celebrate, we took advantage of Abuela's visit and left her with the kids.  We took a bus/ferry/bus combo to Victoria, B.C.  for two days.  It was as gorgeous as I remembered it 6 years ago (damn, I'm old) when I went there for the first time.  During this visit, we ate plenty of seafood (as usual), saw a Gray Whale, lots of Orca (Killer) Whales and a Humpback Whale - our guide said seeing three types never happens, so we were very lucky!  The highlight of the trip for me was High Tea at the Fairmont Empress (love scones and clotted cream!) and Melvin's highlight was his first seaplane ride back to Vancouver (a quick 35 minutes)!

Here are some pics from our whale tour on Aug. 28th - Melvin's head blocked a few of the pics.
http://5starwhales.blogspot.com/

Funny moments included my pumping breast milk in the hallway of our hotel when our room wasn't ready....then, passing it off to the bellmen (awkward!) to store it in the hotel freezer...it did not get easier each time I did this, but it was quite amusing.  As we were leaving, watching the bellman run down the hall with my breast milk and throwing it in the cooler as fast as he could gave us a good laugh!

We got some great pics, so check out our Picasa Album.

Mommy's Guilt

...never goes away!!

We are leaving for our 5-yr anniversary weekend very early tomorrow morning.  As much as I've been yearning for a break from the kids, I feel horrible about leaving them.  Also, I know I'll miss them terribly and wish they were coming.  It's such a Catch 22.

I know it is something that will never go away!

Thoughts?

...just curious...

What are your thoughts about the Islamic Community Centre and Mosque being proposed to be built by Ground Zero?  Feel free to email me privately or to make things interesting, post in the comments section of the blog.

If you choose not to comment about the above, what do you think of that flight attendant that caused all the commotion on that Jet Blue flight?  I found it funny.

I am in need of some US, specifically New York, drama...I mean, "news".

Aberdeen & Hong Kong Cake

When I think of Aberdeen, I think of Hong Kong and its floating village on Aberdeen Harbour.  Today, we went to Aberdeen Centre, which is Canada's biggest "Asian Mall" in Richmond, B.C. (near the airport).  It's pretty crazy as all the stores are Asian brands.  We read that they are going to start making it more diverse to attract non-Asians, but right now it encompasses a market, as well as store brands from the Philippines, Korea, China, Japan, etc.

Well, if you could only imagine how this food court was....I was in heaven.  The food court had Korean, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Szechuan, Indonesian and many more eateries.  I ate BBQ Duck over rice, my absolute favorite.  For dessert, I indulged in "hard to find" Hong Kong Cake.

You New Yorkers SHOULD know what I am talking about when I say Hong Kong Cake...Do you remember the Hong Kong Cake lady that sat in a makeshift red shack on Mosco & Mott Streets in Chinatown?  Her name was Cecilia Tam (read about her, she's fascinating) and she was located around the corner from Hop-Kee.  She had that secret batter recipe and lines would round the corner for her delectable Hong Kong Cake, which was $1 for 15 balls/1 bag.  Each day, she brought her milk jugs of batter and when they were gone, she would close.  She put her kids through college with that money earned and then she retired, without passing on the recipe (SO WRONG).

I grew up going to Sun Lok Kee (which moved to Flushing due to high rents in Chinatown) almost every weekend and then a trip to the red shack, rain or shine, no matter how long the line.  I've had these Hong Kong Cakes from fake vendors in NYC, vendors in Hong Kong, and now Vancouver and nothing compares to the ones from that red shack on Mosco Street.  Man, do I miss her.

Random + Glowbal Grill Review

Throughout the day, I always find myself thinking "I need to blog about this"; however, when I get to the computer, I forget what I needed to blog about.  Annoying!

Here is what I remember at the moment...wanted to mention this stuff before I forget:

- There are stores here that are so similar to what we have back home.  The fonts and signs are so similar that I wonder if they are under the same companies. 

Home Goods = Home Sense; Magic Cuts = Super Cuts

- I'm very excited to discover a fellow mom of two that is taking the yoga program with me.  She is from Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) and is leaving her 3-year and 3-month old for five weeks!!  I no longer feel so (or as) guilty about leaving the kids full-time again. Maybe I'll have company while I pump during my breaks?

- We booked our 5-year anniversary trip to Victoria, B.C.  Taking the ferry over and will take a seaplane back to Vancouver....Will blog about it after we go!

Glowbal Grill Review:

I want to continue reviewing my dining experiences at the more notable restaurants in the city. Glowbal Grill was pretty damn good.  It's a pretty trendy, loungey place and it was Friday night, but I was determined for some upscale dining and the mushroom risotto.

We took the kids and braved the after-work, happy hour, yuppy crowd that Yaletown (our neighborhood) is known for. I was extremely prepared and brought a coloring book for Julian, carried Amélie in the Bjorn and had the car seat on the other arm "just in case" and looked at the menu online and ordered before Melvin even met us there.  They sat us in the back next to an older couple from Louisiana and the hostess & waiter were extremely accommodating.

We had the following satays: short rib, sablefish, kobe meatball, tiger prawn - all of which were to die for, with the exception of the short ribs, which were mediocre. We also got a calamari appetizer, which melted in our mouths (similar to Sanafir's calamari) and got creamed spinach and mushroom risotto as sides.  Delectable.  I look forward to returning.

T&T

Tonight, my friend took me on a field trip to T&T Supermarket.  It was awesome!  I was looking for a reasonably priced, non-ghetto Asian Mart, where I could get the essentials for satisfying my Filipino/Chinese food cravings.  When my friend told me about it, I thought of International Food Mart in Spring Valley (you Rocklanders know what I'm talking about) and the thought made me shudder a bit.  It was very far from that!!  This place was a clean Chinatown on steroids with a variety of foods that is indescribable.  There were tanks of fresh seafood and the bakery was really cool with fresh baked goods from many different Asian countries.  There were not 10 or even 20 brands of frozen dumplings, but more...best of all, I found frozen Shanghai soup dumplings (aka Xiaolongbao)!!!  How exciting!


I also came home with some Tocino, Bangus (yum) and Beef Tapa - all very important to the traditional, unhealthy Filipino breakfast that I can't go too long without.  In addition, I had a unique find - frozen scallion pancakes.  Can't wait to try them! 

ICBC Strikes Again!

I had previously blogged about ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia) and their monopoly on every type of insurance in this province.  Well, we just finalized our car insurance and it is so ridiculous - there is no Geico, no State Farm, no MetLife to provide competitive rates and "I can do it better than you" attitudes.  Instead, we're stuck with the girl at Yaletown Insurance, that clearly hates her job, to provide us with the one and only insurance this province has to offer.

From reading my above rant, you can probably guess that we did not get a good deal.  Believe it or not, we went to the insurance office FOUR times just to get the proper documentation and get the premium as low as possible.  We provided our clean records from the States, letters from past insurance companies and information about our car usage (i.e. not used to go to work, parked in a garage, etc). We got a 30% discount, which sounds great, but isn't good enough!  AND we had to "surrender" our car title and won't be getting it back!!  Can you believe that?  They've taken away our licenses and now title!

Now, we have a B.C. title, registration and brand new plates, which Melvin installed today.  He held our New York plates up proudly and stated that it was a sad day.  We'll be fed-exing those bad boys off to the DMV tomorrow - tsk, tsk.

Heatwave

It is blazin' hot here (probably nothing compared to the East, but still) and none of the buildings have air conditioning (including most hotels)!!  It does not help that I've also been slavin' in the kitchen in preparation for Abuela's arrival next Wednesday.  Melvin's mom will be visiting for over a month from Aug. 25 and flying back to NY with us on Oct. 5.  I asked her to take care of the kids while Melvin & I go on our 5-yr anniversary trip and while I'm in classes the month of September.


I'm starting an intensive 200-hour yoga certification program at Prana Yoga College on September 1st, so it'll be full time with only Thursdays/Sundays off.  If I successfully complete the program, I'll be "graduating" Oct. 3rd and will be certified to teach yoga.  My intention was never to be a teacher, but I thought this program would be great for me not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, as well.  My goal is to just get through it.  So, we'll just see how things go and see whether I like it.  More about that later...


Back to my preparations...I've been cooking and freezing food, so Melvin's mom can just heat up meals during the day for her and Julian.  I'm sure she'll think I'm totally weird and anal, but I don't think she realizes how hard it'll be to cook homemade food and snacks with the two kids in tow.  Also, it's my way of making sure Julian is getting well-balanced and healthy meals, instead of eating platanos on a daily basis.


So far, I've made or bought/prepared the following.  Thanks to Janey and Kristen for the great website and personal recipes.


- Two dozen blueberry muffins
- Two dozen vegan banana chocolate chip muffins 
- Turkey & Vegetable Chili
- One dozen Potato Codfish Cakes
- Salmon Marinade
- Chicken with Thai Curry 
- Garlic & Cheese Bread
- Approx. 75 oz of breast milk


After all that work, I realize that the above will barely last us 3 days (not counting all the muffins, of course).  AND, I'll need to start pureeing foods for Amélie next month. Ugh. I question how people can afford (time and money) to feed big families these days.  No wonder people head to McDonald's.


I would love more recipe suggestions if any of you have some "freeze well" meals.
...gotta get ready for the beach now.  Until next time!

Busy, Busy Sunday

...Checked out Kitsilano Farmer's Market for the first time - amazing organic produce selection and cuts of grass fed beef

...Played family soccer at Roundhouse Community Centre's "Picnic in the Park"event

...Scoped out Vancouver's Latin Summer Fest in East Vancouver and discovered Dominicanissima Dance Group , which was a nice surprise for Melvin

...Took the Aquabus to Granville Island's Water Park, also known as North America's largest free spray park (it was a blazin' hot day)

...Cooked some dinner, ate, and put the kids to bed!

WE ARE BEAT!

Howe Sound

This morning, we packed up a small cooler, and the kids, and took off for Horseshoe Bay, which is located in West Vancouver approximately 25 minutes from downtown (on the way to Whistler off the Sea to Sky Highway).  Our plan was to rent a 15' foot boat for a couple hours, explore Howe Sound, have lunch and then head back for naps.  It's very rare that plans work out perfectly, especially with kids, but it was one of those days when it did!

We had an amazing ride with a very nervous Captain Mel.  As I told him, it's perfectly fine to be nervous because the lives of his family were in his hands.  The water was a bit choppy this morning, so they upgraded us to a 17' boat, which was perfectly fine with me.  We stayed south to avoid the choppy waters and missed out on the island up north with the sea lions, but hopefully we'll have another chance to explore the islands a bit north of West Vancouver.  Instead, we headed in the direction of downtown and saw some multi-million dollar homes along the coast, some beautiful islands, fishing boats with fishermen hoping for some salmon, Snug Cove at Bowen Island, a float plane coming in for landing, and some huge ferries taking Vancouverites to the many island destinations surrounding the city.

At the end of our ride, Melvin received a compliment on his wonderful parking job at the dock.  Then, we headed to Troll's Restaurant for their famous fish n chips.  We ordered the catch of the season, Basa Fish (type of catfish, super tasty), and it was definitely the best fish n chips I ever had.  This is coming from one that lived in London for 6 months, so kudos to Troll's!

We headed back for naps, then went to Stanley Park to take some professional family pictures in the afternoon.  I am hoping they turned out well and will be sending them out to friends and family in the upcoming weeks.  Stay tuned...

Afghan Horsemen

Tonight, I went to my first Afghan restaurant ever and the food was AMAZING. My ride to the restaurant was on a very peaceful boat across False Creek to Granville Island. I looked around at the towering buildings, people riding bikes along the seawall with their kids in their bike trailers, and the sun hitting the water in such a way that is indescribable.  I realized that it will be very hard to leave this place, if we choose to do so in the future.


I went to dinner with a few girls I met here and it was just really nice to have a meal with others and not be discussing children the entire time. I love my kids, but I can't remember the last time I went a whole night without talking about them.  I realized how important it is to surround myself with friends of all different life situations.


Anyway, that is not the point of my post...The restaurant was called Afghan Horsemen and we sat on the floor at these low tables and had pillows all around.  A belly dancer came out for a performance around 8:45pm and showed us some skills by balancing a sword on her boobs and head (while I laughed in her face).  I learned this is the first and only Afghan restaurant in all of Canada.  I found the cuisine to be very similar to Greek, Turkish and even Lebanese food.  Excelente!

I am so going to bring all our visitors to this place for a night out.

Here are some more...

My last entry was so well received that I decided to include some conversations we've had with some of the locals.  Mind you, I hope they never see this blog.

Conversation #1

This conversation transpired in our garage between our neighbor (very nice people) who is a cop (very important detail) and Melvin.  The names of these people have been purposely altered to protect their identities.  =P

Melvin: Hey Man

Man: Hey Melvin, how's it going?  Did you manage to get your car insurance and all that set up yet?

Melvin: Nah, I need to get an inspection first.

Man: Oh well, you really should remove the tint off you car's front windows.

Melvin: Really?  Why?

Man: Well, you know, it's illegal because only gangsters really have tint on their cars.

Melvin: Ok,..

Later on...Melvin says to me: "Gangsters? I haven't heard that word since the '80s"

LOL - much to Melvin's dismay, we were forced to have our tint removed as it is actually illegal here.  BOO!

A WEEK LATER

Man's Wife: Hey Coleen, how're things going?

Coleen:  Oh, things are going well.  Tell Man we had our tint removed finally.

Man's Wife: Yeah, that's a good thing because the gangsters here really took the tint to the next level.

Seriously, it sounds so much funnier in person.

Conversation #2

There is a certain someone Melvin encounters on a regular basis and apparently he's extremely anti-American.  Melvin doesn't really care for him.  Here are some comments he has made.

Annoying Man: Gosh, Americans are so fat, the food portions there are ridiculous.  I worked there for 10 days once and gained 15 lbs.  (this man is like 300 lbs)

Melvin: Oh ok, whose fault is that!  (he didn't really say this but was thinking it)

I was actually about to write more comments Melvin had shared with me, but decided I don't want to piss people off or leave a bad taste in your mouth regarding Canadians.  This guy is actually the first one we've met that has this attitude about Americans.  It's actually quite interesting to hear people's stereotypical thoughts.  Often times, Americans are the ones stereotyping others.  It is almost fascinating to hear the other end of it.  Here is one example that I encountered.

Conversation #3

Coleen: I'm having a hard time finding organic meat here and I'm noticing that there is no organic yogurt for babies.

Fellow Mom: Yeah, you have to go to certain specialty shops to get more variety and I don't think I've ever seen organic yogurt for babies.  Are you sure the labels are legit in America though?  I mean, when they say organic, does it truly have proper guidelines to be classified as such.

Coleen: Um, yeah!  (in my mind, I was thinking the same thing about Canadian products.  Go figure.)

Conversation #4 - this transpired when we were opening our mailbox in Washington State in Blaine, WA.

Coleen:  Are you familiar with this town?

Woman: Yeah, kind of, are you looking for something in particular?

Coleen:  Just a place to grab lunch.  It doesn't look like there's much around here (we were right over the border and it was a VERY small town).

Woman:  No, not much in Blaine.  You'd have to drive 15-20 minutes south to find more things, but there is a Subway that they just opened and there's a Little Caesar's pizza shop here.

LOL - remember Little Caesar's?  Pizza! Pizza!  love it.

Funny

Conversation #1
Julian: Look what I got from school mommy! (holds up toy dinosaur)
Coleen: Julian, you know that belongs in school. We'll have to return it on Tuesday.
Julian: Ok


Next Day: Coleen enters Julian's room and finds 10 toy dinosaurs


Coleen:  Julian, where did these toy dinosaurs come from?
Julian:  From school!
Coleen:  Sigh (he's been putting one in each pocket and bringing them home for weeks)


Conversation #2
Melvin: How was your day?
Coleen: Pretty good, you know, usual tantrums...
Melvin: Cool, what should we have for dinner?
Coleen: I don't care, what are you in the mood for?
Melvin: OMG! This guy just took all his clothes off on the 2nd floor of that building! (hands over eyes)
...gotta love floor to ceiling windows!


Conversation #3
Julian:  I have to go pee pee mommy!
Coleen:  Okay, let's go.  Do you want to try peeing standing up?
Julian: No, I don't want to pee pee standing up.  I'm a girl.  Big girls pee pee sitting down.
Coleen: Sigh
Update: Julian started peeing standing up this past Sunday!  PHEW!