Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Heading back to Toronto, I got more adventure than I wanted. Just as the train pulled out of the station around 5:30 pm, word came that an Idle No More related strike would delay the trip. The Mohawk activists were occupying the tracks around Belleville and it was likely to last for several hours.

After a quick conversation with a fellow traveler, a Londoner via Montreal on her way to a friend's wedding in Hamilton, we hopped into a cab and sped to the airport. On the way, I booked two cheap tickets with Porter on my smart phone. Printing out the boarding pass using the self-served kiosk on arrival, we breezed through security and were aboard the 7 pm flight. No doubt her travel tale, including the quick-witted stranger, will enliven the reception.

Sadly, reality wasn't quite so easy. With my typical wishy-washiness, I wasted 20 minutes second-guessing my options. By the time we left at 6, fearing we would miss final boarding, we decided to wait to buy physical tickets. With the lineup at the airport for an agent, the cheap tickets and the flight were gone. The next flight at 8 pm costed twice as much. I bit the bullet but she balked at the price. She eventually resigned herself to a similar flight with Air Canada. The good news was that hers was leaving on time. The bad news for me was that mine was delayed. I forgot from experience that Porter flights to Toronto in the evening will always be late as there is always some issue leaving the Halifax leg. We wished each other good luck and I settled down for the wait.

I wasn't airborne until 10. By that time, I was worried that the plane might miss the noise curfew and have to divert to Pearson or even the Hamilton airport. I got into a Toronto taxi close to 11:30. At home, I found out that the situation back in Ottawa had resolved around 7:30. Ms. S_ still benefitted from her flight but I would have arrived in Toronto not much later if I had stayed put on the train. So it was a wash and I spent $300 unnecessarily.

Looking back bemusedly, what would have been a satisfying and enjoyable result (cheap and quick flight instead of waiting out an uncertain delay) fell apart due to my usual anxious reticence. Given similar precedents, and happening on almost the last day of the year, I think the universe is trying to teach me an important lesson for 2013.

Out With The Old

Spending time in Ottawa over the Holidays, I realized that the passage of time is deceiving. It doesn't seem like much has changed, until it becomes obvious a lot has. I got a lift from a high school friend back to my hometown. This was a bit reluctant on my part, as I had sworn off road trips after some disastrous voyages. No more being at the mercy of egoistical drivers!

But aside from having to jam my limbs into any available spot due to an excess of luggage, it was a pleasant trip. Eating junk food, listening to music, reminiscing about the good old days, the deepening twilight as a snow-covered Ottawa came into view, it was a blast from the past. This was a bit of faux nostalgia though, as we had never travelled together before.

Unlike recent brown winters, this was the Ottawa of yore, with hip-high snowbanks and trees laden with the fluffy white stuff. Christmas dinner with the whole clan had all the familiar food and decorations, my family was never one to throw out anything: even cheap plastic trees and ornaments. But it was a shock realizing my oldest cousin is now engaged and the youngest one is heading off to university next fall. When I left Ottawa, they were finishing high school and starting pre-kindergarden.

Boxing Day was at my brother's, as he fed the kinfolk and showed them his new house. My goofy younger sibling, whom my grandma feared was insufficiently serious, was now a proud dad and owner of a suburban home, complete with den and playroom.

My last dinner in Ottawa was at an old friend's, we had known each other since elementary school. He was utterly domesticated, with wife and child. This was no surprise, since I see him several times a year. But looking at his wall of Christmas cards, full of university friends I haven't stayed in touch with, in their Christmas finery alongside spouse and 1, 2 or even 3 offsprings, it didn't seem that long ago that we all were cramming for exams, whooping it up in the Byward Market bars, and full of future plans.

Christmas Tradition

Every ballet company puts on The Nutcracker at Christmas. For many, it is their most lucrative show and is essential to their bottom-line. The National Ballet has its own version, created in 1995 by its then resident choreographer James Kudelka. I finally went to see it on Friday accompanied by a tiny dance enthusiast.

Unfortunately, I think 6 years old is still too young for a 2 hour show. She found it too long and was fidgety throughout the performance despite our excellent seats. I enjoyed the piece but also found it just on this side of dull. The staging and props were wonderful, from the large homey Victorian hearth, to the giant Christmas tree, to the gigantic golden Faberge egg wherein dwelt the Sugar Plum Fairy. The costumes were likewise magical: rat soldiers, unicorns, and snow fairies. Accompanied by the familiar score, it was a feast for eyes and ears.

But the choreography, perhaps keeping in mind the typical Nutcracker audience, was very classical, very traditional and very safe. As each set piece came: the Snow Queen, the Sugar Plum Fairy, The Dance of the Flowers, and so on, I admired their prettiness but not moved. I liked attempts to modernize the ethnic dances especially the Egyptian/Middle-East quartet who snaked and pulsed like mirror images come to life. Overall, it was sufficiently glamorous and thus befitting a well-loved tradition.

Come What May

Heading home from the Tegan and Sara concert, I got a tweet that Weezer cover band Sheezer was doing a set at the Monarch Tavern in Little Italy. Sure enough, they were rocking out at the Christmas party for local community choir Choir! Choir! Choir!. It was a short set so they played only the big hits such as Holiday and The Good Life. But the crowd was also up for B-side tunes like Susanne.

I then headed south to Dundas to The May, a new hipster joint that used to be a Vietnamese karaoke bar for a Silent Shout concert. But given a few people who didn't quite fit in and the Buddhist shrine on the wall, it may be only rented out for live music. The crowd skewed quite young, even more than usual.

Miss Elizabeth came out, now down to a duo. They played plaintive synth pop with lots of alto singing and sustained chords and reverbs. The drum machine allowed them to add unusual syncopated drumming that kept the songs moving. It was reasonably danceable music, but only a few took up the challenge.

Majical Cloudz was another duo that played trance-y synth. The shaven-headed singer reminded me strongly of Michael Stipe not only for his emotive singing, but tendency to gesticulate and move his whole body. The music was directly from another bald singer, Sinead O'Connor circa Nothing Compares 2 U: bleak, emotional lyrics backed by long, slow synth chords.

It was getting late for Moon King, a collaboration between 2 members of defunct Spiral Beach. I will have to catch their take on synth music another time.

Eclectic Circus

Twins Tegan and Sara were scheduled to open for the Killers at the ACC on Saturday. Because of a late cancellation, they switched to a last-minute headlining show at The Phoenix . Despite the sudden change, the show sold out within the hour. Not surprising, as these indie singers have long graduated from medium-size venues.

The club was divided in half by a metal barrier: all ages at the front, drunkards at the back. Without an opening act, Tegan and Sara came out early to raucous cheers. Though they might be identified with angsty pop, only Nineteen, Call It Off, and Not Tonight kept that wistfulness. With a full band, all their songs were punchier and more propulsive: Back In Your Head, Alligator, even Walking With A Ghost. It was practically a dance party as they debuted dancier tracks from their upcoming album: I'm Not Your Hero, I Was a Fool, the despairing Now I'm All Messed Up, and the steamy Closer. With the inclusion of their dance collaborations such as Feel It In My Bones and Bodyworks in full thump-thump-thump arrangement instead of their usual stripped-down acoustic takes, it was a full on hands-in-the-air party for the fans.

There was also the trademark banter as they thanked the fans for their support, talked about highs and lows, and told good and bad on-the-road stories. For Tegan and Sara fans, it was a rare opportunity to savour their music in a relatively intimate setting.

Set list: I'm Not Your Hero, Back In Your Head, The Con, Walking With a Ghost, Hell, So Jealous, Where Does The Good Go, I Was a Fool, Now I'm All Messed Up, Nineteen, Arrow, Alligator, Feel It In My Bones, Closer.

Encore: Call It Off, Not Tonight (mashup with Springsteen's I'm on Fire), Living Room, Bodyworks.

Holiday Eats

With the Holidays approaching, there have been many communal meals including two pot-luck on Friday and extended lunches. A recent one was an outstanding dim sum meal at Grand Chinese Cuisine, located in the Double Tree Hotel in Mississauga. I haven't tried the high-end dim sum places such as Lai Wa Heen but this was the best dim sum I've had. Each plate had perfectly prepared bite-size offerings: the fried stuff was crispy but not soaking in oil, the steamed dishes were toothsome, the stuffing were uniformly generous with high quality ingredients. I was most impressed with the care in the presentation. Sadly, the numerous photos of the 15 or so dishes were accidentally erased.

For lunch on Friday, we had the annual Company pot-luck. By coincidence, it was almost meat-free with an assortment of samosas, avocado salad, noodles, Japanese veggie curry, and desserts. I was most impressed with the home-made aloo tikkas (potato patties): small medallions stuffed with potatoes and spices. It was baked not fried, making it lighter than most restaurant Indian dishes. I have never had it elsewhere and was able to wrangle some to take home with me.

But the patties will have to wait because it was off to another yoga pot-luck after work. Fresh guacamole and corn chips made great appetizers. My offering of smaller Ethiopian samosas from African Palace went over like gang-busters. Latkes, light on the butter, went great with sour cream and apple sauce. A winter stew of kale, potatoes, beans, ginger, and other veggies made for a delicious main alongside some mulled wine simmered in cardamom and star anise . Although full, I made room for some excellent freshly made coconut macaroons and nanaimo bars.

Have A Nice Day

Wednesday night at the Berkeley Street Theatre, I went to see a puppet show by Old Trout Puppet Workshop called Ignorance. Dominated by an arch of giant bones with stretched canvas between the curves and a large bonfire, 3 performers dressed in long johns and a jutting horn switched back and forth between two eras: our modern world and a paleolithic Adam and Eve living inside a cavern trying to make sense of a scary world.

A narrator, who throughout the play mused about neurochemistry, brain function, and human qualities, posed the overarching question: Why are we usually not happy? Would we be happier living in a more primitive, less "complex" state? The modern humans, a group of puppet men and women with jowly faces, which can in turn be a fresh-faced child, a middle-age everyman, or a wizen retiree, didn't seem to be. Their puppet bodies, with hands and feet by the actors, shuffled through unsastifying lives. Their pursuit of happiness, represented by a yellow smiley balloon, often ended in gruesome but hilarious deaths. The ancient humans, composed of more found object parts: stones for faces, sticks for hands, didn't have much luck either; they fought over scarce resources and were bewildered by an incomprehensible and hostile world.

The show fared best with the imaginative puppets and props, each having the look of a well-loved and used creation. The humour was slapstick but fun: the unintelligible humming of Eve morphed into My Heart Will Go On, a Charlie Chaplin-esque turn on a factory floor, a drawn-out battle with a wooly mammoth. It was obvious the performers had a blast inhabiting their roles. The pseudo-scientific attempt at profundity by the voice-over didn't click and the glib wisdom ("be happy because you're special") was eye-rolling. Watching this show at its zaniest fun the clear conclusion should have been: we are happiest when we are creative and playful.

That's What She Said

Baeckeoffe

It hasn't been a cold winter, but with a slight nip in the air, I decided to head to Baldwin street to Elle M'a Dit for some Alsatian fare. For appetizers, I got the tarte flambee House smoked trout ($12). On slices of very thin, almost cracker-like, baked dough, there were mildly flavoured smoked trout, fennel confit, preserved lemon, and dill. I liked that the trout was not overpowering and the fennel and dill added a herbal touch. I would have preferred more tartness from the lemon.

The french onion soup ($9) was classic: gooey cheese, thick, broth-soaked bread, and flavourful soup. But like most restaurants, the portion was simply too large. I was almost full by the time I finished. For the main dish, I ordered Baeckeoffe ($19), an Alsatian meat casserole. The combination of beef, lamb, and pork was delicious. But there was less than expected, with the bulk of the dish comprising of potatoes slices. These had a tangy after-taste that wore out its welcome after a few bites. Overall, a disappointing dish.

Smoked Trout Tarte Flambee

French Onion Soup

Can-Rock

Amos The Transparent

For AudioBlood Media's 4th anniversary on Friday, 4 bands played at Sneaky Dee's. Coincidentally, they were from different parts of Canada, and were not just local Toronto bands. Acres of Lion was up first. These Victoria B.C. boys played straight up rock: not quite jock rock but not esoteric indie. The lead singer really tried to engage the early crowd. Combined with tra-la-la refrains, they are positioned to attract the extroverts.

Secret Connection came from St. John's Newfoundland. The on-the-road version of the band was a trio of excitable guys. Their indie-pop songs often descended into sonically noisy outro full of feedback and guitar chords. The biggest crowd of the night came to hear Ottawa's Amos The Transparent. Comprising of 7 members plus a guest trumpetist, they played pleasing pop full of cello lines, tinkling piano, and lots of anthemic choruses. Their exhortation for crowd participation was gladly met by bearded dudes in flannel shirts who sung along to every song. Their set ended on a bittersweet note when, prior to the final song, Mark Hyne revealed that it would probably the last time that Greater Than Consequence will be played live. He was leaving the band after 7 years.

Toronto's Hands and Teeth closed out the evening with catchy pop tunes full of multi-part harmonies and members exchanging lyrics. They debuted 5 new songs off their upcoming album before delving into older tunes. By this time, some in the audience were highly inebriated. Though most stood swaying in a dazed stupor before wandering off, one drunk male climbed up on the bass speakers to dance awkwardly. Finally, on Help Me, after Natasha Pasternak mimed a rifle shot with her guitar, lanky Jeffrey Pinto leapt from behind his keyboards and ran the obnoxious sot off the stage. But the good fellowship vibe was restored when members of the audience were invited on stage to sing along to a cover of With A Little Help From My Friends.

In The Land of the Lounge Lizards

On a quiet Sunday night, Gentleman Reg had his CD release at the Gladstone Hotel. As he wryly noted, a number of his friends begged out because of headaches or work Monday morning. But 30 or so people were there in the Ballroom for some up-tempo music.

Chinawoman was up first. A Toronto transplant to Berlin, she switched instruments depending on the songs. They all had a cabaret feel, sharing a weary and jaded viewpoint of the world. Party Girl, despite its title,  was any but uplifting or joyful. It was fitting music for the end of the week. In contrast, Army Girls never plays anything slow. So singer-guitarist Carmen Elle and drummer Andy Smith started with the riffy Always and got progressively more manic including on the new song No One Misses You (But I Do). At one point, they had to stop abruptly at the bridge because she had ripped out her guitar cable.

Gentleman Reg came on stage with a new band set-up including Kelly McMichael (Rouge) on synth and vocals and Terra Lightfoot (The Pining) on bass. He played songs from his new album Leisure Life such as Waiting Around For Gold and Make It Better. He also pulled from his catalogue dancey tunes like We're In a Thunderstorm and The Boyfriend Song. His live performance was more visceral (and danceable) than the recordings. There were only a few quiet songs including the sad The Declaration and a slow, sweet duet with Kelly on Sheryl Crow's If It Makes You Happy.

Fight For Your Right

Saturday night, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association held a benefit to raise awareness about the erosion of civil rights in Canada. CBC radio host Vish Khanna was the affable host for the evening. Veteran agitator Judy Rebick spoke passionately about continuing to fight for our rights, especially in the face of all the state abuses from the G20 summit here in Toronto. She might have gotten a few people interested, but I feel her words fell on mostly apathetic ears.

Dwayne Morgan started the evening with some rapid-fire spoken word poetry, primarily dealing with broken homes, absentee fathers, poverty, and 'living while black'. Treading close to rap, they were edgy and uncomfortable to the mostly white privileged audience but his slick, practiced delivery undermined their rawness to some extent. To lighten the mood, 3 dancers (Mitzy C, Karen the Belly Dancer, and Tanya Cheex) from The Great Canadian Burlesque came on to dance and tease. The larger stage gave them a chance to wield their entire arsenal including veils, boas, and feathered fans. Inspired by their performance, Toronto's poet laureate George Elliott Clarke stuck to sex-drenched poems from his books Red and Black.

The musical portion of the evening started with Maloo, Maylee Todd's chill electronica alter ego. Accompanied by two dancers, she played multi-layered musings backed by bloops and beeps. MINOTAURS came on stage, 9-strong including a 3 horn section. They played exclusively protest and social issues songs such as the the G20-inspired Open The Doors from their upcoming album. With poly-rhythmic beats and funky horns and synth, they seemed a wonderful nod to the funk bands of the 70s: musical and socially aware. Nathan Lawr, who organized the evening, was joined on stage by Sarah Harmer, noted singer-activist, and Ohbijou's Casey Mecija for two numbers.

The head-liner was Ohbijou, an Arcade Fire-esque band that often build a sparse song into an anthemic number. Though they did sing love-lorn songs including the pitiful Barking At Your Door, they also had social issues tunes such as Balikbayan, an ode to all the Filipino caregivers who leave their children behind to care for other people's kids. Before a raging encore, in which Casey had bleeding fingers from ripping out the guitar chords, cellist Anissa Hart and pianist Ryan Carley played the Game of Thrones theme as a dare. To the amazing of both the other band members and the audience, a few tentative bars turned into a full song.

This Little Veggie

Although not a vegetarian, the last few days I've been eating mostly vegetarian dishes. Home-cooked food is delicious, even more so when you don't have to do the cooking. On Thursday, before my aerobics dance party, I dropped by a friend for some veggie pasta. The vegetables and onions were soft and tender, and the spaghetti was perfectly al dente. The very generous oil added to the dish really made it go down easy.

Friday night, I attended a vegetarian shabbat. There were freshly baked challah, an arugula and roasted nut salad, a couscous vegetable stew, and coffee truffles and apple crumble for the dessert. They were all tasty but the stand-out was the couscous dish aided by two strong flavours: soft and tender whole small onions, and bursts of zests from tiny slices of preserved lemons. The addition of home-made harissa, Tunisian spicy sauce, gave a nice punch to the mix.

On Sunday, my yoga class had a Holiday potluck after the morning practice. I'm not usually a fan of potluck, too many incompatible dishes, but because of the restriction to vegan or vegetarian options, this gave the meal more cohesion. It was a generous spread of 15 or so offerings: broccoli salad, roasted red peppers, quinoa, guacamole, bean dip, scones, cheese platter, fried noodles, melon salsa, samosas, and a large array of desserts: brownies, coconut cookies, tarts, pies, etc. There was also some mini lobster tarts for those of us who weren't vegetarian. We all stuffed ourselves silly. I waddled home for an afternoon nap, with a doggie container overflowing with leftovers.