It's been a while since I posted anything. In truth, the past few weeks have been not too eventful... nothing earthshattering has really been happening in Vancouver/on campus, and I haven't had any great revelations to share with the world.
I have been having some random thoughts lately about peoples preconceptions, and essentially our prejudices. I have written blog articles in the past condemning people for being racist/biased against others for no reason. But I wonder, is it okay to have a prejudice if that prejudice is not hurting anyone? I have my own prejudices against people, thoughts, and ideas... but as much as possible I am tolerant of others, even if I don't accept/agree with them. Usually, I just dismiss anything I don't agree with, without actually considering the other side of the argument. I don't think that makes me a bigot, but I wonder what it is about this mind block that keeps me rooted in my mental comfort zone. Sometimes, I wonder if it has stunted my growth as an individual... hmmmn...
Sorry for the boring post people... next time, I shall try to write something more juicy.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Restaurant Review: Andales Mexican Restaurant
Andales Mexican Restaurant
3211 W. Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Andales is a small Mexican restaurant located in Van West. We went there for an office lunch last week. While generally I am positive with my restaurant reviews, I have to say that there is not much to be positive about here.
We went in at 1:00PM, the restaurant was fairly empty save for one large group who was paying their bill. Unfortunately, there was only one waitress serving at the time, which meant that we had to seat ourselves, get our own menus, and were not even offered water to start off with. Given that the service was this bad when the restaurant was empty, I shudder to think what it may be like at peak times.
As for the food itself, nothing special. For more authentic mexican taste, I would recommend other restaurants in Vancouver. I tried the Soft Chicken taco, which came with Black Beans and Green Salad as sides. The taste was really rather bland, and far too mild for Mexican food. While the prices were reasonable (around $10 per plate), I felt the portions were too small.
I do not recommend this restaurant... there are better Mexican restaurants in Vancouver which you should explore first, and there are better restaurants around in that part of Vancouver.
3211 W. Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Andales is a small Mexican restaurant located in Van West. We went there for an office lunch last week. While generally I am positive with my restaurant reviews, I have to say that there is not much to be positive about here.
We went in at 1:00PM, the restaurant was fairly empty save for one large group who was paying their bill. Unfortunately, there was only one waitress serving at the time, which meant that we had to seat ourselves, get our own menus, and were not even offered water to start off with. Given that the service was this bad when the restaurant was empty, I shudder to think what it may be like at peak times.
As for the food itself, nothing special. For more authentic mexican taste, I would recommend other restaurants in Vancouver. I tried the Soft Chicken taco, which came with Black Beans and Green Salad as sides. The taste was really rather bland, and far too mild for Mexican food. While the prices were reasonable (around $10 per plate), I felt the portions were too small.
I do not recommend this restaurant... there are better Mexican restaurants in Vancouver which you should explore first, and there are better restaurants around in that part of Vancouver.
Service: 1/5
Ambiance/Location: 3/5
Food: 2/5
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Olympics
The Winter Olympics just ended 2 days ago in Vancouver. I wasn't totally sure what to expect, but have to say that the city did an amazing job, and I say to any person around the world, that the Olympics spirit is truly something that everyone should experience. The idea of the Olympics was to promote peace and unity through sport. Now I won't say that watching the athletes has inspired me to try and unify the world (in fact, I think I became highly biased towards a particular country when watching a sport), it was wonderful to see people of different colors, races, genders and cultures come together in one city, for no other reason than simply to get together and celebrate. In that respect, the Olympic ideal was very much successful in Vancouver, 2010. Each person who was here will have their own 'moments to remember'... here, in no particular order, are mine:
1) Watching 'Sid-the-kid':
Lets face it... it didn't matter how many medals Canada won, the one that really mattered was in Mens Hockey... GOLD. After 60 heartstopping minutes, the game was forced into sudden death overtime... everyone in the country was on the edge of their seats... the stage was set, the circumstances couldn't have been more perfect, as Sidney Crosby rose to the occasion and became a Canadian legend for the ages by beating Ryan Miller shortside to send the country into a state of pandemonium. You couldn't have scripted a better ending to the Olympics.
2) Livecity Yaletown
Sadly, due to laziness and lack of money, I didn't actually get to attend any of the sporting events in person. No matter, as there was plenty of other free events going on throughout the city. The Olympic Cauldron, Robson Square, Street Parties on Granville Street, The Art Gallery, Livecities Downtown, Richmond and Surrey. Of all of them, my favorite was the site at Livecity Yaletown. The Coca-cola pavillion and the Panasonic pavillions were here, along with a huge stage, and live music. at 10:30PM every night, there was an amazing highlights show, with fireworks, which was shown on two humongous screens and projected onto a fountain of water streaming out of False Creek. You had to see it to really appreciate it. Two big thumbs up to the organizers at this site.
3) Steamworks Brewery
For some reason, every night we went out we seemed to end up here at the mouth of Gastown for a drink (or two). It is ridiculously expensive, but was still loads of fun getting together with different groups of friends and then heading home ridiculously late at night. Avoid the prawn tempura though... ;)
4) Canadian Nationalism
I read an interesting article describing that Canada woke up on Monday morning with a 'sense of ease' about itself. I think that was a very good way to describe it. To some extent we definately have a complex about our neighbors to the south. Consiquently, we tend to get swept up into their identity and forget about our own. It was wonderful to see so many Maple Leafs flying everywhere, all the smiling faces, people randomly breaking into the national anthem, high fiving and hugging for no reason. Canada was patriotic, without being crass. It is at ease with itself knowing that it has the capacity to compete and succeed with the rest of the world without having to dominate the rest of the world. Best of all, Vancouver proved that it is truly multicultural... I saw people from every community, Persian, Indian, Chinese, Caucasian, African, Latin, etc, all celebrating being Canadian proudly.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Feeling sick...
Its the Olympics, and I know I shouldn't be feeling blue, but I feel sick... not of the physical variety...
Sick of research... sick of Undergrads knocking on my office door... sick of answering questions about life I don't know the answer too... sick of people... sick of egos... sick of lies... sick of telling myself the glass is half full when I know its half empty... sick of putting on a smile for the world...
Sigh... I need a doctor.
Sick of research... sick of Undergrads knocking on my office door... sick of answering questions about life I don't know the answer too... sick of people... sick of egos... sick of lies... sick of telling myself the glass is half full when I know its half empty... sick of putting on a smile for the world...
Sigh... I need a doctor.
Monday, February 1, 2010
I-Buds and Bouncy Balls...
I was in a Fast Food restaurant a few days ago... after finishing my meal, I went to throw out the condiments into the garbage, and I noticed that by the trash can, there was one of those mechanical 'toy' dispensers. Basically, it is meant for little kids to put their change in, and out would pop a trinket for them to play with for a few days until they get bored with it.
Of course, when I was a kid, I had collected quite a few of these trinkets. The toys only cost $0.25, and I would end up with a toy car, maybe a candy, or my favorite, a small rubber bouncy ball (yes, I am a simple creature). So you can imagine my surprise when I noticed that the cost had gone up to $2.00, and even more interestingly, you don't get toys out of these machines anymore... for $2.00 kids can now buy earphones for their Ipods... 'Ibuds'!
Now I understand that times are changing, and kids are definitely more tech savvy than when I was a kid, and I was probably more tech saavy as a kid than my parents, and so on and so forth. But seriously? I sometimes wonder if kids even know what it is like to a 'non-virtual' toy, or actually go outside and play 'non-electronic' games. I have noticed that even my students have stopped using paper and pencil... most of them take their notes on a laptop, and 'jot' down information quickly into their cell phones. Perhaps I am getting old and cranky, but for some reason, this kind of worries me...
Keep your Ibuds kids... I prefer my rubber bouncy ball.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Restaurant Review: Stephos Greek Taverna
Stephos Greek Taverna
1124 Davie St
Vancouver, BC
Good food, good friends and good conversation. In my opinion, those three things are the key to a wonderful evening. While you will have to discover the latter two on your own, if you go to Downtown Vancouver, on Davie St, I guarantee you can find the first in plenty.
Stephos is one of Vancouvers most famous restaurants. It has become so legendary that no matter what day you go, you will always find a lineup of at least one hour outside. And believe it or not, it is absolutely worth it. I think Greek food is healthy, balanced and delicious, and at Stephos, this is even more so. The lamb dishes here are known to be the best on the West Coast, and the best part is, that the prices are extrodinarily reasonable. You can have one of the best meals in Vancouver for no more than $15, including a glass of wine. And by the way, I don't think I have ever had a meal in which the house wine complimented the main course so well.
On this occasion, I had a Souvlaki Platter, which consisted of skewered lamb, rice, pita/tzatziki sauce, and a salad, and as I said, the taste is definately the best Greek food in Vancouver. Although I have not yet tried it, I am told the Roast Lamb is heavenly, and I also would recommend you end the meal with a piece of Iki Miki (Baklava).
As for the latter two things I mentioned at the beginning of this review, on that particular evening, I was blessed with having them both in plenty, and although one of them was a bit inebriated, made for a memorable dining experience. ;)
1124 Davie St
Vancouver, BC
Good food, good friends and good conversation. In my opinion, those three things are the key to a wonderful evening. While you will have to discover the latter two on your own, if you go to Downtown Vancouver, on Davie St, I guarantee you can find the first in plenty.
Stephos is one of Vancouvers most famous restaurants. It has become so legendary that no matter what day you go, you will always find a lineup of at least one hour outside. And believe it or not, it is absolutely worth it. I think Greek food is healthy, balanced and delicious, and at Stephos, this is even more so. The lamb dishes here are known to be the best on the West Coast, and the best part is, that the prices are extrodinarily reasonable. You can have one of the best meals in Vancouver for no more than $15, including a glass of wine. And by the way, I don't think I have ever had a meal in which the house wine complimented the main course so well.
On this occasion, I had a Souvlaki Platter, which consisted of skewered lamb, rice, pita/tzatziki sauce, and a salad, and as I said, the taste is definately the best Greek food in Vancouver. Although I have not yet tried it, I am told the Roast Lamb is heavenly, and I also would recommend you end the meal with a piece of Iki Miki (Baklava).
As for the latter two things I mentioned at the beginning of this review, on that particular evening, I was blessed with having them both in plenty, and although one of them was a bit inebriated, made for a memorable dining experience. ;)
Service : 3/5
Ambiance/Location: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Helplessness...
The scenes that I have seen unfolding on the television in Haiti over the past few days have truly been heartwrenching. You cannot help but feel despair when you think about the kind of hell Haitians are being subjected to. I feel a special sense of despair being a Civil Engineer, and that too, one with a good knowledge of structural engineering. It frustrates you when you know that the knowledge to minimize death and destruction due to earthquakes exists, but unfortunately, not the political backbone or the financial resources.
They say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. While I certainly encourage western governments and people to give wholeheartedly, I think it is time we took an effort to ensure everybody in the world has access to proper, safe infrastructure, as a human right and not a privellage. The west should exercise its influence to minimize corruption and provide the means to do so in countries such as Haiti, rather than just providing bandaid solutions later on. Of course, it is easy to say, and much more difficult to do, but I really hope that someday we develop the will to minimize the fallout from such natural catastrophes, rather than look onwards afterwards as helpless bystanders.
They say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. While I certainly encourage western governments and people to give wholeheartedly, I think it is time we took an effort to ensure everybody in the world has access to proper, safe infrastructure, as a human right and not a privellage. The west should exercise its influence to minimize corruption and provide the means to do so in countries such as Haiti, rather than just providing bandaid solutions later on. Of course, it is easy to say, and much more difficult to do, but I really hope that someday we develop the will to minimize the fallout from such natural catastrophes, rather than look onwards afterwards as helpless bystanders.
Restaurant Review: The Mongolie Grill
The Mongolie Grill
467 W. Broadway
Vancouver, BC
It has been a looooong break between blogs, so decided to catch up a bit tonite. Firstly is a restaurant review for a place I went to a few weeks ago, 'The Mongolie Grill'.
Mongolian food is quite interesting to eat. Not so much in its taste, but in its preparation. You prepare the meal yourself, and have them cook it for you. So, essentially, the amount, taste, and ingredients are upto you. Which means if you are frugal, you can end up making a heafty sized meal for a low price. Essentially, you are given a bowl which you are allowed to pile up with as much noodles, meats, veggies and sauces as you want/can fit, and then hand it over to the chef, who grills the concoction up right in front of you. The benefit is that you get to see your food being prepared. The drawback is you can't complain if it doesn't taste good. The taste is really highly dependant on the types and amounts of sauces you put into your bowl. This time, I got Akila to make my bowl, so it ended up being scrumpcious. Past experiences have not always been so yummy.
The cost per bowl is $9.95, and with a bit of experience in making a bowl, you will be able to build yourself a tasty, filling meal. The taste is not quite chinese, or japanese, but quite unique. Bewarned however, that there are times when it takes quite a while for the food to reach from the grill to your table when there are alot of customers. So it might be a good idea to go during off-peak hours.
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/Location: 3/5
Food: 3/5
467 W. Broadway
Vancouver, BC
It has been a looooong break between blogs, so decided to catch up a bit tonite. Firstly is a restaurant review for a place I went to a few weeks ago, 'The Mongolie Grill'.
Mongolian food is quite interesting to eat. Not so much in its taste, but in its preparation. You prepare the meal yourself, and have them cook it for you. So, essentially, the amount, taste, and ingredients are upto you. Which means if you are frugal, you can end up making a heafty sized meal for a low price. Essentially, you are given a bowl which you are allowed to pile up with as much noodles, meats, veggies and sauces as you want/can fit, and then hand it over to the chef, who grills the concoction up right in front of you. The benefit is that you get to see your food being prepared. The drawback is you can't complain if it doesn't taste good. The taste is really highly dependant on the types and amounts of sauces you put into your bowl. This time, I got Akila to make my bowl, so it ended up being scrumpcious. Past experiences have not always been so yummy.
The cost per bowl is $9.95, and with a bit of experience in making a bowl, you will be able to build yourself a tasty, filling meal. The taste is not quite chinese, or japanese, but quite unique. Bewarned however, that there are times when it takes quite a while for the food to reach from the grill to your table when there are alot of customers. So it might be a good idea to go during off-peak hours.
Service: 3/5
Ambiance/Location: 3/5
Food: 3/5
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
How do you change an ideology?
Unfortunately I will start off with my first blog of the year on a bit of a depressing note... I suppose the biggest item in the news right now is the renewed emphasis on terrorism due to the bomb scare on the plane that was flying from Amsterdam to Detroit... I am quite thankful that I was able to get all my travelling done in 2009 before this incident. As I understand it, airline security is now absolutely horrendous. No more carry-on luggage, no more blankets, no more in flight location tracking, enhanced screening devices... all in the name of preventing more possible attacks.
But where does this all end? Just how many more measures can we put in place in the name of preventing terrorism? I am sure that at this rate, we will soon see the day where passengers are forcibly strapped to their seats in nothing but their underwear and the only in flight refreshment would be a glass of water which is sipped through a straw in the presence of a AK-47 bearing security officer. Is it really going to solve anything? Just how much more of our liberties do we give away in the name of counter-terrorism? And then what... once we have secured our planes, what about the dozens of other targets which could just as easily be attacked and destroyed by the 'evil doers'...
I suggest we go on the offensive. Not literally by guns and bombs, but by fighting the root cause of the problem. Not the terrorists, but the terrorist IDEOLOGY. I firmly believe that although human beings are naturally a bit crazy, there is always some reason for when we start to do things that are highly irrational, illogical, and dangerous. The way to curb the behavior is to diagnose the reason, or the cause, and not just protect ourselves from the symptoms... to simply blame the person as being crazy and fight with them is in neither individuals best interests... if you really want peace, you have to find out what it is the root cause of the problem and try and solve it. Killing one terrorist is only going to breed 10 more. Rather, you have to kill the terrorist ideology, and not just the terrorist. Generally, terrorism is bred out of poverty and a lack of education... the young men that are boarding these planes with the hopes of blowing them up these days typically are from good homes, with at least a basic level of education. And that is what makes this problem even scarier. Exactly what the grievences are and how you address them is beyond me, but I just feel that it is in the USAs best interest to swallow its pride and at least attempt to figure out just what it is which is causing all this animosity, rather than maintaining its status quo and ignoring the root cause of the problem.
The Obama administration promised to do things differently, and given that this is its first real test with regards to issues of national security, it will be interesting to see whether those words we heard 2 summers ago were just empty promises, or if politics in America has really changed.
But where does this all end? Just how many more measures can we put in place in the name of preventing terrorism? I am sure that at this rate, we will soon see the day where passengers are forcibly strapped to their seats in nothing but their underwear and the only in flight refreshment would be a glass of water which is sipped through a straw in the presence of a AK-47 bearing security officer. Is it really going to solve anything? Just how much more of our liberties do we give away in the name of counter-terrorism? And then what... once we have secured our planes, what about the dozens of other targets which could just as easily be attacked and destroyed by the 'evil doers'...
I suggest we go on the offensive. Not literally by guns and bombs, but by fighting the root cause of the problem. Not the terrorists, but the terrorist IDEOLOGY. I firmly believe that although human beings are naturally a bit crazy, there is always some reason for when we start to do things that are highly irrational, illogical, and dangerous. The way to curb the behavior is to diagnose the reason, or the cause, and not just protect ourselves from the symptoms... to simply blame the person as being crazy and fight with them is in neither individuals best interests... if you really want peace, you have to find out what it is the root cause of the problem and try and solve it. Killing one terrorist is only going to breed 10 more. Rather, you have to kill the terrorist ideology, and not just the terrorist. Generally, terrorism is bred out of poverty and a lack of education... the young men that are boarding these planes with the hopes of blowing them up these days typically are from good homes, with at least a basic level of education. And that is what makes this problem even scarier. Exactly what the grievences are and how you address them is beyond me, but I just feel that it is in the USAs best interest to swallow its pride and at least attempt to figure out just what it is which is causing all this animosity, rather than maintaining its status quo and ignoring the root cause of the problem.
The Obama administration promised to do things differently, and given that this is its first real test with regards to issues of national security, it will be interesting to see whether those words we heard 2 summers ago were just empty promises, or if politics in America has really changed.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Restaurant Review: Green Basil
Green Basil Restaurant
4623 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC
Okay, well, my parents are away, and I have been eating out alot, hence all the restaurant reviews. Back to a favorite, Green Basil Restaurant in Burnaby, located just across from Metrotown. They serve my favorite cuisine, Thai of course.
Green Basil, is very clean, very neat, and the service is excellent. It is (as unfortuantely most Thai places are) a bit on the pricier side, but I guess that is to be expected. Myself, and two of my friends ordered a combo, consisting of chicken skewers, soup, salad, green curry chicken, tiger prawns in a sweet and sour sauce, and chicken in black bean sauce, and ice cream for dessert (my apologies, as I forget the Thai names of all these dishes).
I never speak ill of the taste of Thai food, and this restaurant will live upto your expectations taste wise. The chicken skewers when dipped in peanut sauce are delightful, and I enjoyed the chicken/black bean combination in particular, as I had not tried it before. The soup was a bit bland compared to other Thai restaurants I have visited, but other than that, all the dishes were superb. Its a bit pricy, but still reasonable, compared to other Thai restaurants in greater Vancouver.
Service: 5/5
Ambiance/Location: 4/5
Food: 4/5
4623 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC
Okay, well, my parents are away, and I have been eating out alot, hence all the restaurant reviews. Back to a favorite, Green Basil Restaurant in Burnaby, located just across from Metrotown. They serve my favorite cuisine, Thai of course.
Green Basil, is very clean, very neat, and the service is excellent. It is (as unfortuantely most Thai places are) a bit on the pricier side, but I guess that is to be expected. Myself, and two of my friends ordered a combo, consisting of chicken skewers, soup, salad, green curry chicken, tiger prawns in a sweet and sour sauce, and chicken in black bean sauce, and ice cream for dessert (my apologies, as I forget the Thai names of all these dishes).
I never speak ill of the taste of Thai food, and this restaurant will live upto your expectations taste wise. The chicken skewers when dipped in peanut sauce are delightful, and I enjoyed the chicken/black bean combination in particular, as I had not tried it before. The soup was a bit bland compared to other Thai restaurants I have visited, but other than that, all the dishes were superb. Its a bit pricy, but still reasonable, compared to other Thai restaurants in greater Vancouver.
Service: 5/5
Ambiance/Location: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
