we are not invincible

i recently took an mma class at a local martial arts gym.  i've been wanting to take a self-defence class in a while so i figure this would be an excellent opportunity to do that and change up my regular work out routine.  i know i have a pretty active lifestyle as we speak - badminton, tennis, running, strength training, and now brazilian ju jitsu and muay thai boxing?

on tuesday, i had my first class on brazilian ju jitsu. i wasn't just the only newbie in class but i was also the only female.  the instructor partnered up with me and spent the class trying to help me get up to speed with the rest of the class on the basic moves.  i learned how to get out of certain holds, and also to get someone off me if they were sitting on top of me.  much of the sport has to do with using your opponent's body weight and momentum to your advantage.  it isn't really about your own strength so even a small individual like me, can do this.  the instructor gave good pointers on how to defend yourself when you're on the ground.  Kick and push your opponent's head away and then get up and run.  run?!  don't you stay and pummel your attacker a few more times?  he said no, not the goal.  violence is never the answer.

by the end of the class, it felt like i didn't do much but the day after, my back was sore.  i did not fall hard on the mat, i did not twist anything.  but the fact that you have to use your own body weight as well as your opponents body weight to flip your opponent over, you end up using every muscle in your back.  i may have flipped my opponent over, but it also took my own body weight to balance myself.

on thursday, i was invited to take part in the muay thai advanced class.  i've boxed before so punching is not new to me.  the instructor gave me pointers on how muay thai boxing works.  the stance, the punches, the kicks, using the knees, etc.  i got the punching down .. but without doing a test on how hard the bag was, i did a full kick and it felt like i kicked a cement post.  my foot was instantly bruised.  i'm not going to sugar coat it .. it hurt.

the others in the class - all male .. were instructed to do their warm up and then spar.  i worked the punching bag.  i kept my guard up .. and i hit while the rest of the class did warm up.  at one point, one of the guys stopped to watch me punch.  he said my punching technique was very good and to mix it up, i should throw in some foot work and move around the bag.  so i worked on that.  i tried to move on to kicks but after a few tries i noticed that i developed a bruise on my shin and it was beginning to swell.  ugh .. 

i decided to work on knees - ie. knee your opponent in the groin kind of thing.  i learned my lesson from the kicks so i didn't go all out on the knees.

after an hour of hitting, kneeing, kicking .. i called it a day.  it was good.  until i got home.  massive bruise on my knee turned purplish blue, the bruise on my shin was throbbing, my foot had small bruises, and my knuckle had a bruise on it too.  i spent the rest of the night, icing the spots with a bag of frozen peas.

the lesson with this?  doesn't matter how in shape we are.  we aren't invincible.  age does catch up with you and you simply don't heal the way you did when you were 25.  i'm in pretty good shape but in reality, the body doesn't heal that fast due to the existing wear and tear - even if we don't feel it.

my parents would think i was insane for doing what i did.  but at some point, you gotta know what your limit is.  i think i found mine. i'll be spending the weekend nursing my wounds.

badminton starts on monday.  :)

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when in British Columbia

My first visit to Vancouver came courtesy of my friends Clement and Gigi.  I was invited to their wedding ceremony and reception in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

I was excited to see the city because I've heard great things about it.  During my last visit to BC, I wasn't able to make it out to Vancouver.  This time, I booked five days to be a full-on tourist as well as attend the wedding.

On day 1, a few friends and I went to Stanley Park.  We walked about 1/3 of the park before finding our way out for some lunch.  The park is enormous .. With the weather so hot and sunny, there was no way we were going to walk the entire park in a day.

For lunch, we went to the most recommended ramen restaurant in town - Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. Was it as good as they say?  I thought it was ok.  I wasn't blown away. The broth was a tad salty and greasy despite me asking for less salt and less lard.  Anyway, it was my first ramen experience so bucket list item? Check.

Later that night we attended the wedding rehearsal at St. Augustine church. The church had a plain exterior but inside .. Wow.  It was beautiful.  With the sunlight shining through the stained glass windows .. I sat in the pews and took it all in. The photographer in me kept looking for the perfect spot to take photos.

I woke up early Friday morning to meet up with Shirley and Briant to head out to Whistler.  Our plan was to do zip lining and the Peak 2 Peak hike.  I had never been zip lining before but a coworker had highly recommend that I do it.  So I did. :). The zip lining package included 5 zip lines. The first was 2500 ft, followed by a 400 ft, 300 ft, 2200 ft, and a 500 ft.  I screamed and held on so tightly on my first zip that my hands hurt.  As we completed each zip, it got more fun.  By the end of the adventure, we were zip lining upside down!  

After lunch, we went up the mountain via gondola and then by chairlift.  It was probably the scariest chairlift ride ever.  The ride was at a 50 degree angle but felt like 90.  The chairlift would stop half way up, the chair would swing a bit. When all you see is the mountain side beneath you, it's petrifying.  When we got up to the mountain top, the air was crisp and clean.  The views were gorgeous.  We completed a few hiking trails before riding the gondola across to the other mountain top - hence the name of the hike "Peak 2 Peak".

The views of the second mountain was nice but not as beautiful as the first one.  I saw snow capped mountains, emerald colored lakes, and wildflower.  I never thought I would see the mountains again but thanks to my adventure seeking friends, I got to see it again.

On Saturday, I was up early again - are you seeing a trend?  :). I had to get ready to be at the bride's house to help photograph the wedding.  They had hired a professional team of three photographers for their big day  I was the fourth shooter.  It was my first time shooting a wedding.  I've always wanted to do this but the opportunity didn't come along until now. Clem and I used to shoot the badminton events together so he kind of knew what my photography skills were like.  My shooting style is photojournalistic - I tend to capture the natural expression of my subjects.

I liked a lot of the photos I took and I think Clem and Gigi will be pleased with them as well.

I can now check "photograph a wedding" off my to do list.

The day after the wedding, a few of us decided to hit Lynn Canyon for a hike and to walk the suspension bridge.  It was a different kind of hike and so much stair climbing!  After hiking for three hours, we decided to head back downtown.  My friends are avid cyclists.  And me?  I've never biked before.  I never had a bike as a child and so I never learned how to ride one.  We went to EzeeRiders and rented three bikes and a trailer portion.  The trailer attaches to one of the regular bikes to create a tandem bike.  I wasn't going to do it at first but Shirley encouraged me to try.  It was the perfect opportunity to learn.  So I went along.  My lead cyclist was a strong cyclist so he would be able to control the bike.  He guided me through the ride as we biked around Stanley Park.  Our ride was perfect because the sun was starting to set and the scenery was breathtaking.  It was a great first bike ride - yes, I pedaled and got the hang of it.

I had the best time in Vancouver.  I left with three bottles of wine, six bruises on my legs, and many items crossed off my to do list.

I definitely will be back :)

Cheers,

Pudgy

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inspired by nate

it's important how we feel in our homes, because feeling good makes us more gracious.  and that makes it easier to welcome others not only into our homes but into our lives.

i saw this quote this morning by nate berkus.  it almost made me cry.

for years, i put off decorating my home. that feeling of not belonging and not knowing where i would be in 5 years caused me to put off buying good furniture.  i would buy temporary pieces but the word "temporary" constantly reminded me that Ottawa wasn't my real  home.  it saddened me because i hate moving around and starting over.

when i bought my home, i figure that it would be temporary.  i would flip it and then move again.  but as i started designing the interior and choosing the fixtures and finishes, there was an attachment being created.  i used to say that "when i get my own home, i would do it my way." and sure enough, the opportunity came and i was designing it with my vision.  i continued to struggle with staying versus moving.  and over time, coming home to a place with 'temporary' pieces made it difficult to enjoy.  the only room i found joy in was my kitchen.

nate's quote is very true.  home should be like a warm sweater on a winter's day - it hugs you and gives you that sense of security, accomplishment, and comfort.  home hasn't felt like my home because i've been reluctant to commit.  what was the point in buying furniture to suit a house that i was going to sell in a year or so?  i've been told by many that my next step should be to turn my home into a real home.  a place where i feel good being in and look forward to coming home to.  over the weekend, i went furniture shopping .. and i bought a set of accent chairs that i had been looking at for months.  these are not temporary pieces and i know exactly where they would go.

i waited so long and wondered why i never felt like i belonged.  now i know.  i didn't realize how big of an impact this "temporary" vision had on me.  buying my first permanent pieces was a good thing for me.  i used to think that buying stuff also meant filling the void and i didn't want that to be the reason.  i didn't want to look at every piece and know that i bought it because i was empty.  i needed to fill the void with my own truth of who i am and what i stand for.  and i wanted to look at my furniture and know that it was a design decision - rather than an emotional one.  but coming home to an empty house and staring at empty rooms also reminded me of why i was waiting and the negativity attached to that feeling.  but most importantly, the empty rooms reminded me of what i had lost.  i would stand in the empty room and know exactly why it was empty.  i didn't want to fill the void during an emotionally turbulent time but the longer i took, the less "gracious" i was and i began shutting everyone out.  Perhaps adding a few pieces will give me the boost I need.  maybe once i am able to feel good in my home, i will be able to welcome others in.

my new accent chair

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registered

registered for the final course in the program.  i have mixed feelings about it.  on the one hand, i'm absolutely petrified of the service exam that will be part of the final course.  the last time i worked in the food industry, i was 17 years old.  but this service exam is more like an oral exam on wine knowledge.  although i'm okay at the subject, i'm just not good at oral exams .. i tend to freeze up and forget everything.  i'm going to need a lot of practice.

at the same time, i'm not about to quit with just one course left ...

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Day 5 - last day in Niagara

on my last day in Niagara, i went back to Pillitteri to make my purchase.  the winery parking lot was packed!  luckily, my friend at the winery was able to set me up at the tasting bar again.  Justin and i have had wine discussions for a while now and although he works for Pillitteri, we discuss our favorite and not so favorite wines of the region.

after my week long tour, this is what i had to say about the wines we tried and discussed.

Tawse Winery makes the best chardonnay musque in the region.  the musque clone means it inherited certain qualities of the muscat variety - which is a very aromatic grape.  i've tried the chardonnay musque from chateaux des charmes and pillitteri but Tawse was my favorite.

i was not a fan of Pillitteri's Pic'd line of wines.  it didn't wow me in terms of finish, taste, and aroma.  the interesting thing about that line is that people can send in photos they've taken and it might end up on a label of one of the wines from the Pic'd line of wines.  it's been a popular series and although it's a great idea, i couldn't bring myself to buy one.

as i mentioned before, the Exclamation series cabernet franc was one to buy and i ended up picking up one for the road.  

the ice wine trio that i tasted at Pillitteri were quite good.  i'm not a big fan of sweet wines but the Sangiovese ice wine was definitely interesting, as were the Vidal and Cab Franc.

Vineland Estates cabernet franc for their Elevation Series is terrific for $25.  the general list is okay for $12 but if you have the money, spend it on the Elevation Series.  i also think Vineland Estates makes a fantastic riesling.  honestly, you can't go wrong with the Cave Spring estate bottled riesling or even Tawse Sketches of Niagara riesling. all three of these are priced in the $18-$20 range.

speaking of rieslings.  one of my last stops was at an up and coming winery called Back 10 Cellars.  i found them via twitter and decided to stop in since i was in the area.  Back 10 Cellars was easier to find than Henry of Pelham even though the winery didn't even have a sign up!  i met Andrew, co-owner of the vineyard .. and he was a super nice guy to talk to.  he gave me a brief history of how he and his wife ended up in Niagara and the significance of the number 10.  their dream of owning a vineyard started 10 years ago and after all these years of buying the land, cleaning it up, preparing it for vines, planting, growing, pruning, and producing fruit .. it has finally paid off.  they currently do not have a retail store or tasting room and no bottling facility on site.  all of their wine is produced by Featherstone Winery.  but already their first riesling vintage has won an award at wine competitions.  i got to try their riesling and it was .. interesting.  i'm not sure if my glass wasn't clean but there was a distinct ... chicken coop aroma coming from my sample.  there was minerality, some tropical fruit notes but definitely chicken coop or some odd barnyard that is not the same as the barnyard from a pinot noir.  

nevertheless, i think Back 10 Cellars is a winery to keep your eye on.  it just started but i think they bought a gem of a piece of land.  they have a cabernet franc coming out in October 2013.  if you're in the area, stop in and try it.  i know i will.

the drive home was a test of my patience and my patience lost.  as much as i tried to avoid taking the 407 home, i eventually caved and hopped on the 407 from Dixie Road to Kennedy.  that's going to be one heck of a toll bill.  :(

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Day 4 - getting lost in Beamsville

after my brief stay in Cambridge, i drove all the way back to Niagara to finish my tour of wine country.  this time, my focus was on the Beamsville Bench region.  my first stop was Henry of Pelham.  according to eugene, this was a winery that i should go see.  so i set my gps to find the winery but when i got to my destination, it turned out to be an empty field.  Henry of Pelham isn't a new winery so i was expecting an elaborate tasting room and entry way.  but i followed the gps and followed the signs but it led me to nowhere.  i could not find the winery for the life of me!  what's funny is, i spoke to my friend Justin at Pillitteri and he told me that he too has never been able to find Henry of Pelham - and he lives in the Niagara region!  :)  so it's not just me.

after wasting so much time, i gave up and decided to continue looking for other wineries in the area.  i manage to find 13th Street Winery, Flat Rock Cellars, Sue Ann Staff, and Hidden Bench Vineyards before heading to my next hotel.  i didn't spend much time tasting at these wineries though.  why?  well, after tasting the cabernet franc at Vinelands, i decided to go on a mission to taste a bunch of cabernet francs from other wineries.  and my luck started to run out after failing to find Henry of Pelham because when i stopped in at 13th Street, no cab franc.  i moved on to Flat Rock Cellars - no cab franc.  the kind folks at Flat Rock suggested i try Sue Ann Staff down the road.  i got to Sue Ann Staff's tasting room and there was nobody there to greet visitors.  so i left.  i headed off to find Hidden Bench - my other must visit.

there were no visitors so i had time to chat with the lady behind the tasting bar.  we went through a number of their wines.  i tried their "lightly oaked" chardonnay, riesling, meritage, and rose.  their wines are actually quite good but i was most impressed with their rose.  i'm not a fan of roses because the roses i've had were usually pink coloured pinot gris .. very acidic.  but the rose by Hidden Bench had a beautiful aroma of ripe strawberries.  it even tasted like it on the palate.  i was so impressed that i actually bought one.  i was least impressed with the tasting fee - $10 for 3 samples.  most wineries charge a fee and deduct it from your wine purchase.  at Hidden Bench, they deduct the $10 only if you buy three bottles.  yikes!  so my $20 roses became a $30 rose.  ugh .. oh well.  just once.  never again.

Hidden Bench 2011 Riesling

Hidden Bench 2012 Rose - delicious

Hidden Bench 2011 Chardonnay

Hidden Bench 2009 Meritage Terroir Cache

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Day 3 - From Vineland, ON to Cambridge, ON

i checked out of my hotel to head out to Cambridge, ON.  before driving out of the Niagara area, i had a few visits to make before my spa appointment at Langdon Hall.  i drove out to Vineland, ON to meet up with a class mate of mine from the sommelier program.  we had scheduled a meet and tasting with winemaker, Brian Schmidt at Vineland Estates.  the last time i was at Vineland Estates, Brian was out of town so i wasn't able to meet with him.  Brian is a brilliant winemaker and i say that because when we talk about viticulture and vinification, he goes right down to the scientific level and that's how you know the depth of his knowledge in the subject.  i could listen to him talk for hours.

while at Vineland, i was greeted with a handshake and a glass of their 2011 Pinot Gris - a medium yellow wine with notes of citrus (lemon/lime), hint of tropical fruit (pineapple), and minerality.  the medium length finish is punctuated with medium low body, yet high acidity.  it was a great palate refresher for what was to come.

Brian led us to the fermentation room.  the room was chilled like a refrigerator and housed several tanks of riesling.  i was in heaven.  :)  we sampled a dry riesling that will be bottled for general list, a semi-dry riesling that will be bottled under the Elevation Series (my favorite), as well as the chardonnay that will be bottled under the O'Leary brand.  after a lengthy stay in the cool fermentation room, we turned our attention to their signature red - cabernet franc.

cabernet franc has a distinct aroma of green bell pepper.  as you may know, i'm not a fan of green aromatics - and that includes the fresh cut grass aroma that is common in sauvignon blancs from New Zealand.  i think it's just odd for green vegetal aromatics coming from a red wine.  i usually associate red wine with red fruit, dark berries, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, clove), vanilla, leather, tobacco, savory spices like black pepper .. but green bell pepper?  cabernet franc is a fairly hearty grape with a thick skin - which makes it an excellent cool climate red varietal.  it grows well in niagara so you will find many wineries that produce a single varietal cabernet franc.

anyway, i tasted the cabernet franc from barrel and from tank.  it was actually pretty good.  we've determined that i have fairly expensive taste because i preferred the cabernet franc that will be bottled under the Elevation Series ($25) over the general list ($12) version.

Brian invited us to stay as long as we wanted and tastings were on the house.  i had the opportunity to taste four rieslings from the Expression in D set.  i purchased a set a few months ago and they are laying down in my cellar at the moment.  there are four rieslings in the set and since i won't be opening them any time soon, i was curious to see what was in store for me.  and oh. my. god.  the rieslings were delicious!  after the rieslings, i tried the 2011 Pinot Meunier.  the only other winery in ontario that produces a pinot meunier is Keint-He in Prince Edward County and theirs is awful.  Pinot Meunier is one of the three main grape varietals that is used to produce champagne so it is often grown as a blending grape.  it's actually very similar to pinot noir but lighter in body and colour.

At Vineland Estates - Tasting the four rieslings in the Expressions in D collection

after a great tasting, i was on my way to Langdon Hall in Cambridge, ON.  i heard about Langdon Hall from my friend Eugene.  i didn't know much about it but it looked like a nice quaint hotel.  earlier this year, it was voted the best hotel in Ontario by a travel magazine.  at that point, i knew i wanted to go.  i looked up the website and the hotel packages were pretty pricy but to mark a milestone?  it was worth it.  i gave myself a great gift.  i had a spa treatment, a three course dinner, a full country breakfast, and one night stay in a beautiful room.  when i got there, i was greeted by the valet guy.  i have never handed the keys to my car over to anybody - they don't even do that for you at the Fairmont hotels!  it was a different experience for sure.  after checking in, i went to my room.  the room was beautiful.  there was a special plate of brownies with a card from the staff and management.  on the coffee table in the sitting area, there was a half bottle of Tawse riesling and a cheese plate on a slab of wood.  it was delicious.  i couldn't relax for too long because i had a spa appointment scheduled shortly after check in.  my spa treatment was a vichy aroma rain scrub.  the spa treatment was wonderful.  i felt spoiled.  it was my first real spa experience.

My room at Langdon Hall.  It was so clean and pretty.

after the spa treatment, i went back to my room to prepare for dinner.  i brought along a black cocktail dress and a pair of killer shoes to complete the outfit.  i wanted to make sure that i was dressed appropriately for dinner.  in the entire dining room, i was the only one who ate at a table for one.  i didn't feel uncomfortable however, i wasn't sure if it was appropriate to take pics of my dishes at such a high class establishment.  i mean, the menu said "please turn your cell phones off".  they must mean business.  the amuse bouche arrived and here is where dining alone has its perks.  the portion was enough for two but since it was just me, i got two helpings.  :)  for the appetizer, i had the digby scallops.  the plate was so pretty and colourful.  the portion was huge too .. i was full after the appetizer.  for the main, i had the pan-fried turbot.  my other choices were halibut, beef tenderloin, and muscovy duck breast.  since i've had all of those before, i opted to have the turbot - a delicate white fish.  it was served with grilled squid and a clam vinigrette.  and finally for dessert, i had the blueberry lemon souffle with hazelnut ice cream.  there was also a complimentary cookie plate that included some mini macaroons.  the meal was so good .. breakfast took the top prize though.  I love breakfast and at Langdon Hall, I had lobster for breakfast!!  :). It was on top of brown butter scrambled eggs and chunks of leeks.  Included in the breakfast was a buffet of pastries, smoothies, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, and freshly baked scones.  Yes, I tried it all .. How could I not?!  

It was definitely a night to remember .. It was truly a hotel in a class of its own and proved why it was the best hotel in the province.

My Appetizer - Digby Scallops.  Love the colours on the plate!

My Main - Pan fried Turbot with calamari and clams.  It was so good.

Dessert - Blueberry and Lemon Souffle with Hazelnut ice cream

Cookie Plate - Macarons and other cookies.

Breakfast - Lobster Nage with brown butter scrambled eggs

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