I couldn't resist: Speed Dating!

Once you've attended your Confidence Building Workshop, why not try out your new confident self at speed-dating? Check out the Rendezvous Club for their next few events: www.rclub.ca.

November 5th is speed-dating for singles from 15-35. But if you want to wait until you've built up your confidence on November 20th, then you can attend the Rendezvous Club's comedy night on November 21st or Daniel Packard's FlirtFest on November 28th at Bar None (those details are at www.rclub.ca/events/236_daniel_packard_s_flirtfest).

Best of luck to you! I might have to sit this one out.

Buy Confidence

Did you ever wonder if you could just buy some confidence? Maybe you could purchase a positive body image... wouldn't that be lovely?

You can pay $69.99 to attend an Absolute Confidence Building Workshop at VCC this November. Check out their web site at absoluteconfidence.com. And no, I do not believe they are affiliated with Absolut Vodka - that is a whole other brand of confidence!

According to the web site, we all deserve self-respect, so if you want to build more you can attend this workshop. It's only three hours long, 6:30 - 9:30 pm on November 20th (or December 9th) and you can learn about determining your values, identifying your fears and overcoming them, identifying your strengths and assets and much, much more (really, there is a long list on the web site).

And once you have all that new confidence, you can go try out speed-dating!

Barbados? Really?

You may never have thought about it before, but now you know you want to go to Barbados. Especially if it's free! Well, almost free.

The Barbados Cultural Association of BC, a non-profit organization, is putting on their 14th Annual Independence Gala Dinner & Ball on November 29th at the Renaissance Hotel. This is a black-tie night, so get out your fancies! Every ticket is a chance to win a draw for a trip to Barbados. Everyone is welcome at this event, so check out www.barbadosbcassoc.com for more information.

Sustain Away, Students!

If you're an SFU student, or just someone in the Burnaby area, you can check out the SFU Sustainability Festival next Wednesday (September 24) from 10am to 5pm. They are going to have fashion shows, a sustainable beverage garden (!), entertainment and vendors. More info is at www.susfest.ca.

Also on Friday Night...

Apparently there is a "Beauty and the Boy" fashion show at the Bay Downtown. We all already know that for me, the Bay Downtown is heaven on earth. Now they have a fashion show that includes Kensie and Chulo Pony (and many others)! It's a dream come true!! The show is on the third floor at 7pm on Friday September 19. Admission is Free! Enjoy! I know I will!

Lantern Lights!

The City of Burnaby is hosting the Night of 2008 Lights, a lantern festival at Deer Lake Park. This is a celebration of the beginning of Fall. There will be all sorts of entertainment set up for all ages to enjoy. There will be a community procession through the park and then a fire show at the end!

Head to Deer Lake Park on September 19th (Friday night) to check it out. You can find more information on the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts website: www.shadboltcentre.com.

Add a little Shakespeare to your summer!

It's the time of year tha twe like to take in the great outdoors. Why not take it in while enjoying some Shakespeare? You can do both at Bard on the Beach, because it's... on the beach!
At this venue, you will enjoy one of the Bard's masterpieces under a tent in Vanier Park, with the back of the mainstage opening up to a view of the North Shore mountains. It's truly a lovely sight to behold!
This year, you can go see Twelfth Night, Titus Andronicus, The Tempest or King Lear.
With tickets starting at only $21, how can you resist? Shows run until September 27.
Check out www.bardonthebeach.org for more information.

Celebration of Light

If you’re like me, you still call it the Symphony of Fire, and still associate it with Benson & Hedges. The name may be different, it may now be sponsored by HSBC, but the Celebration of Light is still a fun thing to see.

Head to English Bay to watch the fireworks displays set to music. Have a look at www.celebration-of-light.com for the schedule. Canada is on tonight, Saturday will be the USA, then July 30 is China’s turn. My personal favourite is finale night, which will be on August 2^nd.

Fireworks start around 10:00pm and last approximately 20 minutes, but be sure to allow yourself plenty of travel time. If you want a spot on the beach, arrive several hours early. I, personally, have never actually gotten a spot on the beach, so I’m not really sure how early you would have to go.

As well, it’s going to take you ages to get home, especially if you take public transit, so allow plenty of time for that as well. If you’re taking kids, you’ll probably have to carry/drag them half way back to the nearest Skytrain station. Then the Skytrain will be full. Then your child will have to pee… it’s a vicious cycle really. The best solution is to leave the kiddies at home. Find a sitter who abhors crowds, that way they won’t have wanted to go to the fireworks anyways.

Viva Las Vegas!

Looking to take a vacation in August or September? Want to go somewhere that the daytime temperature could set you on fire? What if you were guaranteed to never have to go outside during daylight hours? Sounds good to me! Although, personally, I’ll take my chances of bursting into flames while I try to get a tan…

Lazy girls like to lie by the pool and drink frosty beverages from colourful cups… Las Vegas here I come!

WestJet has a few flight deals, where you can get hotel & flight from $500 (this includes taxes, people!). Check out www.westjet.com.

Lazy Girls Enjoying the World

No travel plans in the near future? You wanted to make some? Why not go check out LA! Flight Centre (www.flightcentre.ca) is advertising return tickets to LA or Las Vegas for $99. Seriously, that is worth checking out.

They’ve also got tickets to the big T.O. for only $199 (presumably that’s before you add the horrendous taxes, etc that get tagged onto tickets in Canada). But why go to Toronto for $199 when you can go to London for only $299? Really, what’s the point.

So I’ll see you in London on my week off…

Other Lazy Girls

I just had a go of trying to google my blog. You could call it vanity, but then on the other hand I’m pretty sure I’m still my only reader. I’m still figuring out this blogging deal, so that’s probably par for the course. Maybe one day I’ll have a loyal following and maybe even a fan club. The members could have laminated member cards with a picture of my face…

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I mean, I’ll have to become photogenic first. Maybe a makeover and some airbrushing.

At any rate, I’ve googled “lazy girl Vancouver” to see what comes up.

Apparently there are some lazy designers in Ohio. I’m not sure why they came up in my search, but they probably ship to Vancouver. They even make something called Bag-E-Bottoms. I got very excited thinking they would be hideous pants, but alas, they are plastic discs for making purses. I would just like to point out that lazy girls BUY their purses instead of MAKING them. www.lazygirldesigns.com

There is also a lazy girl’s guide to Pacific Rim national park (http://www.hereorthere.com/members/alexandra/experience/801). Which I didn’t make. I have been there, but I went surfing, so that disqualifies it from “lazy” in my mind.

Apparently there’s also a book, The Lazy Girl’s guide to Good Sex. I didn’t write that. Too lazy to do all the research and write the book. Well, just the book-writing part. I suppose the research would be pretty fun.

At any rate, I don’t think there are any other lazy girls writing about this city and filling you in on all the fun, lazy things to do. So I win for that category.

What's a Lazy Girl To Do This Summer?

We seem to have determined that I will not be spending my time this summer at any concerts. (Although it should be noted that if you would like to sponsor me to go to the Pemberton Festival I am still accepting offers at ms.michelle.mara@gmail.com).

So what should I do instead? I’m sure I can find some great things to do! The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Vancouver is here to help you if you’re in the same boat as me. Or if you just don’t like any of the bands that I listed in my last blog entry.

Where on earth should you turn to find some fun activities in Vancouver? I have a few favourites:

First, check the Georgia Straight newspaper. It comes out weekly, on Thursdays, and seems to cover the city’s events pretty thoroughly. You can get a Georgia Straight on a street corner downtown, at Skytrain stations, and at most music stores. You can also check out their website at www.straight.com. Enjoy!

In Vancouver seems to have a fairly comprehensive list, as well, but it’s not quite as easy to read as some others: http://www.vancouver-bc.com/Events/.

Tourism Vancouver has an interactive event calendar on their website: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/events.php. This would probably be a good one to check out if you live here, too, because sometimes it’s nice to pretend to be a tourist in your own town. Often there are things to see that you’ve never seen (unless you had relatives in from out-of-town and took them to see). For example, I’ve never been to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Could be fun!

If you’re into wine and wine-related events, you can check out LocalWineEvents.com: http://www.localwineevents.com/Greater-Vancouver--BC-Wine/.

Another one for wine fans is Wine and Dine BC News: http://www.wineanddinebcnews.ca/index.php?fid=eventcalendar. Do enjoy!

If you’ve got little ones, you can check out this website that will find you some fun family events. I won’t be at these, ever, because screaming brats terrify me, but if that’s your kind of thing you should embrace it: http://www.findfamilyfun.com/eventthismonth.htm.

If you can’t find something to do on the above sites, then you should either go to the beach or go have a drink on a patio. Otherwise, I really can’t help you. You even have to google those yourselves, I’m not here to help.

A Tribute to Canadian Music

I was inspired this morning, while I cleaned my apartment and blasted the Broken Social Scene and then the Arcade Fire (sorry, neighbours: I hope you’re fans!). I was thinking how strange it is that I am always drawn to Canadian Music. I’m a CanCon fan.

It’s not on purpose, I swear. I honestly hear the music first, fall in love with it, and then discover that it is yet another Canadian band.

It all started when I was in high school, I suppose, and Matthew Good was the local hero. Along with Moist, I Mother Earth, Econoline Crush, The Killjoys and others, this was the soundtrack in my formative years.

I moved on to others at later times: Broken Social Scene for mellow days, Metric when I had a little more energy. I moved on to the Arcade Fire at some point… they were a natural step after Broken Social Scene.

The Arcade Fire played in Deer Lake Park last summer, but I heard about it much too late and missed out. Then I tried to block their concert out of my mind and pretend it wasn’t going on. Until I read the review in the Georgia Straight. It brought tears to my eyes, apparently the concert had been amazing.

In the fall, I had the good fortune of attending a Hot Hot Heat concert at the Commodore: dream venue, dream band. For me, that was a dream: a night of high-energy, poppity rock in a great venue, with a gin & tonic in my hand.

I’m a little sad this evening, because I have to report that I will most likely be standing, teary eyed or not, at any amazing venues watching any of my favourite bands this summer. Apparently Ontario is the place to be, and although I have always dreamed of going to Toronto, it’s not going to happen in the next two months.

Matthew Good will be playing in Ontario in July and August, but not in Vancouver (http://www.matthewgood.org/shows/).

Sam Roberts band’s only date in BC is at the Pemberton Festival. You couldn’t pay me to go camp in a smelly field and go to this concert. Hmm… Actually, you could. Please e-mail me (ms.michelle.mara@gmail.com) if you would like to pay me to go to this concert). Sam Roberts band’s tour dates are at http://samrobertsband.com/tour/.

Broken Social Scene is not playing in Vancouver this summer, either. The closest they get is the Whistler Music Festival (http://www.arts-crafts.ca/bss/).

According to the Arcade Fire website, “There are currently no future shows planned.” Damn (http://www.arcadefire.net/tour/).

Metric will also be playing at the Pemberton Festival. Sigh… (http://www.myspace.com/metricband).

So, to sum it up: I will at this point NOT be seeing any music shows this summer because apparently nobody good is coming to Vancouver. I’ll be at home, with a spotless apartment, blasting my neighbours out of their places. I hope they’re fans!

And now for something completely different…

Okay, so it’s not completely different, but it’s not Steamworks and mojitos!

Every once in a while, I feel like maybe I should get out and try something different. This worked out well on Monday, when Flare Magazine had their annual event at the Absolute Spa at the Century Hotel. I was alerted about this even via Flare’s e-mail list. Their e-mails also provide regular fashion tidbits, which are really helpful for someone like me who tries so hard to be fashionable and yet probably only achieves a 50% success rate.

As a side note, other e-mail lists that I’ve found particularly lovely are sweetspot.ca’s and Saks Fifth Avenue’s. I can’t afford anything from the Saks e-mail, but it makes me feel ambitions.

Back to the Flare event, we started out with a presentation from the editor which was well-delivered. She gave a fantastic presentation and seemed like a natural public speaker. I expected to be bored but I wasn’t for a moment.

After the presentation, I stopped at the appy table to get a bite before moving on to the spa. I was late for the presentation, but apparently most of the guests had hit up the snack table beforehand. It was a protein-based appetizer assortment: meat skewers (lamb, chicken, prawn and ahi tuna) and a cheese and cracker platter. Everything I tried was delicious (including blue cheese, which I regretted only because of the damage it did to my breath).

The wine (included!) was delightful and the servers were generous with their pouring. I tried the red, which I tried to remember the name of and then failed. But it was good!

After the wine & cheese, I shuffled upstairs to join all the other ladies waiting in lines to get free spa treatments. First I got a hand massage, which was heavenly! After that I waited for a little while in the foot massage line, but gave up quickly when I saw that there was no line to try out the oxygen facials. They just did the oxygen facial on my hands, but it was incredibly relaxing. After that I headed over to the neck and shoulder massage room, which was probably the most worthwhile ten minutes of my evening.

That was the end of the evening, and although none of the treatments lasted longer than ten minutes, I was thoroughly relaxed. The two glasses of wine may also have been heavy contributors to my relaxation.

By the time I made it home, I already had plans to return to the spa to get an hour of massage done. This is one event that I plan on telling all of my friends about so that they can head there next year!

Top O’ the Morning to You

Last Friday night, I was off for a delightful night of "drinking and debauchery." Sadly, I headed to the Blarneystone. Now, normally when I go out, I am not the quietest person in the crowd... but this is an exception at the Blarneystone. Maybe I wasn't the quietest person in there, but I always feel conservative when I head to this crazy Irish bar. Why? Well, I like to describe the Blarneystone as the "Roosters of the city." If you've ever been to Roosters (that crazy country bar in Pitt Meadows), then you know a little about this: this is a bar where there is a line at the door at 9:30pm, even though every other club in the city is empty until 11:00pm. And in case you’re wondering what happens at the Blarney at 11:00pm, 90% of the patrons are drunk. I don't mean that they've had one or two too many, I mean that they are frat-boy party drunk. Fall-down-the-stairs drunk. Look at that poor girl’s boyfriend having to carry her home-drunk. You get the point.

So if you’re ever wondering where you should go to get fall-down drunk, head to the Blarneystone!

Caramel Crêpes!

Between cosmopolitans at the Café Crêpe last weekend, I tried a new crêpe: the caramel crêpe. What a great idea! This crêpe is so rich and sweet I felt like a millionaire just eating it. Rather, devouring it might be a better description.
I also tried a fantastic new beverage (new to me, anyhow) that night: the chocolate cake shot. I can't remember what the bartender told me was in it, but it was delightful. And this shot was about as sweet as the caramel crêpe.
My goal for next weekend is to go someplace new. I will be sad to not find myself at Café Crêpe again, but sometimes “something new” can be a really great thing.

Granville Island

I have a friend who adores Granville Island. She lives in the valley, and it’s pretty far for her to go to Granville Island. But she goes there often and she loves it. I used to wonder why she loved it so much, but then I fell in love with Granville Island, too.
And what’s not to love?
My favourite part is the French bakery, La Baguette et L’Echalote. I stop there every time to buy a pain au chocolat for the following day’s breakfast. No, it’s not the square meal that I should be eating in the morning, but I always feel like a movie star having a flaky chocolatey pastry and a cup of coffee in the morning.
But, if you are more interested in looking like a movie star, the Granville Island public market also sells fresh fruits and vegetables. Personally, I usually skip over these, because I can buy fruits and veggies nearer to my home. They are kind of heavy, and if I buy them near my home I can weigh down my arms with chocolate pastries and home-made pasta at the market.
Another shop not to be missed is Paper-Ya. If you’re a sucker for cute stationary, like I am, then you’ll be hooked on this amazing little shop. Look out on weekends, though – it is always packed. Sometimes I worry about knocking something over and having to buy it. Actually, I always hope I’ll knock something really nice but too expensive over, and then I’ll be forced to buy it even though it’s out of my budget. That’s just the kind of store that it is!
Another of the reasons that I love to go to Granville Island is because it’s an excuse to take a little boat. Whether you prefer Aquabus or the False Creek Ferries (they both costs the same), you can catch either one of them besides Science World, conveniently located near the Main Street/Science World Skytrain station.
Seriously, what’s not to love?

Port Moody Festival of the Arts

The Port Moody Festival of the Arts, which actually started on April 4^th with a gala opening and performance by Divine Brown, is still going on this weekend. There have been a variety of shows and performances, including John Mann (from Spirit of the West) doing a solo, acoustic show at The Point pub in Port Moody, which was an amazing and intimate show.
On April 12, there are two performances. At 7pm you can go to A Sound Affair at the Kyle Centre. This is an opportunity for the city to showcase some of their up and coming bands. At 8pm, at the Inlet Theatre, Will Millar, a former Irish Rover, will be performing.
On April 13, the final day of the festival, there is a kids’ show, Bobs and Lolo a the Inlet Theatre.
The Inlet Theatre is conveniently located across the street from the trendiest place in the suburbs: Newport Village in Port Moody. This shopping village reminds me of a little tiny Whistler. The Irish Pub, St. James’ Well, has the most amazing pub food around, so you can head there after checking out the trendy (if expensive) local boutiques.

"Mojitoed"

I usually dine out with a couple of my close girlfriends. We tend to have the same interests – martinis, yummy food, cocktails and occasional dancing.

The last time I visited Steamworks for my usual pitcher of mojitos (and trust me, this one I always do with friends. It wouldn’t do for me to go around alone drinking a pitcher of mojitos with dinner!), my dining partner and I came up with a new word.

“Mojitoed.”

Let me explain: On that particular night, we had met for dinner and both of us had been extraordinarily hungry. I had found a fly in my lunch and tossed it in the bin (the whole lunch, not just the fly). My friend, for whatever reason, had also had a tiny lunch, so both of our tummies were rumbling.

We headed to our regular dining spot, Steamworks, and ordered our standard drink, a pitcher of mojitos for the two of us. We took our time with the drinks, but since there was nothing else in our stomachs when we started in on them, they hit us a little harder than usual.

We didn’t exactly linger over our meals. We scarfed them down (and yes, contrary to my spellchecker, I am certain that scarfed is indeed a real word). And then, with happy, full bellies – and feeling a little warm and tingly from the drinks – we headed towards the Granville Mall. Where the Aldo Outlet shoe store is.

And as we were walking there, we were trying to convince ourselves that we didn’t need new shoes, and that we only wanted new shoes because of the mojitos. And then we said that we were mojitoed. Thus, a new word is born.

But it’s not just a word. It’s a state of being.

“Mojitoed” describes the bliss that you feel after a hard day of work, when you were very hungry and then you filled up on good food and had a couple of lovely, minty-lime alcoholic beverages. “Mojitoed” means the warm fuzzies you get from a good meal and a couple of drinks with a good friend, even if your judgment may be affected.

The shoes will last until I break the heels off of them. The memory of mojitoed shoe shopping with a good friend will last forever.

Sidetracked. Again.

So a friend of mine and I headed out last night to a fundraiser for skin-cancer awareness or prevention or research or… well, obviously that wasn’t the part that I paid attention to. The part that I paid attention to was this: it was in a restaurant, and there would be appetizers and cocktails for us. And there would also be some spa giveaways and a silent auction. The evening was going to be put on by a local spa. Doesn’t that sound great?

Honestly, it sounded great to me when I read about it. Last night, however, after an unfortunate incident with my lunch at work (there was a dead bug involved, you can guess the rest), I was staaaaaarving by the time I left my office. The problem with the spa fundraiser night, really, was that it was not downtown. It was not near the Skytrain line. So that was the end of that plan, my friend and I immediately scrapped it and headed for…

Steamworks! It happens to the best of us. We were starving, we were tired from a day of hard work, and we really needed a pitcher of mojitos.

Immediately upon sitting down, we flagged down our lovely server and asked her for a plate of yam fries and a pitcher of mojitos. The yam fries disappeared in seconds! We did show some restraint and managed to make the mojitos last throughout the meal. We ordered some of the best pizza on earth – I got one with kalamata olives, basil and tomatoes and my friend’s had something like bacon and feta on it – and inhaled it almost as quickly as we did the yam fries. I managed to save two pieces for lunch today and it was absolutely the best leftover pizza I have ever had. There is no doubt about it. I usually only eat leftover pizza because I can’t stand to throw away perfectly good food. I usually barely tolerate leftover pizza, but leftover Steamworks pizza is a whole new story. I would welcome leftover Steamworks pizza as my lunch any day of the week. Maybe even every day of the week! It really is that good.

Side-Tracked at Steamworks

Sometimes it’s nice to try a new restaurant or bar. And I do love trying new restaurants and bars! But sometimes it’s nice to go somewhere familiar, a place that you know is always great.

It has happened to me more than once, where I’ve headed downtown with a new restaurant or lounge in mind and then I’ve gotten sidetracked and headed to Steamworks, beside Waterfront Station. I know that Steamworks will never let me down!

I have not yet had a bad experience at Steamworks. The food is always good, even if I try something experimental (Proscutto Salad) instead of my regular favourite, the Santa Fe Salad.

The best part of going there is sharing a pitcher of Mojitos with a friend. The waiters don’t look at you judgmentally for splitting a whole pitcher between two people. They’ll even offer you another if you finish it!

Martinis & Manicures (and other delightful activities)

So here I am on a Monday night having a look at what’s going on in Vancouver in the upcoming weeks, and I found one that tops them all!

La Vallée restaurant is having a Martinis & Manicures night on March 11. While this doesn’t seem to be announced on La Vallée’s website, they do have a listing that describes one such evening held last October. I was too excited to read it word for word, but it looks like the evening involves martinis, manicures and chocolate covered strawberries. What’s not to love? I will be checking back on La Vallée’s site to find out more details.

I also discovered tasteof604.com, which reviews local restaurants (and they seem to include Whistler as local). It’s up-to-date, and the reviews come from diners, which I mention because I find a lot of websites that seem to make any restaurant that pays them sound fantastic. These sites are always really well maintained, but how can you trust reviews that come from the restaurants themselves?

The Interior Design Show West will be taking place at the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre from March 19-22. This is a sister show to one in Toronto (The Interior Design Show), and there is a printable coupon for $2 off admission on their website (www.idswest.com).

I would also like to mention that Portobello West is coming back, mark your calendars for the last weekend in March (29-30). Portobello West is a fantastic artists’ market that is held on the last Sunday every month from March to November, usually with an additional market in December for holiday shoppers. Local designers peddle their fantastic wares, and the participants vary from month to month so there is something new each time. Admission is free, and my favourite part is that so many of the goods are affordable! It’s not like some art markets where everything is overpriced. The market is held at the Rocky Mountaineer Station, and there is a free shuttle that runs from near Main Street-Science World Skytrain station.

Umbrellas anyone?

If you’ve looked out your window today you may have noticed that the weather is terrible. It’s cold, windy and rainy. It’s just a typical March day in Vancouver, right?

So why not shop for a typical Vancouver accessory today? Check out The Umbrella Shop at Pender & Seymour. This is a whole shop of umbrellas! If you’ve ever envisioned the perfect umbrella and then searched high and low for it with no luck, they probably have it here.

If you don’t want to get rained on during your walk over there, you can also try The Bay Downtown. They also have a good selection of umbrellas, and if you’re coming from the Skytrain or Pacific Centre, you don’t even have to go outside to get there!

More Italian Coffee

I surprised myself by finding and trying out not just one, but TWO Italian cafés this week, without specifically looking for them. The first was Caffe Buongiorno, and the second is Sciué Italian Bakery Caffe, at Pender and Howe.

I was actually headed for the Bread Garden at Pender and Hornby when I noticed Sciué and decided to head there instead. No offense to the Bread Garden, but this place actually looked Italian and there was a huge line, which I took as a good sign. I was in no hurry, so I thought I would try it out.

I didn’t try the pastries today, as this has been a pretty sweet-laden week for me already, but I did try the coffee.

This was possibly the most amazing latte I have ever had in my life. I think the best way to explain it is that normally, I take sugar in my coffee -- two packets per cup of coffee. But this latte was so divine, so frothy, and the coffee so perfect already, that I added no sugar.

I have to reiterate that I can’t even think of one single time in the past when I have not added sugar to my coffee. This latte was absolutely amazing.

My European Café

I discovered a delightful little café this week, the Caffe Buongiorno (I may be spelling that incorrectly) at Pender and Richards. It reminded me of a little European café that you might find in that French movie Amélie, with a high coffee counter, little tables and chairs with curly-cue legs and a mosaic tile floor.

I tried a chicken panini for lunch, and I was a little worried when I ordered it, thinking there might be nothing but chicken inside. Thankfully, I was wrong, and my panini had some grilled veggies and a mild but gooey melted cheese, too.

My latte was also fantastic, and it was served in a wide coffee cup with a saucer. These always remind me of Europe because when I was going to school in France, the only place you could get coffee in a paper cup (à la Starbucks) was from the cappuccino machine at the university. And I don’t mean a fancy cappuccino machine like you would find in a café; this was what could probably be considered the European equivalent of the coffee machines you can find in hospitals here.

The Caffe Buongiorno is highly recommended for the next time you feel like having lunch in a European café without actually going to Europe.

Attention Frenchies!

Just in case you didn’t know, this weekend is the Festival du Bois in Maillardville, Coquitlam (www.festivaldubois.ca). It is running on March 1 & 2 at Mackin Park in Coquitlam. This is not on any really good bus routes, but is probably not too bad to get to from either Braid or Lougheed Skytrain stations.

There are plenty of shows happening, as well as activities for kids. See their website for more information.

I mention the Festival du Bois because I will be going there for one reason – and one reason only! POUTINE! Yes, of course, that greasy, delicious, quebecois delicacy that millions of people are disgusted by!

I happen to like fries (I have the same friendship with them that I have with most deep-fried foods). I also like gravy, it is so warm and salty and comforting. And I can’t tell you how much I love cheese curds. They are chewy and melty and they squeak when you bite them.

Only one thing could be better than having poutine: Having poutine in the same day as having tourtiere and maple sugar pie.

Tourtiere is French-Canadian meat pie. Meat and pie, together in one; need I say more?

Maple sugar pie is exactly what it sounds like: sugar pie, but with maple. I have heard it compared to butter tarts, which I don’t think is entirely accurate. I would say that it is more like a pie-shell filled with home-made fudge.

So that is where I will be this weekend, in the line-up at the poutine tent at the Festival du Bois in Maillardville.

Mmm... Lamb Souvlaki!

Monday night was a delightful evening of Whitney Houston and Greek food. How could anything go wrong with that combination?

A friend and I decided to use an entertainment book coupon for Santali Souvlaki House on Edmonds (7879 Edmonds St, Burnaby). It was Monday night so it was quiet, and when we arrived we were the only guests. That didn’t last long, though. We were the first of a bit of a rush!

Whitney Houston’s greatest hits album seemed to be playing, punctuated with on Toni Braxton song, so the ambiance was set. I may have sung along a little bit. But only before the other patrons came in. And I was definitely done once someone was sitting at the table next to us!

We started with the calamari, moved on to Greek salad and then had the lamb souvlaki. There were two olives on my Greek salad, instead of the usual one, and it was also loaded with feta. There’s nothing worse than a Greek salad that is stingy on the feta.

The lamb souvlaki was delightful. It had the longest meat skewer I have ever seen in my life, and the meat was tender and perfectly seasoned. They even remove the skewer for you, to make your dining experience neater and easier. I can’t tell you how many times I have shot bits of meat across/under/over the table while I was trying to remove it from a skewer. If I could count the number of times I’ve eaten meat off a skewer, it would probably be pretty close to equal.

Our server was attentive but did not rush us, which I find so rare when I dine out these days. Usually, servers either forget about you or hustle you through your meal.

As an added bonus, once you know where Santali is, you can easily find Amorosa Pasta House, located next door. I didn’t ask, so I could be wrong, but I believe that both restaurants are owned by the same family. I have eaten at Amorosa, although not recently, and that was also a fabulous experience. This is also one of those great places where a meal can feed you for a couple of days. I could have saved some of my souvlaki for the following day, but I decided to go for it. I did have to loosen my belt. It was just so good I couldn’t bear to wait until the next day to finish it.

Return to Café Crêpe

So last night was not bad. Of course, I headed out to Café Crepe. Again. And we had the surly waiter. Again. He alternated between mildly nice and surly through the evening. I can’t blame him, really, it was super busy and he was saying that there were a ton of groups of six or more coming in all night. If you’ve been there, you know that it is not very big and most of the booths can’t really fit six people. Although, we managed quite nicely. It was cozy.

The music at some points turned into what I like to think of as “euro techno background” music. How to describe it? It sounds like what I think would be playing in European night clubs. I have to use my imagination on that one, mind you, because I have never been to any European night clubs, but it’s exactly what I would imagine them playing there.

I actually got a crepe this time. It was a dessert crepe – because crepes were not meant to be savoury. I just don’t understand why you would put meat or vegetables in a crepe, it destroys it. But if you fill it with Nutella and coconut and dump some whipped cream on it, then you get a truly delicious crepe. Absolutely amazing.

Do I need to describe the martinis again? I branched out, and this time instead of just drinking cosmopolitans, I mixed it up with a sour apple martini. It took a couple sips before the Nutella taste washed away, but once that was gone it was a great martini.

The weather this weekend has been delightful, and I think it was almost 15 degrees here today. I saw a girl on the Skytrain yesterday wearing a strappy summer dress with no coat! It really is spring already! Fantastic!

I have some time off this week and am hoping to check out some new cafés downtown and try to find some good ones that aren’t chains. Although I find it hard to believe that Starbucks haven’t driven everyone else out of town, apparently there are still a few other places kicking around so I am going to check them out.

Cheapest Martinis in town!

Last weekend:

Do you ever just want to go out for a delicious, inexpensive drink, but you don’t feel like getting all dolled up? I may have found the two best places to go in Vancouver for a cheap martini when you’re wearing sneakers!

Try Yagger’s (Pender & Richards, downtown – www.yaggers.com) on Friday night. I was there this past Friday and was thrilled to order an MC Hammer, a fruity double martini for only $6. Our server was super nice and she came and sat with us to help us choose which martinis we wanted. The selection included the MC Hammer, which she told us had once been ordered as a McHammer. I can only assume that the poor kid who called it a McHammer was underage.

Yagger’s is a casual but trendy spot, and conveniently located near the Skytrain (which scores big points for those of us who live in the ‘burbs, across the street from a Skytrain station). I think they call it “Martooni Friday” but whatever the name, they have double martinis for $6. I learned about them during Dine Out Vancouver (http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/dining/dine_out_vancouver), and have been back because their martinis are good AND have such great names (the Princess Leia, the Oprah, the MC Hammer, etc). The food was good, too, but this last time I didn’t bother. Last weekend was all about the martinis.

My other top pick for cheap martinis is Café Crêpe. I have to share this with you all: I don’t like crêpes. Every once in a while, I could enjoy a Nutella - or possibly even a Nutella and banana - crêpe. Other than that, I think the world would be a great place without crêpes. Needless to say, in the past, I had avoided Café Crêpe like the plague, because I sincerely believed they had nothing to offer me.

I have rarely been so wrong! A friend told me about their martinis so I gave them a second chance.

Café Crêpe’s martinis are around $4. I recommend the cosmopolitan. It even has orange peel garnish in it, which is practically healthy. And I have heard, although I have never seen this, that if you sit right at the bar you can watch the bartender mix drinks and set them on fire. What could be better?

Their food is also delicious and a great deal for the Granville strip. They have a great burger at a great price (although I can’t remember what the price is at this exact moment – blame the numerous martinis!). And I’m sure the crêpes are delightful, if you’re a crêpe fan.

Next weekend:

I have no plans at this time for next weekend, but here are some options…

If I want to go dancing, I will probably head to Au Bar (Seymour & Georgia downton - http://www.aubarnightclub.com/)on Saturday night. Au Bar is by far my favourite club. It’s trendy without being pretentious, and I always have a great time there. It is also directly across the street from the Seymour exit of the Granville Skytrain station. The bouncers have let me skip line before, even though I’m not drop-dead gorgeous, which scores big points in my book! The music is great – it’s hard to find a nice club with a good top-40 night. The people there are nice and good-looking, and they have some raised platforms for dancing, in case you want to show off. I haven’t yet tried the platforms out, because I’ve never gone to Au Bar and had so much to drink that I thought people would actually want to see my dancing. But, as they say, tomorrow is a new day…

If I wan cheap martinis on Friday night, I will probably go to Yagger’s. If it’s Saturday, I will probably head for Café Crêpe. And I would head there early because you usually have to wait for a table anytime after 7pm.

If I want to try something new, I will probably head for the Jupiter Lounge (Bute & Davie downtown - www.jupitercafe.com). I have not yet been there, but I hear it’s all plush red velvet, mirrors and fantastic drinks. What’s not to love? I’m sure you’ll hear about it once I get there.

If I want to do something artsy, I will go see The Amorous Adventures of Anatol at the Vancouver Playhouse (it’s running from Feb 16 to March 8). I hear it’s about a playa planning his conquests. That may be worth seeing…

If I want to go out for some food-ola, I will probably go to Kam’s Place on Davie. I haven’t been there in ages, but have wanted to go several times. In fact, I wish I lived across the street. Or upstairs. Kam serves up the best Singaporean food in town at VERY reasonable prices. The Georgia Straight also publishes a 2-for-1 coupon pretty much every week. Go for it!

Next weekend, there is The Green Living Show (www.greenlivingshow.com) at BC Place from February 29 to March 2. I wouldn’t mind making my condo better for the environment. This stuff is pretty trendy right now. I went to one of these shows last year (although it was not this exact one) and they had some very cool decorating ideas. At that time, I was not about to replace my toxic laminate flooring with biodegradable bamboo, but maybe this year they’ll have a sale. Or they will have a really awesome sink. One can only hope!

Welcome to the Lazy Girl's Guide to Vancouver

Welcome to my blog!

I decided to call it The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Vancouver. “Why?” you might ask…

I am a lazy girl. And I love this city. I have lived here (well, in the ‘burbs, but don’t tell anybody!) for the greater part of a quarter century. And I have not appreciated it. I have traveled quite a bit. I have been to London, Venice, Paris, Rome, Sydney, Brisbane, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and many other places. I have explored these foreign cities; I have wandered their streets, shopped their shops and eaten their food. I have dreamed of living in other cities, all the while not benefiting from living in one of the best cities on earth.

In the past year or so, I made it my mission to get to know my city. This mission continues today. I take personal offense to people bashing Vancouver. Sure, it rains. It rains a lot. But you just need an umbrella and some good shoes, and then you can enjoy it.

This blog is not going to detail outdoors adventures. I like to party, I like to drink and I love to eat. I like to shop, I like to look at pretty things and I like to go to shows. So these are the things I am going to write about. I will let you know about events that are going on, good restaurants and fun things to do. If there is a cheap martini to be had in a trendy locale, I will be there, and so can you.