The Importance Of Art

Ever since I was young, I have always been surrounded by Art in some shape or form.

My Mother would spend a fair amount of her time at her light table, working on inscriptions she was hired to do. Her expert hand-painted watercolour images and master calligraphy beautifully came together in a harmonious display.

It was a memory I won’t soon forget. I really enjoyed art class in my early years. It was one of the only classes I didn’t have to stress over. I knew I would not fail.

Museums and galleries are some of my favourite places to visit. I have had the pleasure of visiting not only local galleries but galleries abroad. I’ve been to the Louvre in Paris and the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, Netherlands. A shining moment for me was being able to see Piet Mondrian’s work in person. That brought me a lot of joy.

In the Royal Palace, Amsterdam

Standing in front of the Louvre

Posing with some Mondrian

I started really getting in to my own art around the time I was transitioning from a teenager in to an adult. It was a reliable source of comfort and expression.

I was lucky to show my art at a gallery in Vancouver’s Gastown, as well as headline the Here Be Monsters Festival in 2011. My achievements have been more extensive than I could ever have imagined. So much so that I had to make a list.

I find that having the ability to integrate my activism with my art has been a great way to build bridges and bring my many messages to the forefront.

My process of creating very rarely relies on an idea. It generally is a subconscious, intuitive movement, picking up colours and seeing what happens. It amazes me that I am able to make such vibrant pieces of work even in my darkest moods. It’s nice to have an outlet to help me cope with my depression and anxiety.

I still long for more immersive art experiences. I also really enjoy watching theatrical performances and some genres of live music. I think that getting to absorb creative expression is one of the best ways to get inspired.

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I’m honestly not sure if my microphone even worked, it was plugged in.. Hopefully the sound is okay for my viewers!

 

Travel with Me: Vernon, BC

We concluded our trip in Vernon, BC. One of our favourite towns. The weather kept up with the sun shining non stop.

Our first stop was our accommodations, located in the country, we stayed in a tiny house on a farm. Surrounded by horses, nature and some more incredibly sweet animals.

After we got settled, we went to our very favourite restaurant ever: The Curry Pot. The owners are of nepalese descent. We both ordered dinner specials, I got the Paneer Lababdar and Justin got the Butter Chicken.

We went the next morning to the Vernon Farmers Market. There is a great variety of different things being offered, such as: crafts, food and even a prayer tent.

My favourite is the Crepe Bistro. I got a Nutella Crepe, made fresh right in front of you!

Our next stop was Eatology! Justin found it on Google based on their 4.6 rating. He ordered the Mexican Skillet, completely vegetarian. “oh man it was good!” is his very personable review. I ordered buttermilk pancakes. The coffee is from Oso Negro in Nelson. This restaurant seems like it belongs in Vancouver. It’s hip, the menu is vast and it’s hard to not find something to eat. The water is self-serve and also is really nice – no chlorinated taste (which I am so sensitive to).

We had a really incredible vacation and can’t wait to go on our next one. I hope you enjoyed all my instalments. Travel is fabulous for the soul and makes us feel connected with the world around us.

Travel with Me! Nelson, BC: Part 2

Nelson is a beautiful town nestled in the southern interior of British Columbia. The houses are quaint, the town is rich in history and there is so much to do and so much to eat.

Here’s some places we went and what we ate:

1. The Kootenay Bakery Cafe

The cafe is known for their delicious offerings, such as baked goods and a delightful array of hot foods. They are friendly and the Cheesy Cheese pizza, made with Jerseyland Gouda (and other cheeses) was perfectly seasoned and delightful. We also tried the chocolate donut and the salted chocolate cookie. All very satisfying. Justin had the Shepard’s Pie, made with grass fed beef and high quality ingredients. You can easily find a quick bite for under 10 bucks. There’s also a lot of day old goods that are perfect for snacking on too.

2. Yum Son Viet-Modern

With an urban-rustic interior and diverse menu, Yum Son was a big step out of my comfort zone. I really enjoyed the Ginger-Lemon Soda and I was able to order off the kids menu. I had a modified version of the Pint Size Noodle bowl and I substituted rice, chilli sauce and opted for tofu.  Justin had the Yum Son Noodle bowl which he found to be incredibly delicious. This was a first for both of us, never having any kind of Vietnamese cuisine.

3. Thor’s Pizza

Thor’s is a great standby. They always have a different daily pizza variety. Slices and calzones are always prepared. I ordered a cheese pizza and Justin ordered by the slice. They are dedicated to quality ingredients and providing a unique pie.

4. Dairy Queen (Walk up)

Okay, I know – This is a CHAIN. I’ve honestly never seen a Dairy Queen walk up restaurant before so if you’re all about retro kind of places that are rare, this is a great photo opportunity. The weather was also incredibly hot so we really enjoyed having an Oreo Royal Blizzard to share.

 

5. Frog Peak Cafe

This Cafe isn’t technically in Nelson, It’s located in Crescent Valley which is about a 19 minute drive west. Eclectic, Delicious, full of local art with so much to look at. Order first, get a cute “animal” as your table number and sit down. My mouth was watering looking at everyone else dishes. It’s so hard to wait but so worth it.

My meal consisted of toasted sourdough with butter, scrambled eggs, two vegetarian sausages and hash browns. Justin had eggs benedict on an english muffin with lox, capers, dill and hash browns. We were so full.

 

Travel with Me! Nelson, BC: Part 1

I hope you have had a chance to see my previous chapters of “Travel with Me” with my focus being Victoria, BC.

This time, in BEAUTIFUL Nelson, we were privileged enough to stay at the Prestige Lakefront Hotel which overlooks the pristine Kootenay Lake!

 

The hotel is filled to the brim with amenities! There’s a gym, pool, hot tub, cafe, hairdresser and a lakeside restaurant. There’s also a waterfront path that’s easily accessible and very scenic.

 

Our room was huge. There was even a television IN THE BATHROOM. I’ve never seen that before.

Guest services left me this lovely note and gift bag. I truly felt spoiled and the customer service was top notch.

We loved sitting out on the deck and looking out at the great views.

 

 

I want to thank the kind folks at Prestige for giving me the opportunity to have a complimentary stay in exchange for my review.

For more information, please check out: http://www.prestigehotelsandresorts.com/locations/nelson-lakeside-resort/overview/

 

 

Travel with Me! Victoria BC: Part 3

If you’re looking for some places to eat while in Victoria, here’s a brief rundown of the places where I noshed!

1. Shanzee’s Biscuit Cafe

This cafe is no joke if you’re looking for a real deal buttermilk biscuit. Perfectly executed with the right amount of tart and saltiness. I had the “Trailer Jam” with Nutella – not badly priced at 4.15! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. So good.

2.Chocolats Favouris

This Quebec based chain does not fool around! This is the large, vanilla soft serve ice cream with a thick, delicious milk chocolate coating that i’m holding in the picture above and – don’t worry – I SHARED!  They have endless flavour combinations and a bunch of different goodies to choose from. I even spied some Soy Ice Cream (or maybe gelato flavours?) so there’s something for everybody. Highly recommend.

3. Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant 

For the finicky Vegetarian, like myself, finding a restaurant where I can actually eat is not easy at all. I LOVE Lotus Pond. I ended up pawning the hot and sour soup as well as one spring roll on to Justin just so I could eat the sweet and sour soya balls. They are my absolute favourite and I haven’t found anything quite like it on the mainland. I got my plate too early and missed out on the ginger broccoli. So good. The lunch special is buffet style by weight. All the food in the picture above cost me about 12 dollars.

4. Pizza Al Forno

We went in with no expectations. It was hard to tell by the reviews if they were legitimate or not. The pizza was incredibly delicious, perfectly done with a great tangy sauce. The walk in specials are priced well. A lot of people were coming in looking for slices but they were not offered after 2PM. The quality of the pizza honestly speaks for itself. We ended up getting it two nights in a row. (Also pairs very nicely with a Phillips Sparkmouth Gingerale which we purchased directly from their brewery.)

This concludes my 3 part Travel with Me! Victoria BC feature. I hope you enjoyed all the fun tidbits of information and pictures. I want to showcase the adventures I have with all of you and will be moving on to my next destination.

All opinions are my very own and I was not compensated by any of the above eateries.

 

Travel with Me! Victoria BC: Part 2

Firstly, I wanted to thank the Royal BC Museum for allowing me to experience and review them. This is the first time I had a press pass and I was incredibly excited to finally visit.

Stepping in to this beautiful building, you can’t help but want to absorb new information and learn. I am a lover of museums, galleries and immersive experiences and this felt like all those things under one roof. Starting May 18th, they will be opening a new exhibit called “Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs”, which I would love to see. I have always been incredibly fascinated by ancient Egypt. It was under construction when we went there.

Heading up the escalator, our first stop was the Natural History Gallery. We learned about our Coastal Forest, The Seashore, The Ocean Station, The Ice Age, Climate and the Fraser River Delta.

Our next stop was Our Living Languages and the First Peoples Gallery. It is truly humbling to see the way the museum pays so much respect to the aboriginal/indigenous people.

Our final stop was the Modern History Gallery, it depicted the way the British changed the land with a full scale replica of the HMS Discovery. The details are very impressive!

We learned about our many industries including gold mining, logging, farming and more.

Next we stumbled upon “Old Town”, it’s incredibly beautiful, detailed and makes you truly feel like you are stepping back in time! The final stop was the Century Hall with all kinds of relics from the past.

This will most definitely not be the last time I visit and if you’re in Victoria, make it a must-see on your list!

For more information, please visit https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Travel with Me! Victoria BC: Part 1

Hotel Zed is Victoria’s answer to a time-warp hotel. Complete with retro shuttle vehicles, friendly staff, bright colours and amenities galore. It’s the perfect insta-worthy getaway.

The lobby is bright and cheerful and is shared with “The Ruby” restaurant which is known for their big, tasty breakfasts. We will have to try it sometime!

Coffee and tea is complimentary with your stay and you can even rent a bike (amongst other forms of transport) for use!

We stayed in two different rooms, the first one was an outfitted Airstream, aptly named the “Zedstream”:

More info here: https://www.hotelzed.com/zed-victoria/rooms/21/Zedstream/

The second one was the king for a night suite (for some reason my other pictures vanished!):

Here’s a video of Justin Yo-Yoing, it also shows off the amazingly comfortable bed!

There’s more information and a better picture on their website: https://www.hotelzed.com/zed-victoria/rooms/17/King_for_a_Night/

We had such a fun stay and documented the entire thing on my instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/retr0philiac/

 

I wanted to thank the fine folks at Hotel Zed for providing us with complimentary night stays in exchange for sharing my experience. It was a super groovy time I won’t soon forget.

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