Thursday, November 30, 2006
Seems like I have been having a dull life indeed. Have been posting nothing. I read Teena's blog and think I should post something soon and then life gets in the way and its 6 months later. So I will just make this small post to let update my blog and let all my friends/family know I am still alive and writing and I will try not to life get in the way.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Ontario Excursions ~ Niagara-On-The-Lake. 4.8 out of rating of 5.
Last weekend Mark and I went to Niagara on the Lake. We had received a hotel/spa package as a wedding present and so we decided this was a good time to use it. We had 3 hotels to pick from and chose the The Prince of Wales Hotel because it was right downtown and had a spa on the premises. The Prince of Wales is known as an old-world hotel, full of Victorian elegance. But when we first got to our room we just thought, okay nice room, but it's kind of pricey for something that on the surface didn't seem so extraordinary. But then when we got a closer look at the things in our room, we saw all the subtlies that made it so special and expensive. First of all it was very clean, very quiet and very comfortable. The furniture was of very fine quality, the fabrics from our bedcover to the drapes were of a rich and heavy material and the bed linens were very white and oh-so crisp. There was also bowl of sweet oranges on one of the tables for us, a nice touch (we devoured those) and a rose was left on the bed when they came to turn down the bed. Also, all the staff were so nice and helpful, no one ever made us feel like we were inconveniencing them. My only one small complaint would be the line at the front deskwhen we first checked in was a bit long and so we had to wait a bit which is frustrating when all you want is to get to your room and take a nap.
For our massages later in the day we went to The Secret Garden Spa which is located in the lower floor of the Prince of Wales and althoughy pricey is definitely worth treating yourself to. Both of the massages we had (Deep Tissue and Aromatherapy) were great and we both came out of them very relaxed and content. The only bit of advice I would have for the management of the spa is to have more seating in the waiting area. Both of us, as well as several other people were standing for about 10 minutes before we were called in for our massages and I would have much preferred to be in a comfy chair drinking my mint tea.
For dinner we did some research as we wanted to eat somewhere other than the hotel's restaurant which is very expensive. On the internet I discovered great reviews for The Stone Road Grille and thought it would be a good pick. It's located in a non-descript strip mall on Mississauga Street, which is about a 20 minute walk from the Prince of Wales but because of the cold weather we got a ride (the Prince of Wales Hotel Concierge service drove us there and picked us up). The restaurant which is smaller than I'd expected, already seemed full when we got there but we had made reservations so our table was waiting for as at 8pm sharp. Our waitress was very friendly, though she seemed to have trouble finding adjectives to describe the restaurants food. I think she was new, but other than that the service was impeccible. To start they brought out warm, hearty bread. For my appetizer I ordered the spinach salad which was delicious. Mark chose a special appetizer not listed on the menu; a platter of different meats, pates, and other interesting offerings like local jam and heirloom tomatoes. That was also very good. But between the warm bread and appetizers and wine, I was already feeling comfortably full. But of course we kept on eating. For the main course I had the Drunken Chicken, a dish with melted baby cabbage, house cured pancetta, truffled sweet potato puree and a rich "bubbly" sauce. I wanted to lick the plate when I was done but managed to refrain. Mark had the Steak Frites, a grilled flat iron steak with a Béarnaise saue & french fries. His meal was equally as delicious.
For dessert since we were both full, we chose another offering not on the menu. Six new different squares of chocolates created by a chocolatier in Paris. It was interesting how subtly different each piece was. It was just the sweetness we craved after our meal.
The meal was very reasonably priced and without a doubt I would go to the Stone Road Grille again. The food and atmosphere was great. The one thing I noticed most of all is how much fun everyone at the restaurant was having. People were laughing all night long. I would definietely encourage everyone to try the Stone Road Grille, but please make sure to make a reserveration in advance or you will be out of luck.
Last weekend Mark and I went to Niagara on the Lake. We had received a hotel/spa package as a wedding present and so we decided this was a good time to use it. We had 3 hotels to pick from and chose the The Prince of Wales Hotel because it was right downtown and had a spa on the premises. The Prince of Wales is known as an old-world hotel, full of Victorian elegance. But when we first got to our room we just thought, okay nice room, but it's kind of pricey for something that on the surface didn't seem so extraordinary. But then when we got a closer look at the things in our room, we saw all the subtlies that made it so special and expensive. First of all it was very clean, very quiet and very comfortable. The furniture was of very fine quality, the fabrics from our bedcover to the drapes were of a rich and heavy material and the bed linens were very white and oh-so crisp. There was also bowl of sweet oranges on one of the tables for us, a nice touch (we devoured those) and a rose was left on the bed when they came to turn down the bed. Also, all the staff were so nice and helpful, no one ever made us feel like we were inconveniencing them. My only one small complaint would be the line at the front deskwhen we first checked in was a bit long and so we had to wait a bit which is frustrating when all you want is to get to your room and take a nap.
For our massages later in the day we went to The Secret Garden Spa which is located in the lower floor of the Prince of Wales and althoughy pricey is definitely worth treating yourself to. Both of the massages we had (Deep Tissue and Aromatherapy) were great and we both came out of them very relaxed and content. The only bit of advice I would have for the management of the spa is to have more seating in the waiting area. Both of us, as well as several other people were standing for about 10 minutes before we were called in for our massages and I would have much preferred to be in a comfy chair drinking my mint tea.
For dinner we did some research as we wanted to eat somewhere other than the hotel's restaurant which is very expensive. On the internet I discovered great reviews for The Stone Road Grille and thought it would be a good pick. It's located in a non-descript strip mall on Mississauga Street, which is about a 20 minute walk from the Prince of Wales but because of the cold weather we got a ride (the Prince of Wales Hotel Concierge service drove us there and picked us up). The restaurant which is smaller than I'd expected, already seemed full when we got there but we had made reservations so our table was waiting for as at 8pm sharp. Our waitress was very friendly, though she seemed to have trouble finding adjectives to describe the restaurants food. I think she was new, but other than that the service was impeccible. To start they brought out warm, hearty bread. For my appetizer I ordered the spinach salad which was delicious. Mark chose a special appetizer not listed on the menu; a platter of different meats, pates, and other interesting offerings like local jam and heirloom tomatoes. That was also very good. But between the warm bread and appetizers and wine, I was already feeling comfortably full. But of course we kept on eating. For the main course I had the Drunken Chicken, a dish with melted baby cabbage, house cured pancetta, truffled sweet potato puree and a rich "bubbly" sauce. I wanted to lick the plate when I was done but managed to refrain. Mark had the Steak Frites, a grilled flat iron steak with a Béarnaise saue & french fries. His meal was equally as delicious.
For dessert since we were both full, we chose another offering not on the menu. Six new different squares of chocolates created by a chocolatier in Paris. It was interesting how subtly different each piece was. It was just the sweetness we craved after our meal.
The meal was very reasonably priced and without a doubt I would go to the Stone Road Grille again. The food and atmosphere was great. The one thing I noticed most of all is how much fun everyone at the restaurant was having. People were laughing all night long. I would definietely encourage everyone to try the Stone Road Grille, but please make sure to make a reserveration in advance or you will be out of luck.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Happy wedding anniversary to my parents, married on February 15th.
I want to wish my mom and dad in Windsor a very Happy Anniversary today. I hope they both have a great day and want to thank them again so much for getting married and having me (oh yeah and those other two kids:-) Congrats mom and dad - and many, many, many more.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
MOVIE ~ Brokeback Mountain (2005) 4.5 out of a rating of 5
We saw Brokeback Mountain awhile back and I didn’t bother to review it as I felt everyone’s reaction would be pretty positive. In its simplest form it is a love story, more correctly a ‘forbidden’ love story between two cowboys. When I talked to people about this movie I realized there was a large group of people that didn't really like it. The two criticisms I heard most often were: the relationship between Ennis and Jack was just not convincing and secondly what was the big deal with Heath Ledger’s acting? For me personally, the story was very real and completely believable and as for Heath Ledger’s understated acting, I felt it was dead on.
I think perhaps people are seeing this movie through current eyes, instead of from the past. Remember these are two cowboys living in Wyoming and Texas between 1963 to the early 80s. Being gay in that place or that time was not acceptable. You were mocked, ostracized or worse killed (as Jack was in the end) and so these two men carried their love and secret enclosed tightly within. At the beginning of the movie there is a critical scene where Ennis reveals a childhood memory to Jack about two older men in his town that were shacked up together. One day they were found beaten to death. Ennis explains how his dad made sure he saw the bodies and even says, ‘for all I know he did it.’ This fearful memory is something Ennis has carried inside him and as a result finds his love for Jack difficult to deal with.
How could this story not seem authentic? Ennis and Jack's lifelong anguish is carefully concealed (except when they are together) but obvious to those that truly know them. They love each other but aren't allowed to, so they move on, get married and have children as society dictates. But neither man’s thoughts are ever far from the other, which is witnessed in the passionate kiss that occurs after a four year separation. Going through the steps of an accepted lifestyle, they only seem to be truly happy when they are together on their ‘fishing trips.’
It's not an easy movie to watch but at the end you find yourself wondering where the time went. Brokeback is the quiet observance of human character through words and silences, as two men stumble through life limited by the standards and judgements of others. Enni's has always understood this and his quiet nature and cautiousness is a direct result of the world he lives in. How could a cowboy be anything else?
We saw Brokeback Mountain awhile back and I didn’t bother to review it as I felt everyone’s reaction would be pretty positive. In its simplest form it is a love story, more correctly a ‘forbidden’ love story between two cowboys. When I talked to people about this movie I realized there was a large group of people that didn't really like it. The two criticisms I heard most often were: the relationship between Ennis and Jack was just not convincing and secondly what was the big deal with Heath Ledger’s acting? For me personally, the story was very real and completely believable and as for Heath Ledger’s understated acting, I felt it was dead on.
I think perhaps people are seeing this movie through current eyes, instead of from the past. Remember these are two cowboys living in Wyoming and Texas between 1963 to the early 80s. Being gay in that place or that time was not acceptable. You were mocked, ostracized or worse killed (as Jack was in the end) and so these two men carried their love and secret enclosed tightly within. At the beginning of the movie there is a critical scene where Ennis reveals a childhood memory to Jack about two older men in his town that were shacked up together. One day they were found beaten to death. Ennis explains how his dad made sure he saw the bodies and even says, ‘for all I know he did it.’ This fearful memory is something Ennis has carried inside him and as a result finds his love for Jack difficult to deal with.
How could this story not seem authentic? Ennis and Jack's lifelong anguish is carefully concealed (except when they are together) but obvious to those that truly know them. They love each other but aren't allowed to, so they move on, get married and have children as society dictates. But neither man’s thoughts are ever far from the other, which is witnessed in the passionate kiss that occurs after a four year separation. Going through the steps of an accepted lifestyle, they only seem to be truly happy when they are together on their ‘fishing trips.’
It's not an easy movie to watch but at the end you find yourself wondering where the time went. Brokeback is the quiet observance of human character through words and silences, as two men stumble through life limited by the standards and judgements of others. Enni's has always understood this and his quiet nature and cautiousness is a direct result of the world he lives in. How could a cowboy be anything else?
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
BOOKS - The Sea by John Banville (2005)
2 out of a rating of 5
Our book club recently finished and discussed John Bayville’s The Sea. The person who chose this book did a fair bit of research before picking a novel. The Sea after all had gotten incredible reviews from many major publications, looked very interesting and most important – had a gorgeous cover. After thoroughly discussing the book our club gave the Sea a 4/10. Yes, the language was beautiful, extraordinary, exquisite (and other adjectives) and at times it was hard for the reader to pull out of writer’s uncomfortable world of grief, misery and love. However, we came to the conclusions, the time shifts were confusing and basically there just wasn’t enough of a story to sustain our overall interest. This book won the Man Booker prize so it shows you what we know – or maybe it’s the Man Booker committee that doesn’t get it. :-)
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