Diva by Design -Building Fantasy Finds

Ok, so most of you know that The Sophisticate went to the Dominican Republic for her cousin's wedding last week. And I was cat sitting and hanging out with the boy while he was in town. As if that wasn't busy enough, I missed going to the gym for 7 days and I was really grumpy when I got around to picking her up from the airport.

I pull into the airport and up to the 'immediate loading zone'. I've just talked to her and she is at the door walking out. Young, cocky parking guy comes and starts yelling at me to 'keep moving along'

The car was not even stopped yet, just a rolling stop.  Looked behind and there wasn't that much going on behind me but no biggie, circled the airport. (Now keep in mind YVR is International but not like SFO or LHR or JFK in size, so circling takes 5 min).  Pull up again and the guy starts cursing, jumping up and down and banging on my trunk - this time I'd been stopped for maybe 10 seconds, a full stop.  So I rolled down my window and said, seriously, she's AT the door, I need to STOP for her to get her bags in and this is a loading zone - an EMPTY loading zone at that?  And he says -you argue, I'm gonna tow your a$$.  (Wow!  Uhm... ok... circle again).  This time I paused at the Petro Canada at the base of the airport ramp and a woman was soliciting a man to get her husband for her "I hate airports and I can't stand being yelled at". I sighed and kept going... this is insane, she's OUTSIDE and he won't let me stop and get her!

So, this time as I circled, I got The Sophisticate on the phone and I say, ok STAY on the phone and walk up to the cocky guy and say, SEE that car? I'm getting her to STOP so she doesn't keep passing me and I don't freeze to death.  By the time I got back around though, I decided to vertically pull over infront of the cab lane and into the handicapped space.  (there was no cars behind me and I was quite afraid I'd get into an altercation with the attendant)... Took less than 2 min to get her ONE bag in the trunk and keep going and all I have to say is... the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Olympics are less than 80 days away and I have lived in several major cities with international sporting events, from the Confederation Games to the Winter Olympics to the World Cup... and if this is how the first contact with tourists will be, VANOC and Mayor Robertson better be ready to do some major damage control ... and the airport, please teach your staff that they are the FACE of the city.  and if it's a rude, offensive, cocky face - that's the taste you're giving tourists.

With that I'm also going to say... the US/Internationals arrivals/Departures Parking guys (always guys) are REALLY polite, always wish me well, smile, etc.but the ones on the Canadian side are cocky, rude and I'm just... I'm done now.  Clean up your act people. I'm FED UP.

-The Diva

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3790 Canada Way
110
Burnaby, BC V5G 1G4

(604) 430-1600

This is one of my favourite restaurants in the greater vancouver area... but it gets a 3/5.

Here's why...

Food
- AMAZING... great flavour, great texture, great aromas, appropriate
portions.  You can taste the individual spices as they play on your
tongue - so well done!

Be advised, their "mild" is more "medium"
and "medium" is kinda hot - this coming from a brown girl who loves the
spicy means that even I get a runny nose and I eat my food with
hotsauce regularly!

If you want bigger portions, get take out -
the ones in the restaurant are appropriate for one person as a meal or
two to share if you get 2 dishes, but not for those who have a huge
appetite.

Ambiance - Amazing ...comfortable, good music, sometimes the hockey game is on.

Service
- I've been coming here for 5 years, and I know the servers and owners,
but, they are always slow.  They forget to bring the bill, they forget
to ask if you want tea at the end, and now that they have changed their
name, they are charging 1.50 for hot water.  Infact, with new name,
prices have gone up.  I appreciate extra time to hang out and chill,
but when it's cold, I want to be asked if I want chai!

-The Diva

Neighbourhood: Burnaby Heights

4010 E Hastings St
Burnaby, BC V5C 2H9

(604) 677-1489

tomyumthairestaurant.com

This is my absolute favorite hole in the wall takeout thai place. I've eaten in once, but with 15 min prep time, I love calling ahead, picking up dinner and curling up at home since the heating is a bit chilly in the winter and the floors are slippery with my heels!

Favorite dishes? Tofu pad thai - soooo yum... Green curry, Panang Curry, the green bean with chicken (can't remember what this is called) and the broccoli with chicken in peanut sauce. Don't love the cashew chicken as it's got too many carrots and you can see from my other reviews I'm annoyed easily by cheap filler veggies.

Service is always good and this is one place where they know you by face and phone # -- "oh you're the sweet girl calling" ...

have yet to get a freebie for repeat business, or have them get my name right on an order, but they get the food right, and it's DELICIOUS every time...

Lose a point because I WANT to eat in, just the ambiance is too cold in the fall/winter/spring, and I haven't tried it in the summer yet.

I'm here twice a month though, so this says something

4/5

-The Diva

Continue reading "Tom Yum Thai (Burnaby) - ... »

The Diva and her guy went to see this on opening night and did a review for their good friend cshel at Lafayette Online. Here's a copy of the review for your perusal

The Time Traveler's Wife

Rating: ** stars out of *****

The Time Traveler's Wife is a movie adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's book of the same title. The movie centers around the relationship of Henry, a time traveller, (played by Eric Bana) and his artist wife, Clare (Rachel McAdams).

The plot was disjointed and not developed. For example, in the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to Henry's relationship with his mom and also his newfound awareness of his 'ability' to time travel - though his mom plays an integral part in his life, we don't hear enough about it through the movie or see her except for two brief scenes. On the other hand, immediately after telling himself (Henry is both age 6 and 20 in the same scene) that he is a time traveler, Henry materializes as an adult, naked in a library, moments later, meeting his lifelong love. Knowing she's been waiting for this moment for years, we have to wonder why she is so startled and unprepared!

Though the romantic relationship between Clare and Henry is the main plot, you never know if the chicken or the egg comes first. The first time they meet (in Clare's life), she is 6 and he is an old naked guy in a bush. This just screams creepy pedophile. Was that the intent? The sad part of this is that we realize very early that Clare has lived her whole life dreaming about Henry and has been in love with him since around age 8.

Additionally, the back and forth time travelling attempts to develop this relationship, but results in a boomerang effect leaving the guy sitting next to us saying 'huh, what? I don't get it' a lot - and the girl on the other side gave up and started talking on her cell phone.

Same guy - when Eric Bana bares his butt says "Ohh, a$$!" only to pause and then clue in "WAIT, that's a DUDE!"....

With that said, the friendship between Gomez (Ron Livingston) and Henry becomes one of the most touching subplots of the movie - and we come to admire the maturity and sacrifice of Clare and Henry's relationship as it develops and she becomes both creative and patient. What's missing is the opportunity to escape into the plot and buy into the romance. We've both seen McAdams and Bana play deeper characters and bring more to the screen than they were given the opportunity to with this flat script. So sad.

Overall:

She says: Too short, too undeveloped, didn't cry nearly enough, but atleast Eric Bana has a cute butt!

He says: She can drag me to it, and I'll survive but it would have been nice to see more of Rachel McAdams


~The Diva & her Guy

Categories: Greek, Mediterranean

Neighborhood: Morningside Heights

544 W .113th Street
New York, NY 10025

(212) 865-1011

Went to symposium with my boyfriend, our old friend and my bf's sister - our first time 'hangin out' so to speak. The Saganaki was pretty amazing, and the souvlaki looked great. I ordered a grilled chicken - was it lemon chicken? that had no lemony flavour. Now I have to caveat this with an "I eat lemons as a side dish", so when I want lemon chicken, I want YUMMY sour flavour. The Sangria was watered down and had limited flavour, but that's ok since I'd been on cold meds for the 2 weeks prior. The babaganoush (sp) was ok, nothing splendid, but the atmosphere made up for it all...

The menu LOOKED cool, but did not help my foggy head when trying to read. The cartoony/newsprint was just painful!

All in all, I'd go again...but with the wealth of choices in NYC, not sure it would be soon!

3/5

-The Diva

Continue reading "Restaurant Review: Symposium ... »

I'm not so high maintenance anymore, I have way too much makeup, too many clothes, ok - not enough shoes or purses... but ultimately, my wishlist is pretty simple....

1. a new ipod - ok lost mine in 2007!
2. a new camera -also lost in 2007!
3. travel $. Gosh I spend a lot of money on travel. Travel paraphaenilia too - passport holder? a mini kit of stuff I always need...?
4. flowers...framed pictures....
5. A new flat iron? Haven't really replaced mine with a good quality one since it broke.
6. happily ever after

ok and stuff like the harry potter dvds, stargate dvds, sappy movie dvds.... maybe twilight, I might get into it yet...purses, maybe....shoes....This diva has gone from HM to happy - so it isn't so much in the stuff, just in the happy....

Wishing you happiness, love and light

The Diva

Well, one of my friends twittered today that it's 183 days to Christmas and while I'm done my list and much of my shopping, I'm also aware of how hard it is for some people to buy gifts and figure out what to give others. My best friend can be pretty hard to shop for and my SO tells me that he never knows what to get me... That and the tight economy make it tough for people to know what to do around holidays.

I know a lot of people are worried that the gift won't be nice enough - so I'll just say up front, as long as it's thoughtful and thought out.... it's wonderful.

1) Set a budget. Whether it's a friend or loved one, it's ok to say - this year I can only afford to spend 20.00 on a gift for you. Or to make something.

2) Consider a gift in kind. Married? Living together? Offer up a Honey "to do" list; a massage, those cute little coupons that you always see - dinner by candle light, a picnic. I always want to go on picnics and eat by candle light but I'm perhaps not blessed to be dating an eternal sap!

3) Get some essentials. Cologne, Health & Beauty products - if you know what your girl or guy likes - this is practical, and shows that you know them. Personally though, I'm spa'd out and have enough product for 2 years, so this is not a hint for me!

4) Be thoughtful. It isn't always how much you spend (though if you set a budget, make sure the other person will be comfy with it otherwise you may end up feeling bad). Is it a month-a-versary? or a special date in your relationship? Enlarge some pictures and get them framed, go on a romantic photo shoot, turn off the technology and spend time together. Digital frames for the techy-person in your life can be fun too - as long as they have somewhere to put it.

5) In a long distance relationship? Plan a trip "away" together. Make dinner together. Surprise him/her with framed pictures of the two of you, and when he/she comes to visit, lay out the things they've given you or you've bought together - as though you use them. Notice things. Better yet - Use them!

6) Jewelry - this can be tough - what does the other person like? Do you know them? How long have you been together? Some occasions - birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries - can warrant something small or big. Does she wear a charm bracelet? are her ears/nose pierced? SO will tell you that I love funky earrings and rings, but I have a lot of sparklies so I don't "need" more - this is true, I dont' "need' more - but there are definitely pieces I'm looking for to complement my collection. Being truly sensitive to this is a great way to get "In". SO doesn't wear any joolz, so buying him something is tougher - will he wear it? Does he use the more practical stuff I've given him? Tip for guys - if you're buying "physically" lightweight earrings, make sure they are post and not hook style! I keep losing one of the ones I got and since it's the only joolz I've gotten, I'm terrified of wearing them cause I don't wanna lose them.

7) Traditions. Interfaith, Interrace, Intercultural relationships are more and more common today. Ask the friends or the parents what to do to acknowledge special events and to show that you don't necessarily share, but care.

Flowers

: Send random flowers. Flowers make girls (and boys) go mushy. Buy them
from a local farmer's market when you're puttering through the fruit
and flower stands, or the grocery store when you go shopping together.

Continue reading "Gift Giving in Tough Times :)" »

Today was an incredibly emotional today --

First, I'm incredibly saddened today as several hundred of my former colleagues, coworkers and friends found out they will lose their jobs when eBay closes it's Vancouver center over the summer.

Second, this week I also celebrated the 15 year anniversary of 2 of my very close high school friends passing away. Third, I met some wonderful clients at work who reminded me how to do "much" with so little - and finally, with the upcoming Mother's Day weekend, my dad finally said, "It's been almost 5 years since your mom died, can you please go through her clothes..."

As I was going through my mother's clothes, I found a gorgeous shirt that my grandfather, her father, had given her when she was pregnant with me... and it occurs to me that in our lives, we have so much loss. Loss of jobs, loss of life, loss of support -

The Canadian Mental Health Association considers Job Loss to be one of the most traumatic life changing moments, a crisis equal to death of a family member or divorce. Job Loss can lead to senses of isolation, feelings of shame and an overwhelming challenge to your 'identity' - I should know, I lost mine in November. That loss can lead to a challenge filling your social circle, financial and family stress and even depression. It's ok during this time to feel overwhelmed and not know what to do.

For those of you that don't know, my 9-5 these days is as an Employment Counsellor - so I can honestly offer you some practical advice.

1) The most important next step is to make a plan. What do you know about the current situtation? Peter Drucker once said that "the most effective [people] are the ones who draw strength from their network, their friends, colleagues, superiors, subordinates and the situation..."

2) Fill out your EI as soon as you're legally able - draw out the important dates on a calendar, not to remind you of your loss, but to keep you on track.

3) Don't wait, and start looking. Use the outplacement services if you're
lucky enough to get them. Use this time to consider retraining and
complete career exploration. There are programs through Services
Canada that are free of cost to Canadian Citizens and Permanent
Residents. Look into and research these, and ask for help.

4) Renovate your resume. There are a lot of unemployed people out there, it's critical that you stand out amongst the candidates.

5) Talk to your network. You never know who may know of a job coming up

6) Breathe. Feel. Take care of yourself. We're fortunate to live in a country where we have social services. Lean on your friends and family, know that it WILL be ok.

From my world to yours...

-The Diva-

Well, it's 2009 and that means my birthday and v-day are coming in quick succession. It turns my mind to ... what do I want/need? And as opposed to a wish list for others to use as a shopping guide, this is more stuff I need to take care of me! I know I haven't blogged for you all in months and months and I appreciate the emails asking if I'm ok - I guess I've been wrapped up in searching for a new 9-5 and in this new relationship... (yes, he's lucky, I know - someone tell him!)

Anyhow, ... I'm not sure what's on your lists for this year but other than the usual books and time with my friends, I do need some things to organize my life...

Things I need this year!

-A travel kit, nice new luggage tags, a passport holder, I'm back and forth to the US so much now, I'm always worried about misplacing stuff.... RED is always good...

-A new traincase! Yazmo.com has a great selection. Here's the size I like. I'm into the black one, but that's me This one detatches into 2 cases - and is awesome... it's about 5x the size of the Bobbi Brown one I almost got last year. I'd be ok with the snakeskin texture ones too or silver... http://www.yazmo.com/proaluminummakeupcaseblackts-36.aspx This will WAY help with the travelling to keep my makeup and joolz straight.

-New Frying pans! Yeah, I know, romantic, sensitive, personal gift - but really,some Tfal with the red circle in the middle to show it's hot... Kick-butt!

-A new laptop bag! Somethin sexy

-Funky Silver/White gold earrings. My fakey-shmakey ones are all ready for the trashola...

-Funky Silver/White gold necklace/pendant. Ditto fakey-shmakey above

-Yoga blocks and a carrying case for my mat

Other Stuff I want...

- Bath Bombs - I love lush ...

- Purses/Bags

- "Sexy Little Things" whistling box perfume... I'm out! - Victoria's Secret

- Art for my bedroom

- New Makeup brushes, a complete set of MAC would be amazing, but I'm going to look wholesale to see if we can get these for you all

-Harry Potter DVDs I have all the books....

-Chronicles of Narnia books/DVD's

-The
Notebook dvd ok I'm a sap and while I have 500 movies in VHS, I
never seem to get DVDs .... I buy them for other ppl ALL the time...

Ultimate Wishes

-New Pots (Lagostina baybee)

-A new flatiron ... chi?

-A Juicer I'm so into fresh juice right now

-a warm bed for the 2 kitties to share infront of the fireplace....

-for my bf to find his sappy side cause more than anything, I feel a need for sappy....

-a ring, with teal stones... matching earrings...

Overall, 2008 was a wonderful year, personally - and even professionally.... and hey, if for Christmas I got the gift of love...and dad is more healthy now, then... what can I say, the things on this list are gravy.

Comments always welcome

With love,

The Diva:)

Continue reading "The Diva's 2009 Wish List" »

Took my dad for lunch today as we were both craving burgers....

The
burgers were great and meaty - very filling and flavorful.  The cheddar
wasn't amazing - maybe there wasn't enough? but the veggies were great
and the fries and coleslaw were both amazing.  I would have prefered a
better bun, it was a bit blah, and I was dissapointed with the $1.50
for a can of coke...

Heating was busted, and upon checking out
the ladies room (girls you will appreciate this) the doors of the
stalls are SUPER high and you could see the toilets from under the
doors - not a lot of privacy since the actual door saying "Women" was
ajar.... this kinda messed up the experience...

The coleslaw had
dill or mustard seed - couldn't place it - and was awesome...and the
burger patty itself rates a solid 4, but overall, this is a 3 based on
the wierd bathroom-ness (I always check these out), the boring bun,
heating and canned coke.

3/5

But I'd go again

-The Diva

2910 Stevens Creek Blvd
Ste 110
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 246-0304

He says:

My girlfriend says the Drunken Noodles are the best she has found on the west coast (SF, Seattle, Vancouver) and the best outside of Thailand. The yellow curry and cashew chicken were also excellent. The spring rolls had absolutely no oil residue at all and were stellar.

Definitely a place to go again.

5/5

She says:

I know John already reviewed this place for both of us, but they're new - and I have to do another one for them just because I know how hard it is to get a new business started

Atmosphere:
Loved the lighting, the comfy tables and the decor - so super ambient, perfect for date night or a casual dinner for a group of friends.

Food:
Appy Sampler: Prawn Springroll - my favorite, Veggie springroll - also very good. Both had no oil residue and were so fresh and crispy. Chicken Satay - perfectly tender, didn't stick to the skewers. Crabcakes - only dissapointment as the texture was a bit pasty. Sauces were amazing also.

Yellow Curry - never my favorite curry, I'm a green curry girl through and through, this was perfect and light and yummy!

Drunken noodles - I believe the boyfriend quotes me as saying - of all the Thai restaurants I've been to outside of Thailand (and this is in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, the Bay area - basically up and down the west coast, and all over Asia) - these were hands down the best Drunken Noodles I have ever ever had. Kudos! I was hesitant to order because they can be greasy or just yucky soggy but they were PERFECT.

Cashew Chicken - I've seen this done badly so many times with too many filler veggies... but this was nice, with lots of fresh and appropriate flavors, really well done.

Service:
The owner was very attentive and came to check on us several times. I know, we were the only ones in there, but she was prompt, courteous and super nice, thanking us and giving us a discount and takeout menus so we could come back again or take out.

5/5

-The Diva

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