Week 32: Winterlicious! Toronto's Winter Food Festival

Pre-Winterlicious:

Green Basil (Thai)

Thai is one of my favourite ethnic dishes.  It's spicy, nutty, coconutty, and just plain yummy.  A new Thai restaurant opened up in my neighbourhood called "Green Basil".  Apparently they have another restaurant on Queen St. East as well.  So, on Wednesday I had to go try it out.  I liked the fact that they give you complimentary shrimp chips upon seating.  Who doesn't love free stuff?

 Shrimp Chips

Below is a picture of the paper place mat describing how great their ingredients are for your digestive system.  I personally liked the part that praises the "antiflatulence agent".  Isn't that what everyone wants to read about just prior to eating...  that the food won't make you fart?  Charming, eh?

If you've never had Thai before, this is a typical menu describing their chicken dishes.  We ordered the mango chicken and peanut chicken curry.

 Mango Chicken

Peanut Chicken Curry

Personally, I thought the mango chicken was not warm enough and quite bland for my liking.  The peanut chicken curry was quite tasty - spicy, peanutty, coconutty, and creamy.  However, it was not better than my favourite Thai place called the "Bow Thai".  I'll be heading back there next time.



Winterlicious:

Rally Sports Bar & Smokehouse (Smokehouse; Southern style BBQ)

I found this restaurant on the Winterlicious 2013 website.  It was another gem in my area that I was unaware of.  I really like sweet and spicy food so I thought this place would be great to try.  From the menu below, this is what we ordered:  jambalaya & little monster burger.

Jambalaya

Little Monster Burger

The jambalaya was alright; I liked its spiciness and variety of protein (chicken, sausage, and shrimp).  But, the real surprise and winner was the little monster burger.  It was one of the best burgers I have ever eaten!  It may not look like much in this picture but it was certainly divine.  On top of the beef patty is pulled pork and fried onions.  The barbecue sauce from the pulled pork makes it sweet and so delicious.  Even the baked beans were an awesome side.  I would totally return to Rally Sports Bar & Smokehouse just for that burger.  The jambalaya, not so much.

Overall, Green Basil will get a second chance and Rally Sports Bar & Smokehouse will be my saviour for all burger cravings.  Next stop, Mambo Lounge (Cuban food) on Friday.  Hungry?

Week 31: Attending an Apple Workshop on iPhoto

When I bought my MacBook I also purchased a one year One to One Membership for $99 which included a free data transfer as well.  I figured since it was my first Mac and I needed the data transfer anyway, why not buy the 1:1 to learn about and maximize my use of this new expensive computer.  I've probably gone to about four 1:1 sessions so far, all referring to general beginners stuff or "Getting Started On Your Mac" as they call it.  I found the sessions to be helpful and they always answered my questions to the best of their ability.

However, you don't necessarily have to buy the $99 One to One Membership in order to get their help and/or learn how to use any Apple product.  Many Apple stores offer free workshops almost every day on various topics.  Let's say you live in Toronto and would like to attend a workshop downtown at the Eaton Centre.  Simply go to www.apple.com/ca/retail/eatoncentre/ and make a reservation.  If you don't live in this area then find another store that is perhaps closer to you.  There is a drop down menu on the website that allows you to see a complete store list.  Then click on "Workshops" and "Next".  It will ask you what you'd like to learn.  Choose from their listed workshops, select a day and time, and sign up either by using your Apple ID if you have one, or name and email.  That's it.  You don't even need to bring an Apple device to the workshop.  It's completely up to you.

I specifically chose a workshop on iPhoto for Mac.  There were about 9 of us in the workshop and 2 Apple staff to run the one hour session.  Overall, I found the workshop to be quite helpful.  I learned several new things which is always a success.  The content and pace were both good and you could always ask questions if needed.  The downfalls, however, were the noise and distractions and painfully uncomfortable stool-style seats.  If you've ever been inside an Apple store you know how very busy and noisy they can be.  Try sitting at a table in the middle of the store while a private 1:1 workshop is taking place directly across from you as you are trying to hear and pay attention to the guy giving info. on iPhoto.  It was annoying to say the least.  This weekend I went to Yorkdale Mall where they have the first Canadian Microsoft store.  It is very similar to the Apple store, but they run their workshops in a separate room from the bustling store.  That, to me, makes much more sense.  Oh well.  What do I expect for free?

All in all, I would definitely recommend attending a free Apple workshop.  I plan on trying another one in the future.  I would also recommend the $99 One to One Membership if you are new to the product and need a data transfer.  It's a great value compared to Best Buy or Future Shop where they charge you about the same or more for the data transfer alone.  Also, if you are a teacher you can save $100 on the purchase of a new Mac.  I did!  Now, if I could just figure out how to get iMovie to load on Facebook...

Week 30: DJ Ramsay Creates Her Very Own Remixes

When I was younger and partied often, I used to love to play DJ as we'd all be getting ready to go out to a club.  Since I'm not a hundred, I still go out sometimes and still play DJ just like ol' times.  I was lucky enough to get a couple of iTunes gift cards for Christmas.  I found a cool App called djay that is great for both professionals and newbies alike.  It allows you to mix songs in your iTunes library and even create and record remixes as well.  I quickly realized how difficult it is to create a decent remix.  The App can assist you by syncing the BPMs and pitch, but there's so much more involved than that.  Most songs I played around with sounded pretty horrible together.  What I learned is that it takes great skill to create a good remix and it is in fact an art.  I made two of my own remixes and you'll see, or hear, that they are pretty bad.  Not just anyone can properly remix music.

My first remix combined the song "Scream and Shout" by will.i.am (feat. Britney Spears) with the song "Sweet Nothing" by Calvin Harris (feat. Florence Welch).  Since it was my first remix recording using my new djay App, I kinda went a little overboard with the many FX (effects) tools the program offers.  So please try not to be overly shocked or puzzled by the fog horn, shot gun, siren, drum, robotic DJ voice, galactic sweep, plus other tidbits I decided to add to the song.  You can say I was being artistically free.  Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to attach the songs to my blog so I decided to create brief movies in Photo Booth to showcase my remixes.  The videos are terrible, I know.  Also, another problem is that I could not play the entire song because Blogger will not allow me to upload movies over a minute in length.  Enough excuses; here's as much as I can share with you.

My second remix combined two songs by the group 2 Unlimited, "No Limit" and "Let The Beat Control Your Body".  I thought the two songs sounded similar and might remix nicely together.  I admit that this second remix is a bit better than my first one, but you'll notice that it's quite bad at the beginning and is still not the greatest.  I'm learning though.

Overall, it was a neat experience and I'm definitely not giving up on it.  I'm glad I bought the djay App. It's fairly easy to use and has many options to play around with.  Stay tuned on MuchMusic for my grand debut in the near future.  Watch out, David Guetta!

Week 29: Ramsay's Rants

I don't know about you but I often hear myself going off on some rant about some issue that has really gotten under my skin.  I admit that I'm an opinionated person.  I don't think that that's necessarily a bad thing.  I appreciate a person who has a brain and speaks their mind, as long as they have ears and use them to listen to alternative ideas too.  There are definitely two sides to every story.  I have no expectations for followers.  It's just how I feel at that time.  I will speak my mind openly, and by that I mean quite honestly and directly.  Some people actually find those qualities refreshing while others not so much.  Either way it's who I am and how I express myself.

Not long ago I went off on one of those rants about concert tickets I tried to purchase.  What I'm about to say is a loaded controversial topic that people either seem to go totally one way or another.  Here it goes:  I AM A JUSTIN BIEBER FAN.  I am not ashamed of it either.  I have no idea why some people seem to dislike him so much.  I get it if you don't like his music.  Personally, I really enjoy his music.  It's upbeat, fun, and makes me happy and pumped.  I've been fortunate enough to go to many concerts such as:  Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson, Beyonce, The Police, Kiss, Madonna, Britney Spears, George Michael, Rihanna, Celine Dion, Lilith Fair, Tragically Hip, Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Pink, Our Lady Peace, The Cranberries, INXS, Aerosmith, and more I can't think of.  Depending on the artist/band, getting tickets can be relatively easy or as mind blowingly frustrating as trying to get Leafs tickets - impossible!  For the most part though, it's easy.  The only tickets I had serious trouble getting were the Madonna tickets.  Now, I know that Bieber sells out of the Rogers Centre which is a much larger venue than the usual Air Canada Centre.  But, I had hope because I got presale emails with insider info.  First I tried to get presale tickets which were offered for people who joined the Justin Bieber Fan Club.  I figured why not?  If it helps me get tickets.  However, when I attempted to join the fan club I realized that there was actually a fee of almost $100 and that's on top of the ticket price!  So then I waited for the official sale date/time and I was ready at the strike of 10am to be the first to get tickets before they sold out.  Yes, it happens that quickly.  The first time I tried to buy tickets the site crashed; never a good sign.  The second time I attempted, which was seconds later, it stated there were no tickets remaining but I could join an auction that started bids at $175!  I was like, are you *&^%$# kidding me???  What a scam!  I wonder if Justin Bieber is aware of this?  It's fine for me to get annoyed and say forget that.  But what about all those parents out there who have children asking for one thing for Christmas - Justin Bieber tickets?  The cheapest tickets are $58.50.  So they would have to spend perhaps double, triple, or more to fulfil their kid's Christmas wish.  That's just plain horrible!  Shame on Justin Bieber and/or his manager(s).  And if Bieber isn't aware of this issue then it should be brought to his attention.  After all, it was his fans who made him.

Have I given up as a Bieb's fan?  Well, as Bieber himself has sung it many times, "Never Say Never".

Week 28: Snow Fun for New Years

Downhill Skiing at Snow Valley

Every year I try to think of something cool and fun to do for New Years that is kinda different but won't be annoyingly expensive or crowded; believe me it's a hard thing to do.  I'm a kid at heart who loves to play outside no matter the season.  I pretty much taught myself how to ski.  It began as a school trip several years ago to Snow Valley in Barrie, which is about 45 min. north of Toronto.  I enjoyed it so much I went out and bought my own equipment and it has been a love affair ever since.  So on New Years day I got up at the crack of dawn to drive to Barrie so that I could get in two hours of skiing before the crowds woke up and I'd be home by lunchtime.  It was a sunshiny day but cold!  So cold that when I took my ski boots off there was steam radiating from my feet.  Snow Valley is still trying to create a solid base of snow so several of their runs were closed in order to make new snow.  It didn't matter to me because I had fun going down the runs that were open.  I ended the morning in the terrain park feeling pretty good about myself after completing a few jumps.  However, after watching the video I actually look like one of those 4 year old beginners.  You feel pretty cool at the time though.

Tobogganing in Toronto

We don't get much snow here every winter and when we do it doesn't last long.  I really like snow and believe that it's the one part of having a Canadian winter that makes it fun.  I know it's generally annoying and can be dangerous but it's just so pretty and fun to play in.  I don't have access to the school toboggans this year so I went out and bought my own.  They're expensive!  When I was a kid we used cheap crazy carpets and had a great ol' time.  Nowadays the common toboggan is made of Styrofoam which is fun and safer, but costs a mini fortune.  The one I bought at Sport Check was originally $40 but I got it on sale.  Growing up in New Brunswick I was spoiled with the vast outdoors to play in.  In Toronto many people don't even have driveways so you can imagine how tiny their back yards are.  For my own amusement, my first use of my new toboggan was in a backyard on a hill that had been created after shovelling snow out of the driveway.  When you watch the video you'll see how pathetic this hill is.  So afterwards I set off to try out a real hill before the snow melts in a few days.  There's probably a good reason why we are the only ones who toboggan in the area we chose; it's a steep hill that ends abruptly onto the street across from a water treatment plant.  Beggars can't be choosers, right?  Anyway, I had great fun and it was a good workout to climb up the hill each time.  I totally recommend tobogganing at any age.  Get out there and enjoy winter!

Week 27: A Little Party Action in a Little City Called Miramichi

I've been kinda off the grid for over a week because I was home visiting my family and friends for the holidays.  I refer to two places as my home, Miramichi, New Brunswick and Toronto.  I spent the first 25 years of my life in NB and the rest have been out here in Ontario.  I'm very proud of where I come from and make it a habit of going out east twice a year, every winter and summer.  However, I love Toronto and it has been a perfect fit for me ever since I moved here about 15 years ago.  Usually I spend my time at home in NB primarily visiting everyone.  This time I had some plans to go out for some fun.  The younger crowd in Miramichi have no idea what they missed out on when the Opera House was open.  It was by far one of the coolest bars/clubs I've ever been to and had something for pretty much everyone.  However, sadly the Opera House burned down several years ago and that was the end of that.  Nowadays, if you want to go out for some drinks and music you have a choice of a few pubs and that's it.  I personally don't like live bands (except for concerts of my choice) because they always play old music that I would only listen to if bored, desperate, or depressed.  When I go out for some fun I want current top 40 music to dance to.  Anyway, we ended up going out to a local pub in Miramichi called O'Donaghues which is an Irish pub and restaurant.  They had a live band that night who performed for us.  I wish I could tell you the band's name but I have no idea.  I did, though, know the drummer because I grew up two houses down from him as a child.  It's that kind of a small town.  They played well and I have nothing against them, but it was exactly what I don't enjoy about live bands.  It was older music that I would never choose to party to.  There were people there who did enjoy the music and had a yeehaw good time.  I made a couple of short videos to give you a real feel for my big night out on the town.

So, all in all I would say thank God I left Miramichi before the Opera House burned down because I never would have made it through my twenties.  I'd like to offer a big shout out to my awesome company and DD for the night.