For my most wordless post…

As you have realized already, I was in Edmonton, Alberta, in part, to experience a *real* Canadian winter. Making good to their title of “The Festival City”, I went to one that happened during my visit: The Deep Freeze Festival – a Byzantine Winter Festival. Enjoy this photo essay!

While it is true that I take a lot pictures of food, probably way too many, once in a while, I would like to remind people I also take pictures of “other things”. So, for my trip to San Francisco, here are some “random” pictures I took. Enjoy this photo essay!

After we went back to the Legislature and then to West Edmonton Mall (no, it was only one visit to WEM, I am narrating things slightly out of sequence), some of Trinh’s friends were having dinner and they were very gracious to let me join them. The real kicker/interesting part? The person cooking (“L”) is a food blogger who drove from Calgary to cook the dinner! (No, he wasn’t there cooking for me but for their friends. I just happened to be there at the right time… Lucky? ). Here are the dishes “L” cooked.

OK, actually, this is a drink prepared for me…

(Warning, this post is a photo-essay of sorts. It contains a lot of pictures and, as a result, I have broken it in part 1 and this part 2).

OK, let’s try again, this is what “L” prepared for us!

Trinh was also gracious to share some of the goodies I brought for her from Vancouver.

I won’t deny that I am a wimp when it comes to alcohol. But, what surprised me was that I myself chose to accept some really unusual drinks mixed (like the one seen at the beginning of the post). Now, I won’t disclose what was in the actual mix but the combination, while extremely bizarre, it actually tasted “good”. (However, I can sense at the same time how some people will look at you really funny).

University of Alberta

Day two was mostly Heritage Festival, which will be the topic of a separate post. Afterwards, I did a solo walk through around the Old Strathcona area, specifically Whyte Avenue. (Trinh had a prior commitment but would join me afterwards). While it is no Robson Street or Gastown or Yaletown (drawing some comparison to Vancouver), I thought it had some character of it’s own. Alas, I was able to walk a good stretch of Whyte in no time…. But, there was a really good reason for me to go to Whyte: it is where Furusato is located and the place were I was going to meet no other than Chris of Eating is a Hard Part and Sarah of Shinning Happy Photos! I have met Chris on-line for quite some time already with both of us commenting in each other blogs. In a funny way, I told him that, next time he is in Vancouver, I would invite him to a sushi place of his choice (in his case, Shiro). However, who knew that I ended up visiting him in Edmonton first! The one part I feel guilty about was that Chris ended up paying for the bill… So, Chris, when you come to Vancouver, I promise I will more than make up for that one! (Hopefully it won’t be when I am out in a business trip…)

After dinner, we decided to stop for another gelato place. Well, I was on holidays so, technically, there were no restrictions!

Cantaloupe sorbet and Mango Tofulati

This time, we ended up sharing a scoop of sorbet and tofulati, a gelato made with soy milk rather than, well, regular milk. Again, no comparisons here but I will have to say they were quite good in its own ways. I liked how the sorbet was almost the consistency of ice cream, though you could still “feel” the ice crystals. And, as for the tofulati, you could actually forget it wasn’t dairy. The one bad part of the equation was that the mug it was served on was warm. WTH?! I guess they have it warm for coffee, not for this. Oh, well…

On my final day in Edmonton, I was treated with something really special: One of Trinh’s favourite dish, prepared by Trinh’s mom herself. Mom’s cooking FTW! Here, bánh xèo – according to Wikipedia, “Vietnamese savoury pancakes made out of rice flour, water, turmeric powder, and sometimes coconut milk (in the Southern regions), stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts and then pan fried“.

bánh xèo

There weren’t any pieces of pork but I don’t think it was needed, as despite there was a lot of bean sprouts (which tends to be bland by itself), the shrimp made up for it, not to mention there was some external help. So… How do you eat this? Well, take some lettuce, put some of this pancake mixture, wrap it with some herbs and dip in a fish sauce mix (in this case, Trinh suggested some chili sauce). After seeing how this was prepared, eaten and how much I liked it, I am really tempted to prepare some myself. Will see!

Finally, for the rest of the afternoon, we decided to take a small road trip… But, by mistake, we went the wrong way! In the end, we semi-randomly used a backup plan, which ended up being the Devonian Botanical Garden. I will have to admit I really liked this garden; however, because it was in the mid of summer, it won’t have been as “pretty” as it could have been during, say, spring. But, still…

Afterwards, we went to a Chinese restaurant, with another of Trinh’s friend. Did I mention you could actually find good Chinese food? Well, that’s the reason you will have to wait, as it is yet-another-pending post!

So, overall, how was this trip? I will have to admit I had almost no expectations but, in the end, I was really glad I went. I met great people (Trinh’s friends, Chris and Sarah, et al), not to mention I learned something really important about Edmonton: Unlike us here in Vancouver, they don’t take things for granted. In our case, we “expect” so many things (specially weather) that we can procrastinate on a lot of things. However, in the case of Edmontonians, they fully take advantage of what they have. Sure, parts of town looked “dead” but, still, if you really wanted to, you can still find things to do. So, unlike others, I won’t diss you and call your city “Deadmonton”. It is just a matter of what you make out of it.

Trinh, I really appreciate the time you took to show me around. Without it, I might have ended spending three days in West Edmonton Mall and ended up having that not-so-high opinion of your city. So, once again… Thanks! (I guess, I will have to out-do that next time you are in town! )

About a month ago, I wrote about an out of town guest whom I called TNG (and, from here on, after given authorization to use her real name, I will refer her as such: Trinh). Truth is Trinh is from Edmonton and has been in Vancouver a couple of times. As for myself, living in Vancouver for 8+ years, I have seldom been around town other than usual places. So, when my task was to showcase some “other locations”, well, I had to resort to the help of others. And I believe it actually worked, as Trinh seemed to enjoy the places we went, not to mention the dinner we had at City Temple of Shanghai in the end (not necessarily the food but, at least, the company). So, a couple of weeks prior to BC Day, somehow the idea pops out: Would I consider visit Edmonton, given I haven never been there? (Just in case, they celebrate Heritage Day on that same long weekend). At first, I was hesitant but, in the end, why not! So I checked with Trinh and that seemed to be a good idea. So, I booked myself a ticket to the place a lot of us diss (and sometimes even themselves) as “Deadmonton”.

(Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the airport or some major sign saying “Edmonton”. However, given the high price of gas in BC, I think this works quite well…)

(Warning, this post is a photo-essay of sorts. It contains a lot of pictures and, as a result, I have broken it in part 1 and part 2).

So, 2.5 days in Edmonton, what to do? Where to go? Though there were some activities planned (specifically, I wanted to go to the Heritage Festival), for the most part, I left the rest to Trinh, i.e., let her showcase Edmonton. And, just in case, to take it out from everybody’s mind, yes, we did end up going to West Edmonton Mall but, to paraphrase Trinh, I had a face of despair (not exact quote but it is representative of what happened). I am sorry but, while I understand the enticement of such place, with an indoor amusement park, a water park and all that, in the end, it is a mall. Nothing wrong with me taking a stroll (and I will assume a good place to do so if it is below 0C outside) but, still, it is a MALL!!!! OK, enough ranting. What I wanted to make emphasis here is that, for this trip, West Edmonton Mall wasn’t a place I had in mind (or considered) going but, because I am sure I was going to be asked and partially due to “suggestion” of all Trinh’s friends and family, we went there just to take it out of the list. So, what places we ended up going? After having lunch first (sorry, it will be in a different post…), we were in the Downtown Edmonton area and it just happened that Taste of Edmonton was taking place.

Whenever you find Chinese people, there will be a Chinatown, right?

Now, this is Taste of Edmonton!

Did we end up getting some food, despite we just had lunch? Oh, yeah! Now, first a small reminder of this post I wrote over a year ago (it is a short one and will open a new window. Go ahead, I will still be here!). Yes, it is what you are thinking!

Lingnan stand

Dry Spicy Chicken

The booth of the Lingnan. Here, Miles (to the right) and sister Mandy (left) were serving Kung Pow Chicken and Dry Spicy Chicken – We ordered the later. I think the description was partially suited to what was served: it was darn dry, either because of the excessive batter or the meat used (not to mention a lot of small chunks). I don’t think I tasted any spiciness…I know, I know, this isn’t authentic Chinese but, given their fame, you would think they should have some standards. But, I guess, it is demand that trumps that. But, fear not, at least, I had a quite good Chinese meal in Edmonton. Yup, I said it, OK? So, wait for that post, now!

Bacon wrapped scallops

Nope, that wasn’t all! In festival like these, you will see some smoke and, whenever you see smoke, there will be some griddle/grill action! Here, bacon wrapped scallops. We couldn’t really taste the scallops (not unexpected considering it is a land locked city) but… Ah… Bacon… (drool…!) Was it worth it? Well, yes and no. Let’s just say that, on the same weekend, as mentioned above, there was Heritage Festival…

Now, moving on, here is a place Elaine and Chris’ suggested we visited – the Legislature:

Sort of a skyline of Edmonton?

Despite it is not that big, there was something quite evident: similar to Queen Elizabeth Park here in Vancouver, it seems to be a primer spot to take wedding pictures. In fact, I think I counted over 10 couples in the park and surrounding areas! (At one point, when we were walking one of the lanes, a photographer asked us to hasten our pace so she could take a picture!).

Da Capo. Hmmmmm…. Gelato followed by a visit to a dentist.

After walking around, Trinh took me across a bridge over the Saskatchewan River (Groat Road) to a place she had a keen interest going: Da Capo. Reason? It seems she had made previous attempts to visit it but, almost every single time, it was closed. So, in a way, it seems I was a lucky charm because it was open this time! And what was there?

Gelato – Nocciola (hazelnut) and Myan (sic?) Cioccolato

Given it was relatively hot those days, we ended up going for gelato. I know, I know. There will be some comparisons drawn with Bella Gelateria in Vancouver. If that is the case, please do not. Instead, I would compare it to, say, Dolce Amore. If that is the case, I will have to say it was quite decent.

Now… part 2!

Here is a random question: How many of you have visited local landmarks/sites of interest? Let’s take Van Dusen Botanical Garden as an example. How many of us living here in Vancouver have visited it? In my case, well, here, here and here. I am sure some a lot of people haven’t done so because, in a way, we take it for granted or because we might not find it as interesting as, say, tourist. Well, something similar happened to me. When I was living in Panama, I visited the Panama Canal only once and that was when I was 10 or so years old. Ever since, I had absolutely no interest in revisiting it. To me, it is just a pond with murky water where large boats go through from one ocean to another. Of course, that was my perspective of somebody living there/used to live there; for somebody who has never seen it will certainly have a different perspective…

Miraflores Visitor Centre. Sorry, this is the “best” picture of the bunch. Others might not be as good…

In this case, my parents’ friends had a keen interest in visiting it. After all, they are not from Panama and it was their first visit. Since I was taking care of them, that meant I was tagging along. So, without futher ado…

A boat just entering the locks.

Passing through the locks…

After the boats align itself to the locks (thanks to tugboats), they are then “pulled” by these.

After the boat crosses the locks, it closes and refills with water.

Almost done crossing the locks…

Done!

Finally, some wacky facts of the Panama Canal:

• There are three sets of locks: Gatún, Perdo Miguel and Miraflores.
• There was a referendum for a third set of locks was passed not long ago.
• It officially opened in August 15, 1914. Yes, it is almost 100 years old!
• Highest fare paid so far? US$331,200, paid by the Disney Magic.
• Lowest fare? 36 cents by Richard Haliburton who swimmed it.

Let me overstate the obvious: It is currently the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. And what is one of the most representative symbols of the games? The cauldron, of course! While I can see it almost every day since it only takes a small detour from my stroll to work, that is not necessarily true for those not living in Vancouver (or chose to take some days off from Vancouver). (Aside, of course, from the TV). So, below, a photo essay of the Olympic Cauldron of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games!

And, of course, a list of all the posts related to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games…

• Alberta House
• Robson Street
• Maison du Québec
• Saskatchewan Pavilion
• LiveCity Downtown/Canada Pavilion
• Saxony House
• Northern House
• Ontario House

Click on the picture below to open a larger version in a new window!

This was taken on the day they just lowered the fences. Not too shabby if I can say so myself…

Taken another night; however, there was still a lot of people…

At the same time the fence was lowered, they opened an observation platform right next to it for an unobstructed view. And below are the pictures…

Aside to my visit to Robson Street and LiveCity/Downtown for the Canada Pavilion, most of my houses/pavilions so far have a food component. Today’s post is that of the Northern House, a house dedicated to the northernmost Canadian territories, i.e., Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, is mostly a cultural one. That does not mean it will less interesting than the others; I certainly enjoyed it because it was a break from the hecticness of other pavilions and houses. So, please, enjoy!

Oh, once again, the rest of the posts of this series!

• Alberta House
• Robson Street
• Maison du Québec
• Saskatchewan Pavilion
• LiveCity Downtown/Canada Pavilion
• Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games – Saxony House

No, that’s not Russell Peters. It was a narrator on site, telling the story of the Inuit.

They have a second floor with additional exhibits but, unfortunately, the day I was there, they had it closed… Other than that small disappointment, I will have to say I really enjoyed this one. It is a real break from what goes outside and shows a side of Canada we are aware of but may not put too much attention.

Continuing with my series of places to visit/events/pavilions during this Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, today, a quick stroll in Robson Street. Just in case, my other posts in this serie:

• Alberta House
• Maison du Québec
• Saskatchewan Pavilion
• LiveCity Downtown/Canada Pavilion
• Saxony House
• Northern House

This one will be mostly a photo essay, so enjoy!

(Note: For a larger version of the picture, just click on it – a new window will open).

In the picture above, you can see the Vancouver Art Gallery and GE Ice Plaza (the dome at the bottom left of the picture). If you look really closely, what do you see on the top right???

One of the main attractions: the Olympic Zip Line! The line for this free attraction is said to be a couple of hours per day.

O RLY?!

And, finally, something of a surprise. This picture was taken in Vancouver Art Gallery. Spring is here!

Bakery Nouveau
4737 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA

Yesterday, I wrote about Salumi, where I picked some goodies on my way back from Tacoma. However, that wasn’t the only place I stopped by. There was one other place where I decided to grab some goodies to share with my fellow friend food bloggers: Bakery Nouveau. I won’t disclose the reasons why I chose this place but will say that I had the hunch it would be good. How good was my hunch? Well, instead of me saying it, I will defer that to Mijune (of Follow Me Foodie), Anita (of La Petite Foodie) and Sherman (of Sherman’s Food Adventures) whom I brought these goodies. So, what about this post, then? Instead of my usual commentary, this will be mostly a photo essay. So, without further ado, the links to Mijune, Anita and Sherman’s site and some picture of their goodies! (Oh, I must mention you should visit all their sites, as they did not necessarily have the same goodies!).

Mijune’s post is up!
Anita’s post is pending.
Sherman’s post is up!

Yup, they have chocolates, too!

And sandwiches!

And breads, too!

Goodies…

More goodies!

Yes, even more goodies!

German Chocolate Cake, which Mijune shared with me.

Blueberry pistachio, which I got one piece for myself (and shared with Mijune) and another piece for Anita.

Some macaroons for Mijune and Anita.

Double-baked almond croissant… Would it be better than Thomas Hass‘? Ask Mijune, Anita and Sherman, as they all had it!

Peppermint cheesecake for Sherman and Viv.

A special request by Sherman, something “lemony”, in this case: lemon croissant.

As I mentioned in a tweet on Friday night, I am back in Vancouver! And where was I? How about a couple hundred of click south? Yes, I was in Seattle… Wait, make that Tacoma. It was a bit unfortunate it was raining the whole time, not to mention I was far from Downtown Seattle. I did go there on my way back but, still, I couldn’t take that many pictures of the area (aside from rain, did not have a tripod with me). But, even then, I am glad to be back in Vancouver. As a reminder of where I live, I decided to take a small walk – hey, both cities have certain similarity (rain aside…). Here, a small photo essay.

Note: Clicking the image will open it in a new window.

Cambie Bridge, afar (to the left), Vancouver City Hall

BC Place, where the opening ceremonies of Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games will take place.

Cambie Bridge again, this time overlooking Downtown Vancouver

Science World, aka, Telus World of Science. South west of it (to the right of the picture), the Athlete’s Village; however, it was dark at the moment.