Category: General

I’ll be moving my stuff between Sunday the 26th of August and Saturday the 1st. I’d appreciate any help anyone can give me on any of those days. Especially if you have a car. And especially especially if you have access to a larger vehicle that can accommodate a couch, shelving unit(s) and a computer desk. If I can’t find someone with such a thing I’ll have to rent a van/truck. Anyone have any tips on that?

ps – I actually have a dolly/handtruck, which would be useful if there weren’t three flights of stairs in my current place.

If you want to save your seat, leave more than a bag of Cheddar Bits & Bites on it.

ps – I ate your bag of Cheddar Bits & Bites.

This month I think is going to be pretty crazy. Two rock shows, a birthday auction, and a move. Yikes.

Scrabble on Facebook – I’m diggin’ it.

Other things I am diggin’:

Myrna Loy all day on the 9th, on Turner Classic Movies. Rowr! Some really good “Thin Man” movies included in the deal. And then on the 10th, Vincent Price marathon, including “The Tingler.”

Mmm – mini donuts!

Not nearly as many interesting lanterns this year as the last time I went. Bumped into friends and then immediately lost them in the crowds. Note to festival goers for next year: No bikes, no dogs. Also, stay home so there’s more room for me.

Now I go to sleep, then get up and hit the Greyhound to Chilliwack. Gotta practice for the big show!

I’m kind of surprised about what a big hubbub The Symphony of Fire–or whatever it is called these days–commands. I’ve lived in Vancouver for years and years, and I’ve seen a few. There’s some loud flashes of light, which eventually smokescreen themselves, and uninspired music. Some of them are new and interesting, it’s true, but not a large percentage. I guess it’s something to do, but it’s never really worth the inconvenience of finding a spot, getting home SLOWLY, and generally dealing with crowds.

Maybe some day they’ll get wise to my subconscious, and make things a little more Devoesque.

What about a series on restaurants in Vancouver? Sure the Straight and whatever other websites all have their “best of” Vancouver, but I don’t know any of those reviewers so fie on them. I want to know what my trusted friends think. So, first off, let’s talk Indian food. What’s the best Indian place you’ve been to? What was your experience like?

There’s three places I’ve been to lately.

New India Buffet & Restaurant has the benefit of being the closest to me (on Broadway near the hospital). It also has a really good atmosphere. This is one of the few restaurants where I feel okay to take some books & papers and eat and work. The booths are nice and reasonably private. The best part is the buffet. I have never ordered off the menu. I walk in and sometimes I’m not even greeted by anyone, which suits me fine – I just drop my coat in a booth and start on the buffet. The food is not amazing, but they have what I like about Indian food – tasty butter chicken and naan, and gulab jamon – those little desert balls covered in syrup. Because Indian food is my favourite cuisine, but I can’t handly spicy/hot foods, that’s often all that I have. The buffet is $10 for lunch and a little more for dinner. This is one of those experiences I treat myself rarely to, because I tend to eat slowly but constantly over the course of 60-120 minutes, and walk out feeling completely stuffed.
http://www.foodvancouver.com/restaurant.php?restaurant=497

New India Buffet & Restaurant

http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=718

Maurya Indian Cuisine (also on Broadway but closer to Granville) also has a buffet, which I tried once, just for a change and because I had a coupon. The food was good enough, but all the open tables with no separations had me feeling like I was in a Chinese restaurant. What can I say, I’m a booth man. Maurya gets lots of good reviews but for me something happened that was unforgivable. Since they change up the buffet menu, when I went there was no butter chicken. Sorry kids, that just doesn’t cut it.
http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=548
http://www.foodvancouver.com/restaurant.php?restaurant=384
http://www.mauryaindiancuisine.com/zgrid/themes/41/intro/index.jsp

Indian Oven on West 4th has, as far as Joyce & I are concerned, the best Chicken Korma in the city. The butter chicken is also very good. Price is good but sometimes the wait is long. And what’s the deal with these restaurants where rice and naan are extra? Weird. Plus they deliver! But make sure they got your order right before you pay. Isn’t that perennial advice, though?
http://www.theindianoven.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitep.jsp
http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=570

I remember going to Annapurna on 4th, but it’s been so long I really can’t comment.
Has anyone been to Nirvana? (the restaurant)

So there were at least 3 camera crews, including CBC, Global and Channel M here yesterday, and a bunch of other reporters with dictaphones and notepads, when the local MLA sat at my neighbor’s dining room table for a little press conference about what’s happening in our building.

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20070717_201106_5004

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4717bf2e-2e65-43c3-b3d9-165d85785096

Will it help? Can I stay? Who knows….