#in reviewing this list i realize i have... eclectic taste

[milk--loaf]

04 / 22 / 22 - #2

as per my last post, this is really just a place for me to store all my video ideas. i'm not sure i'll follow them with all of them; a few might not pan out. but here's what i'm thinking so far (also, i'm probably going to edit this particular post as more ideas come to me):

a three-part series reviewing the three generations within the skins uk series. this is fairly obvious fodder for me, because like buffy, i have this series all on dvd and it's one of my formative pieces of content. the only qualm is i have seen other creators cover aspects of the skins series. i'm concerned about treading newly-covered ground.

an ambitious concept i had early on in the creation of the channel was an in-depth review of my two trunk novels. this isn't as palatable to me for the fact that it seems a bit self-involved. rest assured, i'd rip my old works to shreds, but by concept alone the optics don't seem great.

i know for a fact that i'll be doing a video on suspiria (1977) because it's my favorite movie on the planet. but there's so many directions to take it. the most solid idea i have is to review / compare the original to the remake, and analyze what it takes for a remake to be successful. both are stellar in separate ways and individually live in my top ten horror movie list.

the other option i have for a suspiria-themed video (or given the abundance of concepts, a two-video series) is a review of the original suspiria's sequels - inferno and mother of tears. i have seen inferno but not mother of tears, which reads as aesthetically different from the previous films, i'm guessing in large part because it was filmed / released 27 years after inferno. for this and the last suspiria concept, i'd like to dive a lot more into the behind-the-scenes. i'm a huge fan of the youtube channel dead meat and i'm inspired by their total consideration of any given film, both story- and production-wise. i'd have to put in effort to differentiate my style of review so it doesn't feel like a cheap knock-off.

it would have to be after i fully cover suspiria, but i'd also like to cover argento's deep red and tenebrae, which are standalone giallo films with a similar dreamy aesthetic to suspiria and largely different plots. maybe the bird with the crystal plumage, too. but talking this far ahead puts me at risk of looking at the forest rather than the trees, which feels like a pitfall. i'm still figuring out if this video essay hobby of mine will pan out, after all.

i've recently latched onto the spanish show elite, which to me, feels somewhat influenced by skins uk with a stronger, harsher "mystery/crime scene" bent. yeah, crime and death occur in skins, but they're not the central crux of the plot in every season. talking about elite in a video won't happen any time soon, because first i just want to enjoy the series without thinking too critically. and there's like, five season thus far.

a piece of content i can see myself covering within a reasonable amount of time (as in, within the next few months) is a review of the movie viy (1967), which i know next to nothing about, but i'm super intrigued by. it was the first soviet-era horror film to be released in the USSR, which, that alone seems fascinating. this is definitely high on the agenda, despite being point number 7 on this list.

a form of media i haven't covered on this channel yet are novels. which is surprising, but also, what can i expect? i just started the channel, lol. i think the top contenders on my bookshelf are catherine house by elisabeth thomas and the first bad man by miranda july. these are some of favorite books. catherine house would benefit from the fact that i recently wrote a paper over it, and could modify that material into a script. the first bad man benefits from the fact that i'm fuzzy on the plot (it's been a couple years since i last read it), which might make for a good reaction video. logistically speaking, i'd have to figure out what to do for the b-roll in the video, which is a potentially big hurdle.

junji ito graphic novels, mainly gyo and remina. i could also cover spiral, but two things bar that: i don't have the graphic novel physically on my shelf, and also, spiral is... incredibly in-depth and well-loved. i'm not afraid of entering that territory, but i'm more familiar with the likes of remina and i'm more comfortable talking about it in full.

there's this dreadfully old king arthur tv show. not only in black and white, but like, blurry black and white, with fuzzy audio. i remember putting this on TV with my roommate a couple years ago. we didn't really watch it, we just played it for noise. now that i'm personally more invested in the lore of king arthur, i'm very curious about revisiting it. light research has left me high and dry on the title, though. i know it had lancelot and guinevere in it, and some crusty old wizard (merlin, i imagine), but i can't remember the name. i'll... figure it out. maybe. hopefully.

a series on angel. this is a distant possibility, but likely to happen if i ever finish the buffy series. separately, i could also do a read-through of the buffy and angel comics. but that would require some actual investment. buying all the comics would take time and money, and i'd probably want to show images or panels as well, which logistically would require some problem-solving. in other words, a nightmare of a concept, but very intriguing.

oh! i want to analyze an american werewolf in london as well. i know it had a sequel which completely bombed financially and artistically, and that might be fun to add to the video.

for a hot second i thought it would be neat to do a plot and lore rundown of genshin impact, but two things are keeping me from fully jumping on board: i've already seen one person do this. second is that the lore, while really cool, is pretty intense, and thus far feel unfinished/aspects are yet to be connected, explored, and detailed. i thought this overall concept ran dry, but then my idea shifted to doing a complete arknights lore and story review (another gacha game), which feels like new video essay territory and reads as a bit more comprehensive. maybe thanks in part because it's all text. like, a bunch of it. lore bomb-y, exposition-y, and descriptive. i wouldn't cover side stories, which would be insane. there's at least one side quest with over 250,000 words. that's a novel if i ever saw one. so i'd probably just cover the main story and characters.

and i think that's it for now. like i already said, this post might be edited in the future to add or subtract ideas, or i might just make an updated post. we'll see!

[carmenlire]

Become Your Flower

read on ao3

Jimin sits down behind the register with a sigh. Working as a dining hall card swiper has one perk and one perk only-- it pays for the part of tuition not covered by loans and scholarships.

Thankfully today is only a two hour shift, not his usual four, and so as he reaches out to start swiping about a hundred campus I.D. cards, Jimin tells himself that it could be worse.

That’s never been truer towards the end of his shift, when his ass is mostly numb and he’s starting to look for his replacement to show up at any minute. On Thursday mornings, his replacement is always an extremely dour sophomore who spends more time on her shift looking at her phone than actually swiping meal plans.

Jimin’s seen regulars during her shifts swipe their own cards without hesitation as Jessica obliviously continues to stare at her phone.

Still. There’s about eight minutes left until shift change when Jimin sees him.

Jimin doesn’t know much about the guy that comes to the Dining Hall every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning. He knows that his fashion runs towards black oversized clothing and that he has eclectic taste in music, thanks to wildly varying noise that can be heard from his headphones that the student always, without fail, pulls down to around his neck when checking out.

It’s a small gesture, but Jimin appreciates the hint of politeness. They never talk more than the guy murmuring a small thanks as Jimin accepts his card and runs it, before he’s walking away.

On Tuesdays, the kid likes to sit for awhile at one of the small tables along the edge of the floor to ceiling windows in the dining area. Sometimes he's reading but more often than not, he has a sketchbook out or his laptop open and seems to be completely focused on its contents. On Mondays and Thursdays, he’s usually running around picking up his usual bottle of banana milk and a breakfast burrito or protein bar before barreling out and ostensibly off to class.

Maybe Jimin pays a bit more attention to him than he does to the other students he sees with unerring frequency but he just can’t help it. Jimin doesn’t know his name but he’s pieced together a dozen tidbits of information that all add up to making the guy someone he would love to get to know better.

At the top of that list? This guy somehow manages to be both a cutie and mouthwatering, dangerously hot. It’s a level of attractiveness that sometimes makes Jimin shy away in the face of such sheer beauty. For all his oversized clothing, the guy is built-- witnessed by the one time Jimin saw him out of the dining hall one evening when he spotted the guy walking back to his dorm from the gym.

In a sleeveless tank that showed off the tattoos winding their way up his arm, with his hair damp and falling into his eyes, Jimin was done for. The next time he’d seen his favorite customer, Jimin had fumbled with his card and it had fallen to the floor.

As he’d felt his face start to burn with embarrassment at his clumsiness, the cute guy had dropped and picked up his I.D., handing it over to Jimin again with a small smile before leaving promptly like always.

Inside, Jimin had been dying but he’d managed to give a curt nod of thanks and acknowledgement back-- mostly after the guy had left but still. He’d tried.

All of which, brings Jimin to now where cute student walks into the cafeteria looking like death warmed over. His hoodie swallows him up and his hair is a mess-- looks like a combination of having left his place without running a brush through it, like he’s been running a hand through it in frustration instead. He’s single minded as he walks to the cooler where flavored milks are kept and Jimin thanks the little lull just after breakfast time for being able to, unobtrusively of course, watch the kid pick up a protein bar before he’s starting towards the register where Jimin sits.

Eyes flying down to the screen that he stares at with a laser focus, Jimin sees the guy reach for the pocket of his jeans for his wallet absently. However, he looks up when the guy starts patting his back pocket with a sort of furious panic that can only mean one thing.

Jimin doesn’t say anything, though, as he lets the guy rummage around in his bookbag looking for his student I.D. From his periphery, he sees his replacement walking towards him.

Sparing a moment to marvel at how she never trips or runs into anything with her eyes glued to her phone, Jimin reaches out to get the guys attention.

“Misplaced your meal card?”

The guy looks up with wide eyes, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He stammers a little, voice gruff like he hasn’t used it in a few days. “I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I got all the way here just to realize I left it at home.” Shoulders falling with a dejected sigh, he takes a step back. “I’ll just go put everything back, sorry again--”

“Hey,” Jimin says softly, trying to gently stop the waterfall of words coming out in an embarrassed hush. “Don’t worry about it.”

Without letting himself think too much about it, Jimin swipes his own meal plan before looking up at cute guy with a soft grin. “You’re good to go. Enjoy your breakfast.”

The guy glances between the register and Jimin’s face, which isn’t red at all thank you very much. “You shouldn’t have done that; what if you get into trouble? I should have doublechecked to make sure I had my card before making you do this--”

Laughing a little at the guy's face, which is painted in equal shades of relief and guilt, Jimin just waves his concern away. “I promise no one cares that much and no offense, but you look like you could use a good deed. I’m fine, you’re fine, no one’s getting in trouble. Looks like a win-win-win to me, doesn’t it?”

Jimin doesn’t let the smile leave his face as the guy narrows his eyes at him for a minute, looking like he’s trying to see into Jimin’s soul to make sure he hasn’t inconvenienced him. Finally, he sighs and Jimin relaxes too at his acceptance.

“Okay then,” the guy offers with his own smile curving his mouth. “Thank you,” he says with an earnest sort of sincerity that makes Jimin want to reach out and pinch his cheek. “I really appreciate it. I’ve been up for 36 hours finishing a midterm and I think I walked here in a fugue state.”

Jimin nods in understanding. “Midterms are hell, second only to finals. I hope you ace your class and that your victory breakfast is a nice enough reward for surviving a couple of all-nighters.”

With a sheepish laugh, the guy resettles his bookbag on his shoulder and rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m sure it will. Thanks again.” Then he’s gone with an awkward wave.

Jimin doesn’t watch him leave, immediately startled by the curt clearing of a throat behind him. Spinning around in his chair, he barely manages to stop from rolling his eyes at his replacement looking annoyed as she types furiously on her phone.

“You were done two minutes ago. Get out of my chair and get to class, Park.”

Going ahead and rolling his eyes, Jimin doesn’t say anything as he logs out of his employee account and leaves the Dining Hall.

Most of the day goes by quickly. He has a couple of classes into the early afternoon followed by his dance elective. Hoseok, his favorite person in the group, is in a chatty mood when practice ends as he dramatically explains how a couple of his other friends need to get over themselves and just start to date already. Jimin laughs along as he hears about how much of an idiot these guys are being.

Apparently, the latest fiasco involves Yoongi making weekly playlists for a Joon and Joon recommending books to Yoongi, which they discuss every week at their favorite coffeeshop. Hoseok takes great pains to explain that he’d joined them the first time thinking nothing of their passing invitation only to see them cozied up together in an oversized chair in the corner, sipping their coffee and holding hands as they took turns arguing their stances on the book's subliminal messages.

“It’s maddening, Jiminie. Honestly, those two are so gone for each other and they don’t seem to realize that it’s not a bro thing to create a playlist titled Songs Almost as Comforting as One of Hyung’s Hugs and that friends don’t just discuss how romantic it would be if they had a partner who was as loving as the hero in whatever damn novel they’re were reading last month. The hinting is so obvious that it’s giving me headaches, I swear.”

“Ah Hoseokie-Hyung, maybe they’re enjoying this in between time, you know? I’m sure they’re both aware of where it’s heading but they want to enjoy the journey. Did you ever think about that?”

Hoseok snorts, leaning down to grab his water bottle before continuing. “No,” he says shortly. “Yoongi-hyung and Joon are just deeply oblivious of the other’s feelings and at this rate, they won’t have their first date until they’re old and gray.” Pausing to take a deep drink of water, Hoseok sighs. “I guess I’ll admit that neither of them seem miserable in their pining. They’ve been best friends since before I joined the-- ah, since before I started school here. It’s always been the two of them, you know?”

Humming a little in thought, Jimin wonders what it would be like to fall so naturally from friends to something more. He has Taehyung and they’re both very vocal on being platonic soulmates, but he can’t help but think that finding someone who has the warmth of a best friend and the devotion of a lover sounds like something else altogether.

With a little pang of his heart-- Jimin’s been tragically single since the end of his freshman year over a year ago-- he squashes down on the mild envy he has for people he’s never even met.

His thoughts break off as he realizes that he still hasn’t answered Hoseok and his friend is looking at him with the shrewd look he usually only reserves for reviewing dance videos.

Clearing his throat, Jimin just manages to offer, “It must be nice,” and thankfully Hoseok changes the subject with a deftness that doesn’t make Jimin feel put on the spot as they start talking about how difficult this new choreo is becoming.

Groaning, Jimin starts to stretch as Hoseok joins him on the floor. “I thought I was in shape but this song makes me feel like an old man. I’m going to start having to up my cardio so I can keep up.”

They commiserate for a few more minutes before Hoseok pulls himself to his feet and starts packing up, citing his evening class across campus. Waving him on, Jimin stretches a few more minutes while replying to the few dozen texts Tae had sent him during the day about new drama he had decided to start watching and was now nine episodes into.

He takes his time back to his apartment off campus and when he opens the front door, he’s immediately assaulted with the view of Taehyung in the living room, raptly watching his show while absently tossing goldfish crackers into his mouth. Watching him for a moment, Jimin doesn’t even bother to sigh as over half the fish miss his mouth entirely to land somewhere on-- or in-- their couch.

“Hey, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung greets him distractedly.

“Hey, Taetae. Show still good?” Jimin ruffles his best friend’s hair on his way to his bedroom.

Leaning into the touch, Tae hums in affirmative. “Have you gotten your crush’s number yet? Or even found out his name?”

Jimin huffs at the directness. He might’ve come home after his first shift of the semester only to regale Taehyung with the story of how a student at the dining hall had walked up to the end of the check-out line that morning-- radiating an intimidating aura, especially in his all black get-up-- before he’d watched the guy help the person behind him in line collect all their loose change that had fallen out of their purse and all over the floor.

It was like night and day between the guy’s abashed smile as he waved off the thanks as he picked up pennies and when he’d first walked in, expression neutral and looking like he’d flay anyone alive who dared to talk to him.

Sighing as he thinks about what had happened this latest morning, Jimin pouts. “No but I paid for his breakfast and he was all adorable and flustered about it so we’ll count today as a win.”

“You know,” Taehyung starts, eyes not leaving the television screen where it looks like someone is either about to get murdered or railed to within an inch of their life, “The way you describe him, he seems like a bit of a lone wolf type. Reserved but with a warm, gooey center. Maybe you just need to, like, befriend him. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to make the first move.”

“It’s not as easy as you think to make a move, Tae,” Jimin gripes. “I don’t even know if he’s interested in me.”

Sighing like the weight of the world’s on his shoulders, Taehyung finally looks up at Jimin. “That’s why I’m telling you to become his friend, dummy. You like him, he doesn’t sound completely off-put by you, it’s time to progress to the next level. Friendship. Maybe once you two know each other a little more, he’ll get more comfortable around you and then bam! You’re married with three dogs and a pink picket fence.”

“White picket fence, Taetae. Not pink.”

Taehyung just waves that away. “Pink is more homey. Anyway. We're two months into the semester and you still don't even know his name. Time to face your crush and actually do something about it before you end up living in the apartment over my garage and crashing into my main house every evening bemoaning how your life turned out like this.”

“You don’t have a garage. Or a house. You don’t even have a complete set of towels.”

“Then it will be all the more impressive when I move into McMansion and graciously allow you to live with me rent-free.”

Jimin snorts, feeling lighter with his best friend’s antics. At least his love life isn’t as dire as it could be, he guesses.

Still, he doesn’t want to give Taehyung the satisfaction of knowing he’s given him food for thought so Jimin just ruffles his friend’s hair again and hauls himself and his bookbag to his bedroom without another word.

Taehyung is immediately engrossed back into his show, muttering something about the betrayal of the sister-in-law.

Closing the door behind him, Jimin empties his bookbag. He finishes the readings for a couple of classes tomorrow and resolutely does not think about how he could woo-- befriend-- the extremely cute student he only sees three minutes a week.

There’s only a couple of hours of daylight left when Jimin surfaces, stretching his arms over his head and straightening from his desk, highlighter still in hand.

Tossing the highlighter onto his desk and shutting his anatomy textbook firmly closed, he stands and grumbles to himself for a few minutes before he figures that he should probably go for a run before it gets dark.

He really wasn’t exaggerating earlier with Hoseok. He’s only halfway through his first semester of junior year and it seems like everything’s been kicked up a notch, including his dance group. Hoseok is the new leader since it’s his senior year with Jimin as a sort of second-in-command and as the two of them had planned out the upcoming year over the summer, they’d agreed that they wanted to try something new and challenge themselves.

They’ve certainly succeeded, Jimin thinks wryly as he walks to the front door and laces up his running shoes. The two of them were having a blast experimenting with different styles and genres and putting together choreography with it all. Thankfully, the other dozen people in the group seemed to be enjoying the new creative lead from Hoseok’s predecessor and while it’s challenging, it’s also fun and stress-relieving in a way Jimin craves.

That doesn’t mean the newest song they’re putting together isn’t a lot to handle, though. Jimin can barely make it to the second verse of the song before he feels winded and Hoseok is noticeably pushing himself by the bridge.

Warming up with a light jog as he gets out of the congested student apartments and starts towards the park trail on the edge of campus, Jimin plans the rest of his evening. He still has a paper to write for tomorrow’s gen literature class and he has a case study for his political science class due in the morning along with a discussion post.

Could be worse, Jimin thinks with a huff as he kicks it up a notch to a steady pace along the trail blacktop. While running isn’t Jimin’s favorite way to pass the time, he knows that he needs to do something to increase his endurance and it’s almost relaxing-- enjoying the fresh autumn air all alone with his thoughts.

One of his favorite things about this university is that it’s bordered by a nature reservation on one side. Although he doesn’t take advantage of it as often as he’d like, it’s nice to get away from a bustling campus and busy college town. There are only a few other runners out this late and he’s in a good mood as he lets whatever stress had built up over the day flow out of him.

Jimin decides to veer off onto a gravel path when the trail splits. It’s a little overgrown but as he climbs up an incline, settling into each stride and definitely feeling the strain in his thighs, he decides this might just be his favorite stretch so far.

It’s like there’s no one else but him and nature and while Jimin knows he’s a city boy through and through, there’s a calmness in being so isolated that puts him at ease.

He’s almost to the top of the hill and his breath is definitely labored as he watches the ground right in front of him, steering clear of any roots or particularly jagged rocks when something falls into his periphery.

Flicking his eyes up, Jimin comes crashing to a stop, almost falling on his face as he slips over a rough patch of gravel.

Suddenly, his breathing sounds cacophonous in the quiet of the woods, under the piercing stare of a pitch black wolf.

Jimin stares at the creature. The creature stares back calmly although it’s preternaturally still.

He’d always thought wolves were just a little bit bigger than dogs and now he feels like an idiot because the wolf standing alert a dozen yards from him is definitely bigger than a dog.

Jimin swallows harshly and thinks that it would almost come up to his chest if they were side by side.

So very slowly, Jimin tugs his headphones out and lets them fall around his neck. He doesn’t take the attention away from the wolf to turn his music off and it’s another tinny noise that buzzes around him like a pile of bees.

They’re still staring at each other.

Jimin doesn’t know what to do in this situation. He doesn’t want to run away because what if the wolf attacks? There’s no question the wolf is terrifying, large and intimidating and so clearly a predator, completely at ease in the woods. At the same time, he feels like a dolt just standing here and waiting to be eaten.

There’s a dignified elegance to the wolf as he watches Jimin with gold eyes that seem to soak up the starting sunset. If Jimin didn’t know better, he’d almost think the wolf had been caught off guard at first before he’d stilled at seeing Jimin on the trail.

Calling himself a dumbass even as he opens his mouth, Jimin tries to put on his best soothing voice. “I’m not here to hurt you and I hope you’re not going to hurt me.”

The wolf doesn’t move, doesn’t make a sound, so Jimin continues, “I’m just out for a run and I would really appreciate it if you wouldn’t eat me. My roommate, Taehyungie, would be very displeased if there was no one to brainstorm his podcast episodes with.”

The wolf huffs out a breath, tilts his head to regard Jimin with a faint hint of-- is that amusement? Deciding that the terror trickling down his spine and through his toes is probably driving him insane, Jimin holds up his arms in an appeasing gesture as he takes a single step back.

“I’ll tell you what,” he says in a voice higher than his usual register. “I’m just going to leave you to do whatever wolf activities you were up to before I interrupted-- catching butterflies? Rolling around in the grass?-- and we’ll forget this ever happened. I’m so sorry I disturbed you and I’ll just be on my way.”

Jimin waits for a long beat or two to make sure the wolf won’t suddenly lunge for him but to his surprise, the black wolf doesn’t move a muscle besides the slow sway of its tail.

In the heart pounding moments between Jimin’s little speech and him turning around to back down the hill, he studies the wolf with an intensity that surprises him. He catalogs the gold eyes that seem to know more than they should and the thick obsidian fur that he has an inexplicable urge to bury his hands in to see if it’s as soft as it looks.

For a moment, Jimin is too mesmerized to be scared and it’s only when the wolf abruptly turns his head to the left, towards the deepest part of the woods, that Jimin startles and realizes that he needs to go and he needs to go now.

He doesn’t know why but he dips a little in a bow before muttering, “Thanks for not making me puppy chow,” and then he turns around and carefully leaves, heart thundering with the fear the the wolf could decide to attack at any moment, lunging for him without him knowing.

He can’t quite believe it but Jimin makes it back to the main path without incident. He bends over at the waist, lightheaded, and feels like he could almost collapse in relief at not having been torn to shreds.

Jimin picks up the pace as soon as it feels like he’s not going to keel over. All of a sudden the nature reservation that had felt relaxing in its isolation digs creepy tendrils of apprehension into him.

When he finally crosses over from the park into campus, he breathes a huge sigh of relief. He tells himself that he’ll just go to the rec from now on and climb on a treadmill if he wants to work on his cardio.

He tells himself that he won’t go back to the park or follow unbeaten paths again, not when the October breeze sends such a shiver down his spine.

He feels something watching him from the moment he turns his back from the wolf all the way to the edge of campus and tells himself he’s overreacting even as he can’t stop himself from searching the edge of the trail for gold eyes or a trailing shadow.

He doesn’t see anything amiss and he definitely doesn’t feel disappointed as he makes it back to his apartment without catching sight of the wolf again.

Stumbling through the door, Jimin toes off his shoes and heads directly to the bathroom, not even noticing Taehyung in the living room working on a painting by the last light of the day.

Jimin sums up his evening with an effusive thank God I wasn’t mauled to death and resolves to forget anything ever happened.

[letterboxd]

How I Letterboxd #1: Lise

In this first instalment of a new feature, long-time member Lise, of Canada, answers our questions about how she uses Letterboxd, and why you should join her March Around the World challenge.

Hi Lise! How long have you been on Letterboxd? Lise: TV was still in black and white.

What do you mainly use Letterboxd for? Just a diary? Long reviews or shorter takes? Hilarious lists, or very f—king serious director rankings don’t @ me? I use the whole shebang: diary, reviews, ratings, watchlist, comments and lists, lots of lists. But mostly I use Letterboxd to keep track of when Jonathan is out to lunch (shameless plug for my He Says She Says list).

Do you rate films? Absolutely. I rely on ratings to add stuff to my watchlist, and I rate to let others know if I liked the film. I don’t read reviews for films I haven’t seen, so without user ratings I’d be snookered.

Tell us about your March Around The World challenge, in which Letterboxd members sign up to watch and review 30 films from 30 different countries during the month of March. How did it come about, and what’s involved? I took over the challenge from Berken, who created it and hosted it for the first year. I thought it was a brilliant way to explore the world on the cheap. The review component is important because it expands Letterboxd’s database, especially for under-seen films. It’s been a great success. Many participants like to create lists, and if they can’t watch them all in March they go at it for the rest of the year, which is great. The most important rule about the challenge is to forget the rules and watch international films during the month.

Still from Djibril Diop Mambéty’s ‘Touki Bouki’ (1973).

What are some of the interesting statistics you’ve noticed from your Marches Around the World? I consolidated all of the spreadsheets I’ve created for each challenge, and there were some surprises. The most viewed film is Touki-Bouki from Senegal (average rating of 3.7). Less surprising is that our most-viewed director is Ingmar Bergman (although I was happy to see Aki Kaurismäki from Finland in second place). The most-viewed countries are France, Japan and South Korea. Another surprise, the best decade is the 1920s (with the 1950s in a close second).

How has March Around the World enhanced your life? I’m not the sentimental type but when we get a new participant in the challenge I get the warm and fuzzies. If the genie were out of the bottle I would request that all overcome the ‘one-inch barrier’ (subtitles). Watching films ‘from away’, as our East Coasters would say, is one of the simplest ways to combat fears and/or prejudices about other peoples/nations/ways of life that we often don’t realize we have. Every time we identify or root for someone who is ‘other’ it chips away at the walls, and as Maya Angelou has said so eloquently, we discover that “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike”.

What are the responsibilities involved in hosting a Letterboxd challenge? It doesn’t have to be complicated. A challenge can be as simple as “watch ten films from your watchlist this month”. It’s all about tags. Define a tag, have people add it to their films and their lists, and then you can easily search for and filter those tags. Easy peasy. Mine is a bit more challenging because it has so many requirements, but thanks to some fantastic Letterboxders who volunteer to help with my spreadsheet (you know who you are), it all gets done in a timely manner.

How do you find the time to watch all those films in a single month?! Jonathan and I have never completed the challenge! Our best year was around 26. That year we got up earlier in the morning and watched the films with coffee, before going to work. That was the best. Nice and fresh and open to anything. Bonus is that we got to think about the film all day and the review-writing in the evening was easier. If it were up to me that’s the way I would watch films all the time.

What other challenges have you taken part in, and how have they enhanced your experience of watching films? Back in the day everyone was making a list tagged with List of Shame that you filled with all those “You seriously haven’t seen that yet?!” films. I’m still chipping away at it, but of course for every film you watch there are ten more you have to see. To help with the List of Shame I participated in Mr Dulac’s 5×5 series, where you selected five films from five directors and watched them at your leisure. It was a great way to complete filmographies. I still go to that list when selecting a film to watch.

Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘In The Mood for Love’ (2000).

What are your four favorites on your Letterboxd profile, and why? In the Mood for Love, because forbidden love is the saddest thing ever, and I could watch Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung go up and down those noodle-shop stairs all day long. The Thin Red Line, because it provides a great sense of place and it’s about the soldiers, not the war. Whispering Star because it is so quiet and touching.

I keep my fourth slot open for a rotating new favorite film that I want everyone to see. I could change these for a different set, but, oh, who am I kidding. I always feel terrible at the thought of ‘demoting’ a film.

What is your favorite or most useful feature? The watchlist, filtered by service. It is my dream-come-true feature. I sort by genre, hide short films, select ‘Stream only’ and ta-da! A list of films I’ve been meaning to see that are available to stream. (Now if only I could do the same for films that I own!) [Editor’s note: filtering by your own personal set of streaming services is a Pro feature.]

What’s a movie you’ve done a 180 on because of other Letterboxd members’ opinions? Great question. Memories of Murder is one of them for sure. I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was when I first saw it, but so many of my friends gave it five stars that I watched it again and understood. And just this week, Moaning_Slug posted an interesting comment on my review of Buñuel’s Viridiana that actually makes me want to take another look.

What’s a movie you’ve really had to dig in on your feelings about, despite what everyone else on Letterboxd thinks? I am not easily bothered by or influenced by others when it comes to the films I love or despise. I seriously disliked Her and Boyhood and pretty much anything by Wes Anderson and all the high ratings have zero effect on me. The technical prowess of a film would never be something that could change my mind (here’s looking at you John Wick: Chapter 2 and 3). What would make me take a second look is if someone were able to point out that I missed something about what the film was saying. I’ve yet to review Jojo Rabbit because while I think poking fun at someone who aspires to dictatorship might actually prevent it from happening, I don’t know what to make of it when it’s making light of a historical or current [aspiring dictator]. Reading reviews about this could definitely influence my take on the film.

Colin Firth in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1995).

What’s your go-to comfort movie? The one with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, the one with Chris Pratt and the talking ‘rat’, and the one with Tony Leung as badge No. 663 starring the Mamas and the Papas.

If and when you go to the cinema, where do you prefer to sit? Behind the shortest person in the room, near the back (I hate looking up—it’s a neck thing).

You’re Canadian. What’s the best Canadian film of all time? South of Wawa, about a donut-shop waitress who receives tickets to a Dan Hill concert in Toronto for her 35th birthday. Okay, so it’s not the “greatest film of all time” but it is my favorite, and it’s got the best last line ever!

These are the Canadian films I’ve seen in order of preference, this is a substantial list of Quebec films and [Letterboxd member] puffin has an extensive Canadian films list (stops at 2018). And I must mention these NFB short classics: The Cat Came Back, The Sweater and one of the most beautifully animated shorts, The Man Who Planted Trees.

When Parasite won Best Picture, what was the reaction in your household? We tested the bounce on our floor boards at Best Director. We tested the bounce on the ceiling boards at Best Picture.

Please recommend three other Letterboxd members we should follow. I can’t count, so here goes. I think everyone should follow Punq for the sheer number of films he watches and reviews, but mostly because I don’t think there is a film made before the 60s that he hasn’t seen. Graham Williamson is a good bet as well. His tastes are eclectic and his reviews are always packed with good observations and information. And I also have to recommend fellow Canuck puffin. I don’t know how he manages to watch so many films and review them. I always enjoy reading Melissa Tamminga, who asks questions and is very thoughtful in her reviews, and I have a soft spot for Peter H, who again personalizes his reviews. Nepotism be damned, Jonathan White always writes honest, interesting and personal reviews.

You also round up Letterboxd members who attend TIFF each year—what’s been a good thing about meeting Letterboxd people in real life? It’s great! Without naming names, I discovered that I could drink a 6'2" Norwegian under the table; a particular New Yorker is so stingy with his ratings that when he gives anything beyond three and a half stars you just have to watch the film; and a New Zealander personally knows anyone who is anyone in the industry over there and can give you all the dirt! Whenever we consider not doing TIFF we are always reminded that it would involve missing our Wednesday meet-up (as well as most other nights where we undoubtedly meet up for beer and film-related arguments), and we easily change our minds.

P.S. In the spirit of connecting Letterboxders… before the TIFF list I thought it would be good idea to create a ‘Letterboxd in [insert City]’ list, Toronto being the first one. It took off, and many users from different parts of the world created lists for their cities; the tag is letterboxdcity.

The March Around the World challenge starts 1 March 2020. Tag your list with ‘30 countries 2020’ and it’ll be added here.

[sporthistory]

Top Ten Charts 1963, The Beatles - Please Please Me Genre Pop/Rock Styles British Invasion Contemporary Pop/Rock Merseybeat Rock & Roll AM Pop Early Pop/Rock AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Once "Please Please Me" rocketed to number one, the Beatles rushed to deliver a debut album, bashing out Please Please Me in a day. Decades after its release, the album still sounds fresh, precisely because of its intense origins. As the songs rush past, it's easy to get wrapped up in the sound of the record itself without realizing how the album effectively summarizes the band's eclectic influences. Naturally, the influences shine through their covers, all of which are unconventional and illustrate the group's superior taste. There's a love of girl groups, vocal harmonies, sophisticated popcraft, schmaltz, R&B, and hard-driving rock & roll, which is enough to make Please Please Me impressive, but what makes it astonishing is how these elements converge in the originals. "I Saw Here Standing There" is one of their best rockers, yet it has surprising harmonies and melodic progressions. "Misery" and "There's a Place" grow out of the girl group tradition without being tied to it. A few of their originals, such as "Do You Want to Know a Secret" and the pleasantly light "P.S. I Love You," have dated slightly, but endearingly so, since they're infused with cheerful innocence and enthusiasm. And there is an innocence to Please Please Me. The Beatles may have played notoriously rough dives in Hamburg, but the only way you could tell that on their first album was how the constant gigging turned the group into a tight, professional band that could run through their set list at the drop of a hat with boundless energy. It's no surprise that Lennon had shouted himself hoarse by the end of the session, barely getting through "Twist and Shout," the most famous single take in rock history. He simply got caught up in the music, just like generations of listeners did. https://www.allmusic.com/album/please-please-me-mw0000649873

[bughead-fic-request]

I would like to thank @leaalda for making these amazing banners.

This is an effort to spread the word about all fan fiction writers in our little fandom. If you would like to be featured or nominate a writer, please contact me. Please reblog this post if you can and check out some of @soulsofstarsliveinyourveins work!

1. First things first, if someone wanted to read your stories where can they find them.

My AO3 name is citrusmuppet and if you’re more comfortable on ff.net, my penname is Joker is Poker with a J. I also post the chapters on my Tumblr (soulsofstarsliveinyourveins) under the CarryOn tag.

2. Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Emily. I live in Pittsburgh, PA and I’m going to school online for my Master’s degree in Archives and Records Administration. I’ve been reading fanfiction since I was probably 11 or 12 and writing since I was 16. I’ve got two puppers and two cats :D

3. What do you never leave home without?

My phone and purse I guess hah.

4. Are you an early bird or a night owl?

A night owl that’s forced to be an early bird for work. I’d much rather stay up late and sleep in!

5. If you could live in any fictional world which one would you choose and why?

Hmmm, this is going to sound super nerdy, but Star Trek. I’d love to explore space and the future isn’t so bleak in that fictional world.

6. Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met.

Phil Mickelson, who is apparently a really famous golfer? He came into the Walgreens I worked at and bought a bunch of travel sized items while he was staying in town for The Open and it wasn’t until he left that someone told me who he was.

7. What are some of your favorite movies/TV?

Oh, man. For TV: Riverdale, obviously. The Office, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, Lucifer, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Stranger Things, Speechless, Friends, Community.

Movies: There’s too many to list but my ultimate favorite is Newsies.

8. What are some of your favorite bands/musicians?

Marianas Trench, Breaking Benjamin, Childish Gambino, The Lumineers, Arctic Monkeys, Brandi Carlile to name just a few 😊

9. Favorite Books?

Harry Potter, The Chanters of Tremaris Series, The League Series, The Immortals After Dark Series, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Alpha and Omega, and the Mercy Thompson Series (I could literally go on forever)

10. Favorite Food?

Probably fries. I could eat them all day every day.

11. Biggest pet peeve?

When people don’t use their turn signals!

12. What did you want to be when you were little? What do you want to be now?

I actually wanted to be an actress when I was younger. But, now I’m working towards being an Archivist (and maybe a fiction writer on the side!) and it’s such a big difference from when I was a kid.

13. What are your biggest fears? Do you have any strange fears?

Biggest fears are spiders and losing loved ones. I don’t think I have any strange fears haha

14. When you are on your deathbed what would be the one you’d regret not doing?

I still have time to do a lot of things so I can’t really answer this!

Okay… lets talk about your writing!

15. Which is your favorite of the fics you've written for the Bughead fandom?

Carry On, which is the only fic I have so far written for the fandom but I have a few other ideas rolling around in my head!

16. Which was the hardest to write, in terms of plot?

N/A, I guess 😊

17. How do you come up with the ideas for you fic(s)? Do you people watch? Listen to music? Get inspired by TV/movies?

Carry On was born out of one scene in particular and it kind of got away from me. Pretty much anything can inspire me. A certain line from a movie, or tv show, or through poetry. I have a very eclectic taste in music so I do get a lot of inspiration from that as well.

18. Idea that you always wanted to write but could never make work?

It sounds awful, but for a while I debated on how I could work in a year of Jughead’s life spent as a prisoner in Penelope Blossom’s basement where she tortured him for FP turning in her husband. But, it didn’t work and it wasn’t plausible or in character for Penelope.

19. Least favorite plot point/chapter/moment you’ve written?

I hate putting Juggie through so much hell. It feels awful, but it makes the story so good. haha

20. Favorite plot point/chapter/moment you’ve written?

Chapter 10 – Heathens, the first half with Carlos :D

21.Favorite character to write?

Definitely Jughead. He’s just a fantastic character all around.

22. Favorite line or lines of dialogue that you've written?

“You look like the child of FP and my mother.” She breathed out, staring at the light, honey waves and realizing she preferred his darker hair color. It was unsettling, too, to think of him in a brotherly way when the feelings he gave her were definitely not sibling-like feelings.

Jughead chuckled, “That will definitely give Riverdale more gossip.” He shook his hair out and ran a hand through it, “Is this enough Clark Kent-ing? Or should I get some glasses, too?”

Laughing at the phrase, she bit her lip and tilted her head at him, "If Hannah Montana can get away with just blonde, so can you."

23. Best comment/review you’ve ever received?

Literally, any comment that tells me their favorite line in the chapter or quotes something I wrote back to me. I love how my written words get others so happy and excited for what’s to come!

24. How do you handle bad reviews or comments?

I don’t remember the last time I’ve gotten a bad review or comment, but I’d really just take it as criticism and just use it to improve my writing.

25. If you could change anything in any of your stories, what would it be?

Ahh, I can’t think of anything I’m sorry!! I usually don’t post a chapter until I’m sure everything is perfect!

26. What is your favorite story you’ve ever written? Any fandom?

I’ve written a lot of Newsies fanfiction over on ff.net and I have a soft spot for each and every one of them but one of my absolute best pieces of writing has GOT to be Numb: Redux, which is a Newsies OC/Spot Conlon fic. It still needs an Epilogue, but it’s just…I don’t know. A piece of writing I’m so incredibly proud of.

27. What are you reading right now? Both fan fiction and general fiction?

General fiction, I’m reading the Winston Brothers romance series by Penny Reid and if anyone ever picks it up let me just say that book 3 called Beard Science has a main character named Jennifer that is literally exactly like Betty.

Fanfiction- I’m reading far too many to list them all. But, I’d definitely recommend Serpent and the Swan by @jugandbettsdetectiveagency, heart rise above by @onceuponamirror, & Summer Storm by @lazydaizies

28. Do you have an advice for writers that want to get into this fandom but might be scared?

I’m one of the shyest, most introverted people you will ever meet irl but I still put my writing out there and honestly, it’s gained me so many wonderful friends and people who share a love of something that we don’t honestly find every day in our real lives. Take a chance, you won’t regret it!

[impracticaldemon]

Tagged ~ Twenty Questions

I’m briefly resurfacing from a combination of writing and gaming.

Thank you to @kawaii-ash for tagging me, and apologies to @kurokiorya who tagged me in something similar ages ago that I don’t think I ever fully answered.

Rules: Answer the twenty questions and tag some people.  Alrighty then!

Name: Lost to the depths of time.  Apparently “The Doctor” is already taken, so I’l go with “Imp”.  My two online names of any note are Impracticaldemon (ImpracticalOni) and Impracticalmagic.  Which is odd, because (other than with plushies) I’m really quite practical.

Nickname: Little Demon, Chibi Oni, Oni-Author-sama

Birthday: November 15 (the “Ides of November”)

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Height: 5′2" (”Shorty” is not a nickname I endorse, but it has been used.)

Orientation:  To the best of my knowledge, straight/hetero-sexual/romantic 

Nationality: Canadian 

Favorite Fruit: Wild blueberries

Season: Autumn/Fall (the later part, after it stops being randomly hot)

Favorite Flower: I have a soft spot for Forget-me-nots, even though they’re “just” a wildflower.  The fragrance of honeysuckle and lilac.  The elegance of irises. Giant white chrysanthemums because they remind me of my mum.  Truthfully, I’m a sucker for nice flowers, although it’s taken a long time to realize it.  Roses are wonderful too.  Oh, and blue hydrangeas - they’re just cool.

Favorite Book: I have read and cherished many books, but I must admit that I’ve re-read the second book in Anne McCaffery’s Harper Hall trilogy more times than I can count. The early Anne of Green Gables books (the first two especially), will always be close friends.  Pride and Prejudice.  The very first Harry Potter (there’s nothing quite like the first book of a really good “magical world” series). Good Omens (Neil Diamond/Terry Practchett) is wild but amazing (highly recommended if you enjoy imaginative, intelligent religious satire and a really good story).  Georgette Heyer’s Frederica (regency romance with some of the best humour I’ve ever read).

Coffee/Tea/Hot Cocoa: Green tea (with lemon), English Breakfast tea, chamonile/peppermint tea, and hot chocolate.  Not coffee.

Average sleep hours: It varies from 0 to about 6-7, with very occasional days where I’m unconscious for 10 hours trying to catch up.

Cat or Dog: I prefer plushies.  I realize that makes me evil (the good guys always love cats and/or dogs), but somehow I’m not wired to love pets the way everybody else does.  This is one of my guiltiest secrets, and now you all know. 

Favorite fictional character:  At the moment, probably Saitou Hajime (Haku).  I’ve read an awful lot of books, though (not to mention all the PC and video games with wonderful characters), so I have a lot of "favourites”.  The person I wanted to be growing up was Anne from Anne of Green Gables - but I’m not.  I’m just not a “free spirit” like she is.  My absolute favourite character in the Marvel/DC universes was J’onn J’onnz (Martian Manhunter).  Talk about picking the most obscure of the original Justice League!  I’m a fan of Hermione Granger - oh, and Minerva McGonnagall.  ...and on and on...

Blog created: August 2016.

Hobbies: Playing otome games, playing various PC games (4X and RPGs, but also some puzzle and time-management games), writing, reading, tumblr.  These days mostly writing.

Top 3 Favorite Otome Games: That’s a surprisingly specific question.  Haku.ouki.  Probably Amnesia, despite it’s flaws--it’s the game that got me hooked in the first place.  After that I’d have to review the list of games I’ve played to make a decent choice.  I haven’t played any of the Voltage games or MysMe.  Honestly, Code Realize is probably #3 right now, but there are some very good independent otome games out there at the moment.

Fictional place you want to visit: Probably lots of places, but  right now I’m drawing a blank.  Something like Diagon Alley would be neat, but honestly, going to a Star Trek Next Generation type of future also  appeals.  So many of the places I want to visit would be dangerous or compel me to wear uncomfortable clothes.

Top 3 countries you want to visit: 1. I want to go back to the UK (I loved England, Scotland and Wales when I was there). 2. Ireland (I never got to see it).  3. I’d love to see northern Europe.

NOTE:  I’d like to go to Japan and Egypt and China and many other places with incredible historical potential.  However, I’m allergic to sun and heat.  So I’d have to find a way to go when it’s cold (more feasible for Japan and China, probably).

Top 3 favorite songs:�� Sorry, I’m just kind of burned out and I love music but I’m horrible with song and artist names.  At any given time it could be some 80s stuff, or something new I happened to like from an AMV, or a song from a musical (Disney or Gilbert & Sullivan, who knows?!).  My musical taste is eclectic, to put it mildly.

I usually tag people, but today I’m feeling rebellious, so no tags!

[tripstations]

tripstations’s Top Global Restaurant Picks

our clothes, our money, and especially our appetites. Navigating restaurants when abroad can be an expensive thrill at best and downright cheap and frightening at worst. Followsummer was recently asked to name our top dining experiences as one of the world’s Expert Travelers. So here, in no particular order, are tripstations’s Top Best Global Restaurant picks – straight from the source.

Daniel Boulud’s  Café Boulud at the Four Seasons Toronto

In June of last year, Café Boulud closed its doors for a major design and menu retrofit. Reviews and the general word on the street had been positive but frankly they just did not seem to be pulling a loyal crowd. I must admit being disappointed with both of my visits to Café Boulud. The food was beautiful, the service stellar but I never felt entirely comfortable in the room. Those out of date, stark, pop art posters stealing focus from that admirable food and worthy service. The room itself did not live up to the crisp, classic, clean lines made famous by the Four Seasons brand. And the food didn’t seem that French to me either. Fancy foams and risottos? Mon Dieu! After a whirlwind seven-week, 2 million dollar renovation, Café Boulud was reborn and rejuvenated with a fresh new look and brand new and very French menu.

Edulis, Toronto, Ontario

Visited by the venerable Ruth Reichl (“So many restaurants insist that the experience is about them: their food, their ambiance, their wine.  At Edulis, it’s all about you. They feed you wonderful food – but they understand that a great meal transcends what’s on the table.”), Edulis’s eclectic pairing of French and Spanish cuisines make Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo’s small room a delight. Difficult to get to on a cold, white February evening, but so worth the snowy effort. Go.

Llangoed Hall, Brecon Beacons, Wales

Chef Nick Brodie has built his name on a cooking career that has taken him from Hong Kong to London to Bath, ensuring that many of the ingredients in his imaginative yet sensible food come from his burgeoning kitchen garden, harvesting his foraged ingredients when they bloom and adapting his beautifully presented seasonal dishes accordingly. His pre-dinner canapés with a cocktail are amongst the most unusual and delicious tripstations has eaten. Our dinner tonight is an extended and  extravagant 13-course vegetarian dégustation:  a beautifully presented ribbed bowl of Torched Leek, Duck Egg Mimosa, and Jerusalem Artichoke begins our tasting and finish with Smoked Ice cream, Cocoa Nib and Caramel Sauce, all accompanied by individual wine pairings. Incredible.  Many of the ingredients in his imaginative yet sensible food come from his burgeoning kitchen garden, harvesting his foraged ingredients when they bloom and adapting his beautifully presented seasonal dishes accordingly.

Saint John Ale House, Saint John, New Brunswick

We readily admit our skepticism when the Saint John Tourism Rep sent us a list of potential dining spots; frankly The Saint John Ale House did not jump out at us as a desirable Saturday-night-in-Saint John, fine ‘pub(ish)’ dining option. However, we dig in, do our research and discover the praiseworthy and progressive pub food offerings of Chef Jesse Vergen.

 Vij’s, Vancouver, British Columbia

Whether for work or play, we always make the effort to wait in line (no reservations) often to be greeted by the great Vikram Vij himself (tripstations has personally been welcomed twice by Chef, not so much so of late that he has become somewhat of a national celebrity) to his family style restaurant. Chef serves simple yet outstanding sophisticated flavours and house-made spices, turning up the volume and giving us Vij’s take on classical Indian cuisine. Call ahead for take-away as well.

Les Trois Domes, Sofitel Lyon Bellecour, Lyon, France

My 50th birthday celebration included a trip to Lyon to sample and savour all things Classic Lyonnais food. Les Lyonnais take their food very seriously with delicacies like Andouillette, Tête à Veaux and Veal Foot Salad a must on their must-eat collective dining tables.  Not for the faint of heart and perhaps one of the odder food experiences we’ve had in our travels. The saving grace of the trip was our dinner at Les Trois Domes: let’s just say come for the Foie Gras Tasting, stay for the Foie Gras Tasting.

Rob Gentile’s Buca

is like Italian heaven to us, a heaven where there is incredible food, wonderful wine, and superb service. Heaven was certainly on our minds last week as four friends gathered at Buca for a Thursday evening catch up dinner and to continue month-long celebrations of my husbands 60th birthday. Recently listed at  number 17 on Canada’s Best 100 Restaurants, we are greeted by a handsome front of house staff: all smiling, all attractive in a heavenly Italian kind of way, who gather our last-of-winter coats and usher us through the bustling, beautiful main dining room with soaring high ceilings, past exposed raw brick, and iron beams to our waiting table, nestled and tucked into the corner beside the hustling, open kitchen.

 Workshop Kitchen + Bar. Palm Springs, California

A surprising new entry into the Palm Springs dining scene, Workshop Kitchen + Bar pushes the foodie envelope with their Farm to Table approach. Owners Michael Beckman and Joseph Mourani have realized a contemporary, somewhat austere Modernist industrial design in a beautiful Colonial building which offers a compelling staging point for their ‘Americana’ style of food, offering everything from wood-fired pizza, sous-vide offerings, duck rillette, pan-roasted scallops, black truffle risotto, to Large Format Plates that are great for a ‘family service’ style evening of shared food and conversation. We left feeling well fed with plenty left on the wooden groaning board if we chose to doggy-bag it.

 Spencer’s Restaurant at the Mountain. Palm Springs, California

Booking a table at such a traditional, ‘clubby’, Palm Springs restaurant is not usually our style but the name Spencer’s is synonymous with Palm Springs’ classic style and its historically significant mid-century charm offers a stylish elegance and comfortable informality that apparently was not to be missed. Located in Old Palm Springs and situated at the foot of Mt. San Jacinto, the summer air-cooled, and winter propane-heated patio is legendary with the stunning surroundings matched only by great food and unobtrusive yet attentive service. This was, perhaps our best meal in Palm Springs.

 The Whole Earth. Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Just up the street from our hotel and near the very busy Night Market Street  in Chiang Mai is a beautiful looking restaurant, The Whole Earth.  The restaurant is situated in a traditional Lanna Thai pavilion and appears to float slightly above ground and we sit on a long open-air veranda with beautiful views of the gardens. Our meal is delicious – I have Tom Yum Soup, and the tastes of lemongrass, ginger and chili are divine on my tongue and Greg’s sweet and sour vegetables are lovely – not too sweet. We returned several times to indulge in their yummy variety of Thai, Indian and Vegetarian food, blissfully combining two cultures of traditional Thai and Ayurvedic Indian cuisines.

Fat Pasha. Toronto, Ontario.

Ahhh Fat Pasha. Difficult to secure a place at one of their communal tables but when you do…you’ll be feted with a ton of Middle-Eastern-Meets-Your-Jewish-Bubby food with a focus on the Veg side. Did I mention a ton of food? The Fat Pashas also owns Rose & Sons and Big Crow as well so if you can’t get grab a table at the popular FP, try their other eats. But try to taste the Fat P.

We breeze into DaiLo for our 6:30 reservation and are promptly seated at the choice, beautiful mother of pearl inlay table for 6, appropriate for a rendezvous dinner with good friends in from Boston. I have wanted to eat at DaiLo since it’s opening but like Bar Raval, have just not been able to get to Little Italy to sample Chef Nick Liu’s Chinese meets French ‘New Asian Cuisine’ appropriately hashtagged, #sickasianfood. Heavily influenced by Hakka Canadian parents and ancient ancestral menus, Chef Liu updates his creations with local and sustainable fare while wisely playing to our western palates.

Cochon. New Orleans, Louisiana

Dinner at Cochon in the city’s up and coming Warehouse/Arts district,   is a must. The room is warm and bustling with warehouse-themed brick predominating the theme. We have an early reservation (did I mention how busy the New Orleans eating scene is?) and once seated, we immediately acknowledge some more New Orleans lagniappe: as with dinner last evening at Lüke, we find ourselves engaged in animated and unreserved conversations with our fellow diners. Typical NOLA behaviour. Delicious starters of arugula & watermelon salad and a mushroom salad with beef jerky and lemon dressing are followed with oven-roasted red fish “Fisherman Style” with pickled fennel for me, and a delicious soft-shell crab for John.

 Atchafalaya. New Orleans Louisiana

A Jazzy-Honky-tonk trio welcomes our rain-soaked feet and damp spirits to a highly anticipated brunch at Atchafalaya. When seated, we indulge in their popular make it yourself Bloody Mary bar, featuring numerous types of home-pickled garnish options (including green beans, asparagus tips, peppers and cauliflower) to top off our choice of green tomato or traditional homemade tomato juices. John opts for the Oysters Rockefeller Eggs Benedict garnished with Apple Smoked Bacon and I nosh on The Boudreaux – sunny side eggs, alligator sausage, jalapeño corn bread, crystal potatoes and creole hollandaise – rainy day wonderful.

  The post tripstations’s Top Global Restaurant Picks appeared first on Tripstations.

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[onlinegames2020-blog]

Dengeki Bunko Hack, Cheats, Tips & Free Guide

Dengeki Bunko was created and published by “37GAMES.ASIA” company, and it is available to be downloaded and played on the Android and IOS platforms.

A world that has many challenges and Asuna walks in academy city with her sword in hand. Shana eats her favorite melon. The storyline is very crazy and it has the taste of the Japanese manga.

The epic battles in the game are breathtaking and will require from you to have an access to the in game store, and you can start using Dengeki Bunko cheats to cover this part.

Quick Info

In our Dengeki Bunko review, we will be talking mainly about the biggest features of the game. Therefore, if you are new to the game, you would find it very important to read the details on the first two segment and the remaining parts shall be focused mainly on the advanced parts.

The game requires from you to have a stable and strong internet connection in order to play the game freely without any problems.

How To Play?

Meet Saku, a Faerie of void. At the request of my master, I am on an inspection tour through all the worlds in the void.

We will begin the journey by taking a walk in academy city, in this part you will be introduced to the different parts of the game.

Different Curios in the game will grant different stats, choose wisely and know exactly what you are about to face in the upcoming journey.

Once the battle begins, you will see the opponents located on the both sides of the screen. Your character will be highlighted in the blue color and the opponent will take the red.

You can find the special skills of yours on the bottom side and they are there waiting for you to activate them in order.

Reading the description on the skills and knowing exactly how they operates is a very wise move. Adding the Dengeki Bunko Hack to the equation will make you much stronger.

Storyline

As the game proceeds, forward you should realize that there are deeper details in the game combat system.

Each skill will consume SP. Running out of the SP will leave you an easy target and you must start learning how to use your skills wisely. Recharge or increase Your SP Dengeki Bunko Hack.

One more thing you should know, the game is providing you with a special ability that can be only activated once and it will deal massive damage to your opponent.

Understanding when exactly to activate the special skill, as it should knock out your enemy right away without a hesitation.

Get Extra Help From Dengeki Bunko Cheats!

The questing system is taking a different path than the other games on the market now. The game is based on the Japanese Manga and it has the depth of the storyline that you would be asking for.

Eclectic shock seems to be a blessing for someone. There will be a reward for each mission and you can read the description located on the side as it will show you the potential. The Dengeki Bunko Cheats should improve your powers

Each mission will have a picture shown over it to show you the expected result. As his name indicates, Shizuo Heiwajima always tries to live a quiet life. However, his dream has never come true. There are many reasons for this, and Izaya Orhiara is one of them.

Reward System in a Nutshell

There are tons of features waiting for you dive through it, we can start with the chat box. Adding friends to your list will make the game communication system much easier.

You can start unlocking new characters as well with the help of Dengeki Bunko Hack. The challenge is very promising feature as it has its own obstacles.

There will be rewards coming to you in your storage and as you complete tasks and advance higher in the levels the rewards will get bigger. We cannot ignore the daily login reward system.

All our reviews and content have been tested and written by the Real Gamers forum, Here is the main post for Dengeki Bunko Hack, Cheats, Tips & Guide.

Dengeki Bunko Hack

[ulyssessklein]

Dave Mason on the Rock ‘n Soul Review with Steve Cropper

By: Rick Landers

Dave Mason – Photo courtesy of Dawn Studios

Armed with a talent for creating an eclectic array of songs, with clever twists, beautiful melodic riffs, butter smooth vocals, the legendary singer-songwriter, Dave Mason, has gifted us with such memorable tracks that include: “Feeling Alright”, “Only You Know and I Know”, “Hole in My Shoe”, “So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away)” and many more.

Mason has toured the world for over fifty years, beginning with his time as a member of the acclaimed British jazz-blues-rock-pop fusion group, Traffic and later as a solo act. Not that he was a loner.

No, Dave’s worked alongside other rock icons like Jimi Hendrix,  Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Leon Russell, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and a host of other majors in the pantheon of modern music.

Listen to the opening acoustic riffs on Jimi’s “All Along the Watchtower” or the vocals of the Hendrix classic, “Crosstown Traffic” and Dave’s made his mark. Be reminded that Mason had a turn managing The Spencer Davis Group, then later running solo, he had his 1977 hit, “We Just Disagree” a staple of the classic rock airwaves with it’s honey soaked vocal and poetically aching lyrics. And let’s not reduce the album, Let It Flow, to just that single, the album is a masterpiece. And, yes, Dave’s got his well deserved place as an inductee in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. There’s more, like his work with the Stones on Beggars Banquet and George Harrison’s prolific All Things Must Pass solo pursuit.

Music runs in his veins, yet when asked about his love of rock ‘n roll, he merely claims to be a “working musician”.  And on his latest venture, the Rock and Soul Revue Tour with the legendary Stax session man and stellar song-writer, Steve Cropper, Mason deflects praise directed his way to his friend Steve.

Steve Cropper’s and Dave Mason’s Rock and Soul Revue has kickstarted and will roam America for months. We can expect to hear many of the hit songs that they’ve appeared on, like “Green Onions”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”, “All Along the Watchtower”, “We Just Disagree”, “Feeling Alright”, “Sitting on the Dock of a Bay”, “Soul Man” and many more that have been a part of their storied musical careers. The term legend floats around easily these days, but in fact. Steve Cropper and Dave Mason are the true grit that’s fundamental to the word – legends, indeed. The Rock and Soul Tour is one not to miss…

Steve Cropper and Dave Mason Rock & Soul Review Tour 2018

TICKETS ON SALE HERE

   ******

Rick Landers: Songwriting has changed over the years due to technology. When lyrics or melodies popped into your head decades ago, how did the challenges of keeping them for later differ from today?

Dave Mason: Well, I ‘d use cassettes. I didn’t start writing until ’67. If the song was worth a shit, then I’d just remember it, but otherwise, for the most part, I’d just use a cassette.

Rick: I recently saw a photo of you playing a sitar. How’d that come about and were you influenced by Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Shawn Philips or some other players? And, what other instruments are you comfortable playing?

Dave Mason: Back in the Sixties…I’m English for one thing and we had a lot of Indian restaurants where I grew up. So, I was familiar with the Eastern music and then the Sixties started to make its way into Western music . And I was listening to all kinds of stuff back then; Bulgarian music, Eastern, classical, jazz, rock, blues, whatever. It was interesting and, actually,

George Harrison gave me my first sitar. I used it on a couple of Traffic’s things. I used it on the first song I ever wrote, Traffic’s first big hit called, “Hole in My Shoe” and I used it on “Paper Sun”. I actually did a couple of tracks with Hendrix where I used it, I played bass, but I have no idea what happened to those things. I played around with it. I haven’t used it in years.

Rick: You played on Electric Ladyland? 

Dave Mason: Yes, I played on Electric Ladyland, played on “All along the Watchtower” sang on “Crosstown Traffic” and just some tracks that Jimi and I just cut together. We did complete tracks, drums, whatever. But, but I don’t know what happened to them.

Rick: Going back in time, I suppose you were inspired by Scotty Moore, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Burnette, Grady Martin nd Chuck Berry. But, it seems that a lot of British players wore out records of B.B. King, Muddy Waters and other blues players too.

Dave Mason: My stuff originally? I listened to The Shadows, with Hank Marvin, The Ventures, then got more into things and started to listen more, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell, all the Kings, Albert, BB, Otis Rush, Elmore James, all that stuff. 

Rick: How’d Traffic come together?

Dave Mason: Jim (Capaldi) and I had bands together, the Deep Feeling and The Hellions. We cut a record with The Hellions, didn’t do anything. And then we met up with Winwood and Chris Wood in Birmingham, in a place called The Algorithm, an after hours club. We all sort of just hung out when we could. We had pretty diversified tastes. We were all pretty much listening to a lot of the same stuff.

You know, when people talk about the British Invasion? The British Invasion is an American story. It’s not a British story, without America and the music coming from here, there would be no Eric Clapton or any of us, frankly. That’s what we did, we learned from all the American music. It all goes back to the early stuff, Alexis Korner and earlier and Long John Baldry, Bryan Auger, John Mayall. There was the blues influence and the hits. A lot of the stuff was covers of American hits.

Rick: Yeah, even The Beatles and the Stones did American covers.

Dave Mason: Yeah, we learned from here. So, obviously for me, to be able to do this after all these years with Steve Cropper is a huge thing for me. Because, that shit we were listening to back when I was 16, 17 and 18 years old. What’s interesting to me in doing this with Steve is to find out how few people know who the hell he is, let alone Booker T. and the MGs did, and the records those people played on is just ridiculous, and then of course the songs Steve co-wrote.

To me, it’s like “Wow!” I didn’t realize it that nobody really know who the hell this guy is, it’s amazing. That they did that whole HBO Special on the Muscle Shoals guys, Hawkins (Roger Hawkins) and all those guys, and I don’t understand why they didn’t do one of those things on Booker T. and the MGs. And what they did, it’s ridiculous.

Rick: I saw Booker T. and the MGs and Cobo Hall in Detroit with Creedence and Wilbert Harrison. I was floored how good they were and they got a standing ovation.

Dave Mason: Yeah, well I saw them in ’67, at the time they were backing Otis Redding. I mean, take the entire Stax record collection and they were backing everybody!

Rick: What was your first impression of Jimi Hendrix and what was he like as a collaborator?

Dave Mason: I just got to know him and I got to hang out with him a lot and I got to go to the studio with him and record, We both heard John Wesley Harding together, and something caught his interest on “Watchtower”.

I found myself in the studio with him and Mitch Mitchell, got the track down. Otherwise, I mean, just hanging out with Jimi, he was a pretty quiet guy, soft spoken. In the studio he was all business. The thing about him, and there are a lot of great guitar players, a lot of them, but there are no more Jimi Hendrix’s. I mean the guy was just so innovative.

  Dave Mason – Photo by Chris Jensen

Rick: You were with the Island label early, with many of the British folk artists of the time, John Martyn, Nick Drake, and I think the Incredible String Band. Did you know them well?

Dave Mason: I don’t really know them. I never worked with them. One person I used to listened to was Davey Graham.

Rick: Yeah, Graham was amazing, loved his “Angie”. Traffic was such a cool group with some jazz-blues grooves. How did you guys click?

Dave Mason: I have a pop sensibility, but we all pretty much liked the same kinds of music, more or less. And Traffic, I guess, was one of the first alternative bands, basically.

Rick: Yeah, your music was different. You’ve got “Feeling Alright” that’s got kind of  Motown and Stax sounds that could have easily been covered by the Four Tops or the Temptations.

Dave Mason: Well, I think it may have been. [Laughs] Over fifty major artists have covered it.

Rick: You’ll soon be on the road with Steve Cropper. How’d your Rock and Soul Revue tour come about and how’d you meet Steve? 

Dave Mason: I was in Nashville a year ago and we had lunch with a mutual friend and kind of threw some things around. Kind of doing something and then last New Years, I have a house in Maui and Shep Gordon does a benefit thing every New Years and everybody goes there, like Mick Fleetwood and whatever musicians are around.

Steve came over and we started talking about it. That’s basically how it came together. Three weeks ago we rehearsed for the first time. It’s the first time we played together, rehearsing this show at a friend’s ranch in North Carolina, in the northern corner.

Rick: That’s bluegrass country.

Dave Mason: [Laughs] Yeah! And I’ve been doing gigs, besides when I was with Traffic, since I was 22 years old, and now I’m 72. So, I thought it would be fun to do it now, something different and turn people on to who the hell Steve Cropper is and the songs, his “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”, “Soul Man:, “In the Midnight Hour”, I mean, c’mon! 

Rick: Have you guys come up with a structured set list or are you going wing it, some of it? Or half you, then half Steve, then mix it up?

Dave Mason: No, no, no… we’re not going to wing it. There’s a set list. We’re playing on stage together and there are songs of mine that he’s not on and songs that’s he’s doing, like “Green Onions” and two or three other things that I’m not playing on, because I think me playing some of the guitar parts, I’d be getting in the way, keep to the original.

I’ve got great musicians, great players, Gretchen, Rhodes, Tony Patler and my keyboard player has a great R&B voice. And we’re doing other stuff like, “Can’t Find My Way Back Home”, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and then I’ve got my songs, “Only You Know and I Know”, “We Just Disagree” and stuff like that. So, let’s put it this way, there are no filler songs in the entire show.

Rick: It’s gotta be tough fitting in all the songs you like to play. Do you pick songs you love to play or the big sellers?

Dave Mason: It’s a combination of both, a combination of hits with Cropper’s stuff; his records are huge, they’ll get played.  

Rick: You’ve got a lot of albums you’ve put out. I think there’s close to twenty-seven. 

Dave Mason: Oh, God I don’t know. [Laughs] I can’t say I’m putting anything out. In the last ten years, there’s no label. It’s a waste of time. It’s sad that there’s no radio anymore, no DJs, no way to promote anything. I think it’s the biggest flaw of it all.

Rick: What kind of rig and guitar are you grabbing for this tour? 

Dave Mason: I play a Strat.

Rick: What about acoustic?

Dave Mason: I‘m using it on “We Just Disagree”. I’m using the same 12-string I’ve played for years, an Alvarez Yairi.

Rick: The black one?

Dave Mason: Yeah. And, then I use a rig I put through a Fender Blues Deville.

Rick: During the late sixties and the early ‘70s, what do you think was the best rock city in America?

Dave Mason: The best rock city? It’s hard to say if you go back to the ‘60s and ‘70s. There was music coming out of Nashville, Philadelphia, Detroit, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles. You had a shit load of places and, it depends, I mean rock music could have been cut in any one of those places.

I don’t know, when I think of rock ‘n roll and what people classify as rock ‘n roll are different things. On the set we do, at the end of the show I tell people I’m gonna to do some real rock and roll, not AC/DC, okay? Real rock, like in 1954, “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, Little Richard’s rock ‘n roll, Eddie Cochran’s rock ‘n roll and all that.

Rick: You ever play the old Grande Ballroom in Detroit?

Dave Mason: Probably. [Laughs]

Rick: I’m from the Detroit area and we’d go there and Cobo Hall.

Dave Mason: Yeah, I played there too. Kick out the jams motherfuckers, [Both Laugh]

Rick: Yeah, I saw them (MC5) do that back in ’68 or ‘69 at the Grande. Anything you’re looking forward to on the Rock and Soul Revue Tour you and Steve (Cropper) are doing?

Dave Mason: We spent a week working on the show and to me it’s a great honor. It’s like completing a circle for me, fifty, sixty years later.

Rick: I was gonna say, he’s a hoot. He’s fun.

Dave Mason: Steve, oh yeah [Laughs] He’s got an endless amount of stories.

Rick: I think you’re gonna have a blast. How many gigs do you have?

Dave Mason: I’m not sure, probably about thirty at the moment. We’re just going to see how it goes. We’re going wherever we can.

Rick: You still like playing rock ‘n roll?

Dave Mason: I love playing. I’m a working musician,

Rick: What kind of acoustic guitar do you noodle around with at home?

Dave Mason: I have a Taylor that I bought back in ’94, and I have that beautiful Alvarez Yairi 12-string that was made for me twenty-five years ago.

Rick: Any parting words about the tour?

Dave Mason: I just hope people come out and check out the show and re-discover one of the greats, Steve Cropper

[quenchmagazine]

Farming, flat, potash and prosperity — according to a survey completed in 2015 by Insightrix Research Inc, these are just a few of the terms that come to mind when Canadians think about Saskatchewan. There were other less positive terms, like “boring” — gasp — but if Saskatoon is any indication, this flat, farming province is anything but boring.

Saskatoon is the next stop in our Food City series. This small-town, big-city stop on the Trans-Canada Highway is the largest city in Saskatchewan. It boasts a rich culinary scene that is growing in leaps and bounds as locals take a look at what their farming neighbours are producing and realize that these local ingredients make for great fare. Next time you find yourself in this prairie town, take a tour of these must-visit locales that are helping to put Saskatoon on Canada’s culinary map.

Read the food city installment for St John’s, Newfoundland here. 

Must Visit

Bakeries & Cafés

The Night Oven Bakery 629-b 1st Avenue North

Owner Bryn Rawlyk serves handmade artisan bread pulled out of his hand-built brick oven each morning. His approach is simple — start with organic, local ingredients and create breads and pastries that highlight the flavours of Saskatoon. “The main focus of what we do is to utilize local ingredients to create breads, pastries and foods for our customers,” says Rawlyk. “Our style is rustic French with some eastern European specialties at times. Customers have grown to know our standard for quality and appreciate our creative seasonal items.”

His creative menu includes different cultural breads during the holidays; Red Fife sourdough bread, which has just the right amount of chewiness, moistness and sourness to please any bread critic; whole-wheat brioche hamburger buns; and a wide (and changing) selection of French pastries difficult to find anywhere else in Saskatoon, including flaky, crisp croissants and savoury or sweet tarts (try the lemon, if you can get there in time — all of their pastries sell out quickly). You can place an order to take home and share with your family, or sit in the café, sip an exquisite coffee made with organic milk and enjoy with a good book (or a close friend).

If you’re visiting Saskatoon over the weekend, stop in for their Friday Pizza Night. Rawlyk and his team make every style of pizza — meat, veggie, cheese — and they change up the selection each week. Their fresh, local ingredients are framed by a soft, crunchy crust that has a slight sourdough flavour, all baked fresh that night in the brick oven.

The Night Oven also mills its own flour right there in the store. “Using local, organic grain is a big part of what we do,” says Rawlyk. “In starting the bakery, I really wanted to connect customers with the grain that is grown all around our town. I think starting with quality ingredients is very important to creating a great product.” You can bring home their stone-ground flour, Two Stones Mills, to try to recreate some organic pastries of your own, though you can’t beat the experience — and the mouth-watering smells — of visiting The Night Oven Bakery. You’ll never want to buy store-bought bread again.

Citizen Café and Bakery 18 – 23rd Street East

House-made treats, excellent coffee and lounge-worthy couches for an afternoon pick-me-up, this little coffee shop and bakery is a great place to rest your feet as your tour Saskatoon.

The Karma Conscious Café & Eatery 2-157 – 2nd Avenue North

A flavourful fusion of vegan and vegetarian food accompanied by espresso made from hand-picked fair trade coffee. Three percent of all revenues go towards helping charities in the community.

Last Mile Coffee Truck Saskatoon Farmers’ Market

If you’re spending the day at the Farmers’ Market, stop by this truck for some independent roadster coffee.

Dinner & Drinks

The Hollows 334 Avenue C South

Chef Christie Peters was a 2016 Mav Chef and she’s still working hard to craft seasonal dishes in the heart of Saskatoon. “After cooking in larger cities, Saskatoon feels like the Wild West,” says Peters. “Being my own boss allows me to focus on any areas I feel passionate about at the time. At this time, I am able to practise charcuterie in conjunction with whole-animal butchery.”

Peters and her husband, Kyle Michael, own The Hollows and Primal Pasta (see below). Both restaurants work around Saskatoon’s climate to ensure all dishes are made with local ingredients, all year round. “The challenges of the harsh climate and short growing season here keep us on our toes,” explains Peters. “We are always finding new ways to preserve items from our gardens so that they carry us through the long, cold winters.”

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Gardening is a major passion for Peters. She planted her gardens in order to grow her own ingredients. “The gardens guide the menus at both restaurants,” she says. “Every year we are learning new things. Right now [in July], we are harvesting rose petals, raspberry leaf, rhubarb, wood sorrel, lamb’s quarters and dandelions. And next week, it could be entirely different!”

Her menu at The Hollows is as eclectic and creative as you could want. Dishes crafted with local ingredients, focusing on texture and unique flavour combinations, mean you’ll get to enjoy buttery-salty roasted bone marrow; or dandelion tempura with spicy mayo, one of the daily specials, seasoned just right and not too spicy. Main dishes — served in reasonable portions rather than piled on the plate — include creations like pork sausage with kimchi and olive oil potatoes, where the pork sausage has the perfect ratio of meat to fat and the kimchi gives it all a nice kick. Finish your meal with the dessert flight, a sampling of all of their desserts in just-the-right-size portions so you can have a taste of everything.

“Our motto is high quality, seasonal and sustainable,” says Peters. “It happens to be that the most high-quality and fresh products available are usually locally grown, or foraged, or locally pastured animals. This philosophy guides our menus in such a way that the slightest micro-changes in the season are reflected.”

Primal Pasta 423 – 20th Street West

Here, you’ll find a menu replete with fresh, homemade pastas and sauces crafted with local ingredients (including those from Chef Peters’ garden). A nice Saskatoon-twist on traditional Italian cuisine.

Ayden Kitchen & Bar 265 – 3rd Avenue

If you’re looking for high-end pub food, heavy on the meats, Ayden Kitchen & Bar is the place to be. The relaxed, inviting atmosphere, replete with rich dark woods and antiques, is the perfect setting for an evening of dining, after-work cocktails or a night cap. The menu includes special selections that showcase all that Saskatoon has to offer, made with local vegetables, seasonings and meats.

“We work with a lot of local farmers and producers. We’ve built great relationships with them and there’s that sense of satisfaction knowing that we can take their locally crafted products and create something extraordinary for our guests to enjoy,” says general manager and mixologist Christopher Cho. “We learn so much when working with local suppliers, about how their product has been handled and the amount of love and care they put into it. We want to give the products justice by giving the same love the suppliers have and that is why I think it changes the taste of our menu.”

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Their drinks list is a big draw as well and includes signature cocktails created by Cho. These are created to pair with the menu, though Ayden also has all the classics and the bartenders can recreate whatever cocktail you crave. “The moment you walk through our doors to the moment you walk out, we want our guests to feel as if we took them on a journey,” says Cho. “We strive to exceed our guests’ expectations when it comes to the food, the service, the drinks and the ambiance.”

Judging from the reviews and the number of awards they’ve received, they have succeeded in achieving that goal. “Ayden Kitchen & Bar was the first restaurant in Saskatchewan to be acclaimed in the Top 10 Best Restaurants through Vacay.ca, Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada through enRoute Magazine, and Top 100 Best Restaurants in Canada through Macleans. We couldn’t have achieved that without the support of this city,” explains Cho. “Throughout my travels, I find Saskatoon to be one of the friendliest cities across Canada. There’s a huge support culture in Saskatoon. People who are from here or live here have a big amount of pride to be in Saskatoon.”

Prairie Harvest Café 2917 Early Drive

Prairie Harvest isn’t actually a café — it’s a small, quirky lunch-brunch-supper spot found in the middle of a charming neighbourhood. Owner/chef Michael McKeown, and his co-chefs Bret Eldstrom and Adam Carrier, serve up interesting seasonal dishes, all surrounding their three staples: lasagna, pierogis and doughnuts. “We change the menu weekly [or] bi-weekly, depending on what ingredients are available,” says McKeown. “Maple bacon doughnuts, PH lasagna and pierogis have been there in one form or another since Day One; the rest of the menu kind of fits around that.”

Local, seasonal ingredients are the cornerstone of Prairie Harvest’s menu. McKeown and his team transform these ingredients into handmade dishes. “We don’t bring anything in store-bought at all. Everything that goes on the plate, we make,” explains McKeown. “We make all our own doughs, all our own breads, all our own pastas.” They also make sauces, mayo, ketchup, mustard — literally everything. This means that the dining experience is truly home-style and one-of-a-kind.

Take the maple bacon doughnut, for example. The strong, smoky bacon flavour combines so well with the hints of maple — an interesting fusion of savoury and sweet. Their breads are dense and hearty. Sausages perfectly juicy. The actual bacon crispy and thick. The combination of local ingredients with the out-of-the-box approach to flavour makes it worth hunting down this small, out-of-the-way space.

To help prolong the availability of seasonal ingredients, Prairie Harvest preserves its sauces, pickles ingredients and does its best to store enough to get the restaurant through the winter. “Right now, we’re pickling asparagus,” mentions McKeown. “With tomatoes, we roast them off, make sauce and freeze that and use it as long into the winter as we can. But we’re a little, tiny place, so it can last as long as it can last.” If they do run out, all they have to do is change the menu up a little bit — tweak it so that if they run out of something, you won’t even notice. Even if it is in the dead of winter.

Saskatoon Station Place 221 Idylwyld Drive North

When Saskatoon Station Place opened, it was the first Greek-Canadian fusion restaurant in the city. A visit here is like a journey to the past, when trains featured classic food cars, bar cars and even smoking cars. This is the full fine-dining experience at its best.

More to See

Shopping

Last Shoes 318 Avenue C South

Cordwainer (aka, shoemaker) Adam Finn opened up Last Shoes to provide Saskatoon with custom shoes. “Last Shoes is all about craftsmanship and self-expression,” explains Finn. “When a customer buys a pair of handmade shoes, it’s an investment in their aesthetic sensibilities as well as a unique story and experience.”

Finn opened up Last Shoes because he’s “always had an interest in craft, creating objects that people interact with and build a relationship with.” Given how important shoes are not only to the comfort of our feet but also our posture, back and overall balance, having a good pair of shoes is key — especially if you’re a chef, like Christie Peters, who pointed me to Last Shoes, the creators of her kitchen clogs and apron with sturdy leather accents.

Finn has had a lot of success marketing his custom shoes and other leather products — and he hasn’t looked back. “I love working in a city that is growing and changing. There’s a mentality of collaboration rather than competition,” he explains. “The response has been great.”

The Cure Artisanal Charcuterie 110-209 Avenue D South

Artisanal meats are the only thing sold at this carnivore’s grocer. Treat yourself to an epic meat and cheese platter for your next gathering or for a snack while you relax at your hotel before dinner.

Saskatoon Farmers’ Market 414 Avenue B South

Every vendor at the market sells only what they produce, so this is the place to be if you want a true representation of all that Saskatoon has to offer.

Hazlewood Clothing Co. 120 – 20th Street West

Antiquing in style. A curated vintage shop with clothing, home furnishings and handmade apothecary.

Drinks & Nightlife

The Rook & Raven Pub 154 – 2nd Avenue South

When The Rook opened in 2011, it started the locally owned and operated pub revolution of downtown Saskatoon. A comfortable, casual spot to unplug from the outside world and enjoy a pint.

Melody Lounge Bar 255 – 3rd Avenue South

This brilliant, off-the-beaten-path bar has live music, great cocktails and a selection of nibbles to keep you satisfied all night long.

Bartari Videogame Restaurant & Bar 511 – 20th Street West

Retro games and adult beverages with some food thrown into the mix. Not sure about you, but to me, that’s a recipe for a great evening.

Mana Bar 523 – 20th Street West

New to the Saskatoon bar scene, this is a prime spot for gamers, nerds and trivia lovers who refuse to give up on those pastimes they enjoyed as kids. Every day is a new theme — Magic Mondays, Tabletop Tuesdays, Waffle Wednesdays and Trivia Thursdays, plus they host events throughout the year.

Festivals

Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival June 2018

For 10 days every summer, Saskatoon is home to the biggest names in jazz, with over 85,000 music fans grooving to jazz, blues, funk, pup and world music.

A Taste of Saskatchewan July 2018

Foodies rejoice! This five-day event features more than 30 of Saskatoon’s finest restaurants, plus a selection of local music, all celebrating the flavour of the prairies.

Ness Creek Music Festival July 2018

For more than 26 years, music fans have made their way to Prince Albert National Park for the “Woodstock of Saskatchewan.” With big-name musicians, intimate local bands, tents and drums, this festival is a must for any music fan.

Nuit Blanche Saskatoon September 2018

Free, all-ages night-time arts festival showcasing art and culture in Saskatchewan.

Microbreweries & Distilleries

9 Mile Legacy Brewing Company 229 – 20th Street West

This brewery represents the close-knit community of Saskatoon like no other: the two families that own 9 Mile Legacy (the Moens and the Pedersons) have lived roughly nine miles apart for over a century. Their collaboration creates a selection of smooth beers, each with its own unique flavour.

Prairie Sun Brewery 2020 Quebec Avenue

The vision of Prairie Sun Brewery was the result of a road trip to the beer-capital of the US: Denver, Colorado. Cameron Ewen, a Humboldt, Saskatchewan native, and Heather Williams, originally from Boulder, Colorado, transform Saskatoon’s local grains into beers that wow the palate. Try their Toffee 5 or their 306 Urban Wheat Beer.

Paddock Wood Brewing Co. 116 – 103rd Street East

Buy some beer, pick up a kit to make your own or reserve a keg, Paddock Wood is a must-visit. The friendly staff will help you find the perfect ale to quench whatever thirst hits you.

Lucky Bastard Distillers 814 – 47th Street East

The cold winters and short, hot summers in Saskatoon make for some of the finest growing conditions in the country, which is probably why the whole province is synonymous with wheat fields. These quality grains are transformed into some of the best micro-distilled liquor in Canada via owner Michael Goldney’s hand-hammered copper pot still named Ginger.

Black Fox Farm & Distillery 245 Valley Road

Black Fox makes gins for non-gin drinkers. Their assortment of juniper-based spirits (four recipes in total) are a good way to introduce your palate to gin. They also have some delicious fruit liqueurs made from apples, haskap berries, raspberries, blackcurrants and sour cherries — all grown on their farm.

food city – Saskatoon: innovative food in the prairies Farming, flat, potash and prosperity — according to a survey completed in 2015 by Insightrix Research Inc, these are just a few of the terms that come to mind when Canadians think about Saskatchewan.

[haulix]

Blog Tips: The Playlist Will Never Die

Never underestimate how fast the world can change. The move from home phones to cell phones, to smart phones took less than twenty years. Our primary means of consuming news changed from print to digital in what is ultimately the blink of an eye as far as the history books are concerned. Heck, less than a hundred years ago it took week for a message to be sent from one country to the next, but now in the digital age we can send mail to space and back again within seconds.

Music is no different. Columbia Records, the oldest label in the world, launched in 1887. In less than 150 years the industry has undergone more evolutions than anyone can count, changing much faster than most realize. Within the 60 years you could have recorded a single and drove it from radio station to radio station in hopes of getting it played. Today you need an entire team of people who understand radio to even have your song considered.

And let’s not even deep dive the changes in music journalism. The image most carry of a young writer rubbing shoulders with their rock idols a la Almost Famous is a thing of the distant past. Today’s writers are more often than not laptop junkies who maintain a healthy photography hobby on the side (or they’re photography junkies with a writing hobby - it’s 50/50) who make next to nothing writing articles read by anywhere from tens of people to millions. Every one of them is constantly searching for the next original thought or undiscovered gem that might catapult them a bit further into the arena of those who actually get paid to write about music.

While I encourage you to always keep your passion for the next big story strong, it’s important to know that as much as things seem to change there is a lot that remains the same. One of those things is playlists, and in the digital age it is easier than ever to cultivate and engage with a community through playlist curation. In fact, the Music Business Association recently called playlists ‘more popular than the album.’ Ouch.

The biggest problem you’re going to face when deciding to integrate weekly playlists into your writing is deciding which one of the big four streaming companies are you going to build your content on. Spotify has the largest share of the market by a vast margin at the moment, but Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon each have millions of monthly subscribers. Ask your readers what they use and follow their lead.

As for the playlists themselves, the easy access to most music throughout modern history makes gathering simpler than most daily chores, which is all the reason you need to create as many playlists as your mind and collaborators can imagine. At the very least you should be creating weekly discovery playlists based on the coverage you plan to run. Take all the reviews and editorials you’ve got lined up and channel them into an eclectic collection of sound to help further promote the focus of your work. In doing so you’ll not only better engage your audience, but you’ll also make a lot of publicists and independent artists very happy.

But you should never do the bare minimum unless it’s absolutely necessary. Get creative. When the possibilities are endless you can be both extremely niche and shamelessly generic at the same time. Collect the 25 best love songs of the last 25 years right alongside a list of every song played during a car chase in a Fast and Furious film. Invite musicians, industry professionals, actors, and anyone else of interest to create playlists for your audience, and use those playlists to promote any coverage of that artist person you have on your site.

In an age where the options for consuming news and entertainment are endless the best tactic for reaching consumers is to play into their own interests and behaviors. People are more likely to start their day with music than a quick search of your latest blog posts, so take your brand and focus to them through the streaming playlist curation. If you can establish yourself as a great playlist curator people will seek out your other work. You can even add links to the description that promotes specific content on your site.

It has never been easier to showcase your taste than it is now, so quit hoping you 1000-word discovery of the week essay will get a million reads and build me a list of every song and artist my life is missing.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator at Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and the host of the Inside Music Podcast. If you enjoyed the words above James would like you to follow him on Twitter.

[erinpagewrites]

In Which I Set Myself a Very Big Task

Right at the end of 2016, I Marie Kondo’d my To-Be-Read List of books down to 60. I was ruthless; not only did I give away a big stack of physical books, but I even deleted a bunch of Kindle books (over 100 files). Even though Kindle files don’t take up any space-- ok, they do, but I’m not likely to reach the upper limits of my Kindle device’s storage anytime soon-- just having to sift through a bunch of books I felt burdened to read based on a (sometimes years) old reason for doing so was stifling to me. I read less than I could over the last few years because I gave myself task-after-task-after-task on my TBR instead of letting myself pursue spur of the moment interests and real passions in my reading.

And what does a TBR list matter, anyway? It was only a goal that I had set for myself. I’m not a student with a bunch of required reading; I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself when it comes to finishing any books for the rest of my life. If I’m not enjoying and/or learning from my reading, if my eyes glaze over every time I try to read a few pages, if it’s too easy to set down and pick up my phone instead, then what’s the point of reading it?

I couldn’t read a book per my friends’ recommendations anymore because I already had too many books that I was “in the middle of” (read: loathing). I felt guilty every time I bought a new book knowing that I was just adding to a pile that would be impossible to ever whittle down. Reading in my spare time was now such a chore and a weird and a source of a weird guilt complex that I wasn’t letting myself enjoy it anymore.

As the year wound to a close and I thought about what I would like to accomplish in 2017, I realized that I could change a few things and make reading good for myself again. So, like I did with my clothes after I moved into my current apartment with my (then) fiance, now husband, I de-cluttered my TBR list. I looked at every book in my home and every book in my Kindle and thought “am I excited to read this? will reading this book mean something to me?” If it didn’t pass muster, it went in the giveaway pile or it got the delete key. It was hard, and there are some that I may yet come back to down the road when my interests have changed, and there were some that I had purchased and now felt bad that I had essentially wasted money. But I got all the way through all of the books I owned, and by the end I felt incredibly refreshed, eager to open my kindle or pick something off of my shelves without guilt anymore.

I thought that 60 TBR was a good number: it only takes up three pages of books on Goodreads, and I was excited to read all of the ones remaining.

But as early as mid-January, it was too easy to skim the Daily Deals on Amazon, adding a book here or there that cost a dollar or two to buy. I made a few trips to pick up books that I’d set in my community library and take them back (I’m not stealing from a library, though, haha! The community where I live has a free library where you can take and give books at will, and the shelves overflow every summer as people move in and out, so when I say I took books back from my library, well, I just picked them back off the same stack I’d left them in two months ago). I also added a decent number of books that are research for my novel-in-progress.

Personally, I’ve also been going through some challenges and severe stress this Winter, and that’s not good for my shopping habits. I self-soothe by picking up a little book gift for myself, or reward overcoming a challenge with a new book purchase.

Within just three months I built my TBR list back up. Yesterday, marking off a few more books that I earmarked to read this summer, I hit the magic 100 number. Suddenly, I felt the crushing weight of not being able to ever clear out my list of things to read. If you’re a list-maker like I am, you know how it feels when you’ve got a task list that never ends; it feels like shit. At times, when I skim through a long TBR list, I am hit by the realization that I might have books on there that I will never read, I will actually die of old age before I ever read them. Someday my great grandkids might have to ask Goodreads for my password so that they can delete this list on my dead behalf.

And I don’t need my TBR list to be yet another reminder of my own mortality, thank you. I’ve got enough of those in other aspects of life.

I’m revamping this blog. It doesn’t look like it yet, ha... ha... but I am revamping it, behind the scenes. As my writing is developing I really want to focus this blog, which will eventually become a part of my personal website, for my writing life. I thought about what I could do to generate more unique content, and I was really struggling as the professionally published author of two (count ‘em TWO) short stories what I could write about on here that might be of interest to someone else, and also of interest to me. I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now, and then yesterday I hit that magic number, and I realized what I could write about.

I am going to conquer my TBR list in 2017.

So what does that mean for my blog?

I’m going to write more about what I’m reading. That doesn’t mean I’ll write about all 100 books-- since I’m supposed to be completing my novel, after all, I won’t have the time or the interest to review everything, and I don’t like to harp on a book that just didn’t sit well with me, anyway. And I’m definitely not going to write about all 100, not by a long shot. But I used to keep something of a reading diary in middle school and it was always nice to look back on what I was interested in and when. I abandoned that, and a lot of non-required reading, in college, and post-college I went through some real struggles finding a job that I liked and balancing work and life, and reading and writing fell by the way side.

2016 is symbolic to me of real sea changes in my life. I got married to the best person I’ve ever known. I got serious about writing again. I started posting some (ahem, fan) fiction online for the pure joy of it. I made myself confront some hard times I’d had in my life over the last few years and show myself that I had overcome some things, that I’d made it through. By the end of the year, I committed to pursuing only knowledge and important voices and joy in my reading, all of which were what made me love reading in the first place, back to my childhood, and all of which contribute to a well-rounded life, I think.

Here I go. Writing about reading. Committing publicly to something I haven’t been able to do for years. Scary, but good.

Feel free to join me! My TBR list is here on Goodreads if you’d like to follow along. I would love to hear about anyone else working through a reading project, or conquering their own TBR list, or who just likes chatting about some of the same books. I come bearing an eclectic reading taste and an out-of-practice way of writing about it: you’ve been warned.