Year: 2008

Calgary Conference Getaway

I was fortunate to attend a conference for work in Calgary this past week at the Radisson Hotel Calgary Airport (2120 16 Avenue NE).

Welcoming pumpkins created by hotel staff

Having never stayed at a Radisson before, this was the first time I have ever encountered a “Sleep Number” bed. I was able to choose the firmness of my mattress with the touch of a button, even though the mechanics that operated the side I chose to sleep on didn’t function properly – I was forever stuck at a “40”. Fun to experiment with, however!

Sleep Number control

Unlike some seminars and conferences I have attended in the past, the Radisson was great with keeping buffet supplies well-stocked. There was never an instance where I found myself peering into an empty serving vessel.

Fruit kabobs

Lunches were all of the build-your-own variety – sandwiches the first day, soft tacos the next, and souvlaki the last. It was unfortunate that chicken was a part of each meal; I know a few of my coworkers were looking for more variety by the end of our stay.

Lunch #2 (I also was hoping for a different kind of salad by Thursday as well – the wild greens and raspberry vinaigrette was over done)

Our only provided dinner consisted of chicken with an apricot and hazelnut glaze, mushroom and asparagus risotto, and a variety of cold salads. The chicken was actually quite well-done, moist and tender, unlike the same meat served at lunch.

My dinner plate

My workmates and I had to fend for ourselves one night, and having asked the hotel staff for a “more local” recommendation than Earls, we were directed to Cattle Baron (3340 – 26 Street NE). Who knew, at 7pm on a random Tuesday that the wait for a party of 9 would be an hour and a half? We ended up at a nearby Joey Tomatoes (3026 23rd Street NE), where the wait for our group (which agreed to be split into two parties) was still forty-five minutes. I had no idea the evening dining market was so ravenous in Calgary.

I had a great time at the conference overall, and I’m sure a large part of that had to do with the fact that we were well-fed throughout. Bravo, Radisson staff!

Film: “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

Though I handily declared in my review of High School Musical 2 that I would not be shelling out cash to watch the third (and final?) instalment of the Disney franchise, I was sorely mistaken. Thankfully, I think this movie was well-worth my money, and did much in the way of redeeming the sad excuse for a second film.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is set at East High (instead of say, a country club), and chronicles the musically-inclined friends as they ponder their futures and put on a final show together. My simple litmus test for an enjoyable movie of this calibre is whether or not it manages to put a smile of my face; it did.

Like the first film, Senior Year didn’t take itself too seriously – it was lighthearted and filled with catchy tunes. Some of the voices were obviously synthesized, but at this point, I felt I could overlook that for the spectacle of the musical numbers. There were a few “edgier” songs as well – Troy (Zac Efron) and Chad’s “The Boys Are Back”, performed in an automobile junk yard (as an homage to Stomp, perhaps?) and Efron’s anguished “Scream”, sung with lightning and strobe lights blazing in the background. Efron deserves special mention, as to both Mack and I, it seemed he was performing as if his career depended on it – he obviously put his heart and soul into this movie.

My favourite song was the clever “A Night to Remember”, which showcased the dual points of view girls and boys harbour with regards to prom night. The visual spectacle of “I Want it All” was also a high point. Mack liked the titular inclusion in the end number, “High School Musical”, but both of us wondered why the performers were made to wear their graduation gowns throughout the song – it was impossible to discern their dance movements as they flailed around, and I felt especially sorry for Vanessa Hudgens, as she was absolutely dwarfed by the cloth robe.

The movie also decided to (wisely) incorporate references and refrains to the original High School Musical, rewarding loyal audience members who have followed the franchise thus far. Mack thought this went too far, in the sense that some of the issues presented this time around were ones that had already been dealt with, such as Troy’s overbearing father.

While I won’t be running out to buy the soundtrack or the DVD when it is released, I am happy that the movies that bookend the trilogy are as positive and enjoyable as they are. If I ever feel the need to taste innocence and unbounded optimism, I know where to turn.

November in Edmonton Gears up for the Holidays

  • November has been deemed “Shop Local First” month in Edmonton by Mayor Mandel – something to remember when looking around for those holiday gifts. Check out Keep Edmonton Original for a few ideas of locally-owned shops and services.
  • HomeFest, an annual concert fundraiser and campaign to build awareness of issues around homelessness, is on November 2.
  • If you’re not busy watching the US election coverage on November 4, why not check out a talk by sex expert Sue Johanson at the Myer Horowitz Theatre, a part of the University of Alberta Student Union’s Revolutionary Speakers Series.
  • Also on November 4, Good Earth Cafe is hosting a Science Cafe where you can “debate, debunk, digest!”
  • Dust off your cowboy boots: the Canadian Finals Rodeo returns November 5-9.
  • The Global Visions Film Festival, running November 6-9, “celebrates the passion of film and the diversity, joy, and responsibility of being a global citizen” by showcasing documentaries. I am looking forward to the opening night film, Triage: The Humanitarian Dilemma of James Orbinski.
  • I’ve been meaning to check out Stop and Shop, an event that showcases local designers and artistans, for some time. Thankfully, they have one planned for just around the corner, November 13-15 at the TransAlta Arts Barns.
  • The second annual Exposure: Edmonton’s Queer Arts & Culture Festival kicks off November 14 and runs until November 22.
  • In celebration of its centennial, the University of Alberta is hosting the Festival of Ideas, November 13-16. Salman Rushdie and Thomas King are among the speakers.
  • Hoping to engage local citizens on the subject of city planning and design, the City of Edmonton has been offering a series of “Planning Academy” workshops every spring and fall. More information here. I’ll be attending “Getting a Grip on Land Use Planning” on November 15.
  • For those (like me) who miss the City Centre Market already, there will be a winter reprieve on November 15, where many merchants will be setting up for the Christmas Market on the Square at Churchill Square, 1-6pm.
  • Once you’ve finished picking up goodies from the vendors, stick around on November 15 for the Holiday Light up on the Square at 5pm, where there will be fireworks and Christmas lights galore.
  • Looking for fair trade gifts? Look no further than Just Christmas, November 21 & 22 at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall.
  • For “alternative” gifts, the Taboo…Naughty but Nice Sex Show is on at the Northlands Agricom November 21-23.
  • Bright Nights, billed as “Edmonton’s Winter Family Festival”, begins on November 21 and goes until January 4, 2009 in Hawrelak Park. I would recommend going on the first night, as it is the only pedestrian-friendly day of the event.
  • For more marvels of holiday decor, visit the Shaw Conference Centre for their annual Festival of Trees, November 27-30, a fundraiser for the University Hospital Foundation.
  • City-wide developers, listen up: the annual Edmonton Code Camp will take place on November 29. For more information, click here.
  • As always, there are a multitude of theatre and other cultural events listed on Tix on the Square.

Theatre: “Oh Susannah” Halloween Special

After reading an amusing interview with Susannah Patchouli in See Magazine, I made an impromptu decision to attend this year’s Halloween edition of Oh Susannah, Edmonton’s only Euro-style variety show featuring the effervescent Patchouli (played by the hilarious Mark Meer).

Mark Meer as Susannah Patchouli (photo taken from the See Magazine article)

The show was to start at 11pm, with tickets on sale a half hour before that, so we figured arriving at 10:15pm would be fairly safe. Though we weren’t disappointed, we weren’t expecting such a crowd, with a line that looped claustrophobically through the tiny Varscona lobby (all the way down the hallway to the bathrooms). The staff were thoroughly accommodating through, and not only started selling tickets ahead of schedule, but also opened the house doors earlier than anticipated.

We settled in amongst the packed house, and Susannah, dressed in a witches hat and a “revealing” costume, appeared at show time and welcomed us. Two things amazed me, as they did the first time I watched Oh Susannah: that the Varscona stage can accommodate as many bodies as it does; and how Meer can complete the entire show with a straight face.

The Girls of the Grill were back (this time with an “I ‘otta choke you” sandwich made with artichoke spread), as were the Ladies of the Bar (who passed around “Skelletini” cocktails). Local celebrities were also interviewed, including Colin Oberst (the composer behind the new Hockey Night in Canada theme song) and Ronnie Burkett, who just premiered his newest production, Billy Twinkle, at the Citadel Theatre. This episode of Oh Susannah also featured The Game! The Game!, a regular highlight that was missing from the Christmas special I watched last year. I really extend credit to whomever designed the activities – they were immensely entertaining. From the borderline dirty trivia in round one, the challenge to craft a sculpture from pumpkin puree (resulting in, of course, one penis-shaped design) in round two and lastly, a winner-takes all round that had contestants toilet papering the audience…then having to re-roll the used tissue. Patricia Zentilli (currently performing as Audrey in the Mayfield Dinner Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors) and Tracey Power (Living Shadows: A Story of Mary Pickford) were great sports.

The audience, as per last time, also helped make it a good time. They were expecting the various parts of the show, including the loud repetition of the phrase, “I don’t want to go to jail looking like this.” Many also dressed up in their finest Halloween garb to compete for “frugal but fabulous” prizes. My favourite costume went to the self-described “Discovery Channel Slow Zebra” – a zebra with a lion attached on its neck – too clever.

For the variety and laugh ratio we received, it was well worth our $10 ticket. The next show runs on November 29 at 11pm – go early!

Polished but Pricey: Origin India

After visiting the new Old Strathcona office of Lift Interactive (where we won the cutest his and hers t-shirts), Mack and I walked over to Origin India (10511 82 Avenue), the new upscale Maurya Palace outpost. I originally reported about the “coming soon” status of Origin India back in April, and seven months later, it finally opened, apparently because they had to get up to code.

At any rate, we walked past the taped-up paper menu outside, through the doors, and were immediately transported into a world away from the hustle and bustle of Whyte. To the right of the entrance was what looked like a take-out counter, but for the moment was sparkling new and unused. We walked down a few stairs into a dimly lit room and joined the three other parties already seated.

Dominated by brown and reds, the space was warm but chic. Dark leather banquets lined both walls, and above the seats was a wooden, compartmentalized wine shelf that spanned the same length. The buffet section and bar was situated at the back of the room, and without a divide of any kind, the room felt open and welcoming. Knowing that the former occupant of this space was a dollar store, I really have to commend the owners for the absolute transformation they have overseen – I can see how additional construction time would have been necessary.

Interior

At the beginning of our visit, the music veered towards the annoying tinkering favoured at Khazana, but thankfully by the end of the night, had switched to an upbeat, Bollywood techno that in my opinion suited the space and the location better.

We were told the buffet was available, but were also provided with menus in case we decided to go the a la carte route. At $19.95 per person, the buffet wasn’t cheap, but we figured it was the best way to sample this new establishment’s fare.

The diamond-shaped plates were an interesting choice, and to some extent, the fact that there was a wide border around it made it easier to grip while we travelled the buffet line. I was disappointed to find, however, that there were only eight hot entrees (plus rice, salad and dessert) to choose from. Along with quality, I figured $20 should also buy variety.

Buffet line-up

We piled our plates high with a sample of everything, and returned to our table where a basket of fresh naan was waiting. The naan was more crisp and not as “doughy” as others I have tried, but the made-to-order factor was a real plus. My favourite dish was the lamb curry – tender, flavourful  and just spicy enough, it was a departure from my usual butter chicken preference. Mack, however, enjoyed his serving of butter chicken, though his only complaint was his need to cut the chicken into more manageable, one-bite sizes (he should have also asked for a shovel in place of a fork, heh).


Our plates (they were almost identical)

The service was fabulous throughout – our waiter checked in with us just often enough to make us feel taken care of without intruding. While I am not sure I will be back (at least not for the pricey buffet), along with Devlin’s next door, I really am starting to see the shift in Old Strathcona businesses from those who target the partying set to those that primarily serve working professionals.

Origin India
10511 82 Avenue
(780) 436-0558
Sunday to Thursday 11:30am-11pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30am-2am

Food Notes

  • If you’re in the downtown area at lunch hour on Friday, be sure to check out the Chili Cook-off at Scotia Place. Sample chili and check out the rodeo atmosphere!
  • The Hat opened last week (why restaurants don’t get their websites together prior to the launch is beyond me). Here’s a short primer article about it in the Journal – The Hat’s focus is on burgers.
  • Christopher Thrall wrote a great piece about the family behind New Asian Village this week.
  • I saw a news story recently about Health Fare (10865 23 Avenue), a restaurant that bills itself as a ‘healthy fast food’ outlet. They apparently have a computer that will help you determine the appropriate number of calories to consume per meal, and entrees with total caloric content listed. A little too much work for me, but might be interesting to try.
  • A quick decision at the Kingsway Garden Mall food court yielded me a plate of Butter Chicken from Badass Jack’s. There was a funny colour to the sauce (almost salmon), but had the chicken been even a little bit moist, I would have forgiven the aesthetics of the dish.

 

Badass Jack’s Butter Chicken

  • I had a Panino Veneto at the City Centre location of Caffe Sorrentino last week. It was smokin’ hot, with a generous amount of melted cheese, but the brie pretty much overtook any turkey and cranberry mayo flavours that may have been present.

 

Panino Veneto (the sandwich really wasn’t green…the overhead fluorescent lights makes it appear so)

  • I tried Starbucks’ Perfect Oatmeal the other day (with a coupon), and it reminded me how much I dislike oatmeal (nothing against the Starbucks’ version). The packaging also seemed excessive – a plastic-wrapped spoon, plastic-encased raisins, a packet of brown sugar, and of course, the container of oatmeal itself.

 

Perfect Oatmeal

Lunch Time Pressure: Viphalay

I’d heard much ado about Viphalay (10724 95 Street NW), from a friend, a newspaper and a chef. Dickson and I agreed on this new-ish Thai and Laotian restaurant for a lunch meet-up last week so I was finally able to experience it firsthand.

With bars on the windows, I really didn’t feel welcome approaching the eatery. Next to a school, with a tiny parking lot shared with a handful of other businesses, the location left much to be desired. But walking into the space, I was immersed in a much different feeling. The interior was modern and elegant – red walls accented the bar at the rear of the restaurant; the inset ceiling, lined with bold red and black paint, brought an unexpected jolt of vibrancy to the mostly white dining area; and lastly, the delicate spotlights that shone on the periphery of the room created a subtle but classy mood.

Interior

The restaurant was less than half full when we walked in just after 12:30pm. We were asked if we had a reservation, and when we responded that we didn’t, were promptly seated anyway at a table along one wall. The place setting included a wine glass, which seemed unnecessarily fancy, but then again, so long as the drinking vessel is clean, I shouldn’t complain.

We took some time to peruse the menu, and despite being momentarily tempted to order the lunch special (which seemed the most economical way to sample their fare), I ended up with my benchmark dish of Pad Thai ($12.99). Dickson opted for the Tamarind Chicken ($11.99) and a side of coconut rice ($2.99/bowl).

I would gather that for most on a noon hour jaunt, time is of the essence. Of course, not choosing a “15 minute guaranteed express lunch” from Kelsey’s or the like means that I was, on some level, making a conscious choice to gamble with an unknown time factor. At the same time, as the restaurant was seated with half of its maximum capacity, Dickson and I expected some expediency with our meal.

It took a good thirty-five minutes to deliver our food, leaving us with about fifteen minutes to eat. I want to press that our waitress was great throughout our meal – attentive and polite to the point of pushing formal (presenting our bill with two hands and a bowed head made me a little uncomfortable), but she couldn’t alleviate the time stress we felt because of the slow kitchen.

As for the food – we thought it was average. The pad thai was more sweet than spicy, and the number of shrimp included were a paltry three – I would choose the same dish at Bua Thai or Syphay any day. Dickson’s tamarind chicken was all right, but with a flavour that was mildly sweet but not wholly distinct, neither of us would recommend it as a standout entrée.

Pad Thai

Tamarind Chicken

I may visit Viphalay again, perhaps for supper or for a weekend lunch date, but I surely won’t be back when an acute awareness of time will impede my enjoyment of the meal.

Viphalay
10724 95 Street NW
(780) 423-3213
Tuesday – Sunday, lunch 11am-2pm, dinner 5-9pm, closed Mondays

NBA Pre-Season: Toronto Raptors vs. Denver Nuggets

When my sister found out that the Toronto Raptors would be staging a pre-season game in Edmonton, she immediately jumped on the opportunity to watch Chris Bosh (aka “CB4”) live in action. I told her I wouldn’t be willing to spend $500 for courtside seats, but something more reasonable would be fine. It turned out our $39 seats were quite a good deal – decent view, and on the side where the most hilarious mascot concentrated his entertaining efforts.

Me and my sister in Rexall

Converted centre ice (it seemed quite sad to both of us that the floor had to be borrowed from the University of Alberta)

CB4!

Strangely, they brought out the anthem singer with 12 minutes left in the warm-up, and prior to the announcement of the starting line-ups

Raptor team huddle

It’s probably been a good ten years since I paid close enough attention to the NBA to recognize individual players (“What, Allen Iverson doesn’t play for Philadelphia anymore?!”), but my sister was a good resource to get reacquainted to the unfamiliar team composition.

The game itself was decent – I had forgotten how perfect basketball is for those with short attention spans (as opposed to say, hockey), as the scoring is constant. The sold-out crowd was obviously largely cheering for the Raptors, but unfortunately, they couldn’t outdo the exceptional three-point shooting and defense of the Nuggets, and lost 94-105.

In action

We were both expecting the music to be more consistent in the game, but the DJ played only short snippets when the Raptors were in scoring range. He also seemed to have about a ten-song repertoire (New Kids on the Block and Michael Jackson were on high rotation).

The best part of the entire game for both of us was Raptor, the team mascot. He had two different costumes – the more form-fitting, “fuzzy” one we were used to seeing, and a second, inflatable version that neither of us had seen before. It was this second costume that made the game for us, as he wandered around harassing courtside patrons, breakdancing, and moonwalking to Michael Jackson. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a long time. Near the end of the game, they played a video chronicling Raptor’s most embarrassing moments (set to Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day”) – who knew the inflatable raptor had a costume big enough to engulf a whole person?

 

There he goes!

The “fuzzy” mascot (is there a technical name for the costume?) also performed two trampoline-assisted slam dunks, much to the audience’s delight.

Success!

It was a fun night overall – should another NBA team swing by Edmonton, I’d consider going again.

My highly-repetitive photo set is here.

Homeless Count 2008

On Tuesday morning, Mack and I had the opportunity to volunteer for the eighth Homeless Count, an initiative coordinated by Homeward Trust. Every two years, a “snapshot” of the number of people without permanent accommodation is taken in Edmonton in order to advise and advocate for proper funding to address the issues of homelessness and affordable housing. From the website:

“At last count, there were 2,618 homeless people living in our community…1,774 were absolutely homeless, meaning they not only didn’t have a home of their own, they had no housing alternatives. That forced them to either sleep on the streets, a park, stairwell, or if they were lucky, with a friend. The remaining 844 people were ‘sheltered’ homeless. These people were living in emergency accommodations at the time of the count, but had no permanent place to live.”

We attended an orientation last Thursday, which was quite helpful in preparing us for what was to take place on Tuesday. We were given a light supper, our “base sites” as enumerators were assigned, and we listened to a presentation about various aspects of the count. A police constable reminded us about “common sense” safety, an organizer ran through the questions we would ask, and perspectives from a former volunteer and someone who was formerly homeless were shared.

The diversity in presenters made the hour-long session zoom by, and our favourite speaker had to be Leonard, the gentleman providing a first-hand account of living on the street. His honesty was unintentionally funny (he advised that the best time to count homeless people was at 10am – when liquor stores open), but his candid nature was refreshing. Everything enumerators needed to know was covered that night, and the package that we were given provided text support in the event that volunteers needed additional reinforcement of procedure.

Susan McGee, the Executive Director of Homeward Trust, did briefly speak to the methodology of the count, which has been questioned over the years – how can a count of transient and often hidden persons actually take place? She acknowledged the inherent flaws of the method, but essentially responded with a “this is the best we can do” mentality. And as the count would also take place in shelters, drop-in centres, hospitals, bottle depots and the food bank, the most complete picture possible of the situation would be captured.

On Tuesday, we headed to the John Howard Society, our base site, and received our route, along 107 Avenue. Before heading out, we put on our reflective City of Edmonton vests, and badges delineating our purpose.

Homeless Count badge

Our route was further than we had expected – about a 20 minute distance on foot. We elected to take a bus there so we would be there closer to our expected start time of 10am. As it was a truly blustery day, we weren’t surprised that the streets looked vastly empty. There were a few pedestrians here and there (and as we were to approach everyone we encountered, at least we could spread awareness via our questions), but the majority of people we spoke to were actually waiting at bus stops. As the Avenue of Nations area houses quite a high number of immigrant and refugee residents, it was also expected that a number of people weren’t able to understand enough English to answer our queries. It occurred to me that the question itself – “Do you have a permanent residence to return to tonight?” could be heard and interpreted as a question about Canadian status by those who understand English as an Additional Language.

107 Avenue route

We ended up having enough time to walk up and down our street just over three times – great exercise, but one I should have prepared for better by wearing more comfortable shoes. It wasn’t a taxing shift at all, and we both really enjoyed the advocacy role we could play when people asked us why we were asking such questions. We returned to our base site once our shift was over (apparently we were the “first to arrive” for our time slot, and the “last to leave”), and handed over our tally sheets.

Me and Mack in our reflective glory

The 2008 Homeless Count report should be out by the end of the month, and will be accessible on their website. Thanks to the organizers of the count for this opportunity to volunteer for a great cause.