Sights From Winter Olympics 2010!

I can't say I'm a big fan of winter sports but so far the Winter Olympics have been amazing! I guess it really makes a difference if the games are in your town. I'm so behind in all my work because there's so much to do and see!

The Olympic cauldron is so close to my workplace, wow!I'm glad the complaints about the fence were addressed!

 

On February the 14th I took the Olympic Line tram, which is on loan from Belgium, to Granville Island to attend a Francophone concert. I wish they would keep the tram; it makes going to Granville Island a breeze! The opening acts were pretty good. From left to right: Valerie Sadjik, the MC (forgot her name but she's a great dancer!), Carlos Placeres, Lynda Thalie and Alpha Yaya Diallo.

They warmed me up for Angelique Kidjo,  the main reason I went to Granville Island on that night. I have loved her music since I was 12 years old! It was so amazing to see her live in person (for free!) and also to dance on stage with her (I don't know how that happened, that's so not like me!) And, yes, she sang my favourite song, Agolo!

I was contemplating on whether I should go to the Garou concert the next night since I don't know too many of his songs but his performance at the Opening Ceremony had me sold and I am so glad I went! He has such an amazing voice and tons of charm (I know Sheila would agree!). It was surprising to see former PM Jean Chretien there!

Next concert was Sam Roberts in Surrey. It seems that Surrey is full of really tall people:( I couldn't see much so I left early. This outrageous guy who was dancing at Jully Black's concert made my night! Saw Jully Black two days later at a much better venue. I swear, she is so under-rated! She is an amazing performer, funny and actually has talent. Music ain't dead!

I volunteered with my Church one evening, handing out hot chocolate to people waiting for the skytrain. Even though my backpack was heavy, it was such a fun evening!

Oh yeah, fireworks too! 

  

The Olympics are Here!

I somehow managed to wake up at 6am to see the torch relay. My Church had a free pancake breakfast for the community before that.

 

  

The passing of the torch was followed by celebrations near the Vancouver Art Gallery. 

 

Of course, Vancouver wouldn't be Vancouver without a protest or two! At least it was pretty peaceful.

 

  

Free zip-line rides for everyone! I'm thinking of trying this! 

  

  

A lot of festivities and fun things happening on Granville Street all day and night!

 

 

  

  

On the podium!

 

Takoyaki

Hi Kumi!:)

Not bad for a first attempt. I'm going to have to try it again sometime.

Apple Dessert

 

I was planning on making apple crisp but felt too lazy so I improvised instead! 

2 Apples
1 tbspn Flour
1 heaped tablespoon brown sugar
2 tbsn dessicated coconut
1 tspn cinnamon powder
 Dash of salt
3 tspn water
1 tbspn Butter or margarine, cut in small pieces

Core apples, then slice them directly onto a baking tray with a cookie sheet on top

In a small bowl blend flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut and salt. Spread flour mixture over apples.

Sprinkle water over all ingredients

Space out pieces of butter over top.

Place tray in toaster oven and set at 375 F. Bake 30 minutes.


My verdict: it doesn't look so good but it tastes good!

 

On The Boardwalk

A beautiful afternoon in Steveston!

Broccoli Salmon Egg Dish

Quick, easy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1/4 small onion, chopped
1 tspn grated ginger
some chopped spinach leaves
2 florets of broccoli, chopped
1/2 can salmon, mashed
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsn soy sauce
pepper

Lightly fry the garlic, ginger and onions
Add the vegetables and saute for a minute or two
Add the salmon, let cook for a while
Add eggs, pepper and soy sauce and mix well
Continue cooking until eggs are done
Serve with rice

More Olympics Pictures

Only 5 more days left!!! Winter Olympics? Where's the snow??? The weather is perfect right now; I hope it stays like this throughout the Olympics!

Coconut Chicken Curry (Opor Ayam)

I've made this many times and it hasn't failed me yet.I found the recipe many years ago in a South African magazine.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small onions, chopped
1 tspn grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn ground cumin
25g crushed nuts (I use pistachio, walnuts or almonds)
2 tbsn oil
1 cinnamon stick
salt and pepper
1 tbsn lemon juice
1 can coconut milk

Mix onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, crushed nuts and a pinch of salt to a paste with a little oil
Mix the chicken well with the paste. Cover and let marinade in the fridge for at least an hour
Fry chicken mixture until chicken starts to change colour
Add coconut milk, cinnamon and salt. Bring to boil, then simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender
Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste
Serve with rice

Lemon Milk Jelly

This dessert is very refreshing.I can't wait to make it again in the summer!

Happy Black History Month!

JOHN CHILEMBWE

There are so many Black heroes out there but today I'd like to talk about one of the lesser-known ones, John Chilembwe, who was born in Nyasaland, now known as Malawi.
John Chilembwe was a Baptist preacher who traveled to the USA in 1897 and learnt a lot about contemporary ideas from the likes of Booker T. Washington. These ideas were seen as quite radical in Africa at the time. When Chilembwe returned to Nyasaland, he built schools and churches and educated his community. He rebelled against the cruel plantation masters and the British Government. Unfortunately, the rebellion failed and Chilembwe fled to Mozambique where he was eventually found and killed.
Finally, years after his death, this man is getting the respect he deserved. Malawi has designated January 15th as John Chilembwe day, and his likeness can be found on Malawian money and stamps. Malawi finally gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. Malawians consider Chilembwe to be a martyr.

It is too late now to talk of what might or might not have been. Whatsoever be the reasons we are invited to join in the war, the fact remains, we are invited to die for Nyasaland. We leave all for the consideration of the Government, we hope in the Mercy of Almighty God, that some day things will turn out well and that Government will recognise our indispensability, and that justice will prevail."
JOHN CHILEMBWE
On behalf of his countrymen
Nyasaland Times No.48, 26 November, 1914

Books To Read Before I'm 30

I've been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. The library is one of my favourite places to visit! A while back, I compiled a list of books I'd like to read before my 30th birthday. What a daunting list; we'll see how many I get to read this year! I'll mark them off as I read them

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand (READ)
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut (READ)
The Invisible Man - HG Wells
Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov
The Misanthrope - Moliere
The Good Earth - Pearl Buck
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennesee Williams (READ)
1000 Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini(READ)
Hitler's Niece - Ron Hansen(read)
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (READ)
Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom (read)
The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Origin of Species - Charles Darwin
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (READ)
A Fable 1954 - William Faulkner
Sophie's Choice
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Ulysses - James Joyce
The Iliad - Homer
The Odyssey - Homer
Wisdom of the Desert - Thomas Merton
Body Farm - Patricia Cornwell
The Stranger - Albert Camus
Republic - Plato
The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli
Dr Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh (READ)
Silas Marner - George Eliot (READ)
Mill on the Floss - George Eliot
The Divine comedy - Dante
The Moving Finger - Agatha Christie
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adam
The Sound and the Fury - Faulkner
Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy (read)
The Hound of the Baskervilles - Conan Doyle
The Screwtape Letters - CS Lewis (READ)
The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer
Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan (read)
Paradise Lost - John Milton
Paradise Regained - John Milton
Dante's Inferno - Dante
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Rebecca - Daphne duMaurier (READ)
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess (READ)
Confessions of an English Opium Eater - Thomas de Quincy
Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer
The Portrait of a Lady - Henry James
Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw (read)
Plays Pleasant - George Bernard Shaw
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (READ)
The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams
Prayer For Owen Meany - John Irving (read)
Beowulf
4 Plays - Aristophanes
Emma - Jane Austen
Felix Holt - George Eliot
Diary of a Madman - Nikolai Gogol
Brighton Rock - Graham Greene (read)
Coming Up for Air - George Orwell (READ)
Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
The Clergyman's Daughter - George Orwell
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Servant of the Bones - Anne Rice
Feast of all Saints - Anne Rice
Ordeal by Innocence - Agatha Christie
Black Coffee - Agatha Christie
Spider's Web - Agatha Christie (READ)
They Came to Baghdad - Agatha Christie (read)
Postern of Fate - Agatha Christie (READ)
Endless Night - Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Mr Quin - Agatha Christie (READ)
Ethan Frome - Edith Wharton
Scoop - Evelyn Waugh
Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf (READ)

Frangipani (Plumeria)

My favourite flower, frangipani (Latin name plumeria) was the inspiration for my blog name. I remember using the flowers to make necklaces and rings when I was a teenager. They have such a delicious smell (mmmm!).