The perfect macchiato

My friend B. told me about a new cafe opening by our respective work places downtown. We were both excited to be able to sip macchiatos on our lunch break or discuss various subjects and sweet gossip over perfectly made lattes in the afternoon. I am very sensitive about coffee and not having any good places around where I spend most of my workdays has forced me to get my own machine and attempt to perfect the art of making the perfect espresso. (Still working on it). Keep in mind that this new place has modernist type of interior, clean lines in their design, so we naturally assumed they new their coffee. Miss B. went to find out if our assumption was correct and asked for a macchiato. The person behind the counter took a book to check how it is made and after she explained what a macchiato is, he presented her with an overly milky latte. Yes, I admit I am a coffee snob and this story really disappointed me. A bad coffee can really spoil your day, right?

Parade of Lost Souls

There were little red riding hoods along the way , sweaty pandas, old friends, new friends, lots of bunnies, more little red riding hoods, mexican wrestlers dressed as a mariachi band, and a couple of cat-o-trons.

Godard's Habits

What a great quote by Marianne in Pierrot le Fou: "I don't want to fall in love again. It's a disgusting habit".

Autumn Leaves (Miles in Berlin)

Absolutely love this time of the year. Pumpkin soup. Giggling girls only dinner parties. Walks in the rain with my muddy gum boots. Pumpkin ale. Miles Davis. Catching up on Adorno and Vogue. Scotch. Neat. More rain. Feeling nostalgic and a little sad.

Digital Diversity Contest

My recent short film Put Your Slippers on, You are Going to Catch a Cold has been selected to compete in the RCI Digital Diversity contest. You can view it here and if you like it, you can vote for it between October 15-21, 2007. There might be one of my grandmother's spinakopitas in it for you.

This project is about my grandmother Mara's assimilation into Canadian life while very much remaining Bulgarian. Coming to Canada at an elderly age, she managed to create a community in her new adopted land despite not speaking the language and having very different cultural references. She has always found ways to connect with people, whether through food, laughter or caring for others.

Picking up Proust Again

Unforeseeable circumstances. Come on Eileen. Come on Eileen again (can never get enough of the Dexy's Midnight Runners). Sharing a spicy Portuguese syrah with my neighbor. Listening to my yoga teacher and exhaling on cue. Procrastinating. Doing my hair. Picking up Proust yet again. Doing my hair. Not all in that order.

Quince, some home made soap and slippers

My grandmother is back in Vancouver. She made the (almost) annual transatlantic trip back with (almost) no hurdles. Accept her quince, some home made soap and slippers getting confiscated at the border. Funny enough she didn't explain why the slippers were confiscated but was really mad about the quince since it was especially large AND from my uncle's garden. Some things never change.