After we finished our meals my non-smoking husband sat back in his chair and said, “I’m going to need a cigar.” We were enjoying the tastes, sights, and sounds of the New Orleans-style restaurant Ouisi Bistro since it came highly recommended by the good folks I follow on Twitter. Located just two blocks from The Stanley theatre (and with no lineups in sight) it was the perfect pre-show meal.

John went for the classic Jambalaya (simmered with tomatoes, the trinity, smoked ham, andouille sausage, chorizo sausage & served with green rice) while I tried their Pepper Crusted Chicken Breast (which is served under fresh spinach, roasted garlic & brie with red beans, green rice and sauteed vegetables). The artwork of jazz greats is beautiful and the entire place has a laid back feel. We sat inside, although they have a patio, and enjoyed some profiteroles before heading down to catch the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of Les Miserables.

I’ve seen Les Miserables before but never in such an intimate setting. The Arts Club truly has a knack for creating functional and dynamic set design – able to pack a modest stage with resounding voices, heart-wrenching emotions and perfectly choreographed movement.

Jonathan Winsby and cast – Photo by David Cooper

What stood out for me with this production was not only the power of the ensemble, but the performances of Rejean Cournoyer (as Javert) and Kieran Martin Murphy (Jean Valjean).

I recognized Jonathan Winsby who was Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, as he delivered a powerful and uprising performance as Enjorlas. The costuming was fantastic (as it has been with most Arts Club shows I’ve seen this year) and the children in the production deserve some kudos as well, in particular Joshua Ballard (Gavroche). Energetic and perfectly creepy crowd-pleasing performances by Nicole Lipman and John Mann (the Thenardiers) are also worth noting.

Nicola Lipman and John Mann – Photo by David Cooper

Les Miserables runs until July 19th although there is limited availability between now and June 7th due to popular demand. You can pick up tickets online (about $65 for great seats).

The Arts Club also launched a blog this season and have been providing an inside look at the making of Les Mis – including videos, cast interviews, and behind the scenes photos.

I was recently asked to submit an opinion piece to Megaphone Magazine, which has now been published in their latest issue.

Megaphone comes out every two weeks and is published by the Street Corner Media Foundation (a registered non-profit). It’s actually a very special publication in that it enables those who are homeless or have low-incomes to take up an enterprise as a distributor of the street paper. These vendors purchase Megaphone directly from the publisher and then take to the streets to sell issues to the public, by donation. The vendors then keep 100% of the funds from these transactions.

They have profiles of their vendors online, including where you can meet up with them to grab your copy – from Broadway down to Granville Island and many places in between. You can pick up the latest issue #29 from any of these vendors around town.

Being a golfer over the last dozen years or so I love the driving range and hitting up the big courses however there’s just something relaxing about heading out to the local pitch and putt. Your skill level doesn’t need to be up to par (nor does your wallet need to be stuffed) in order to get out and enjoy one of the many private or city-run courses around the Metro Vancouver area.

The other weekend we walked over to Stanley Park to partake in a little par three action with our good friends and while it’s not as scenic as the Ambleside course, no one can complain about the lack of natural beauty when you have Herons soaring above your head.

The afternoon is meant for leisurely enjoyment of the outdoors and the game so we don’t being along scorecards, especially when we’re with DaveO. The lineups at the first few tees can get quite backed up (we waited about 30 minutes) but it soon disperses as groups move on down the course.

You can easily take transit to the Stanley Park pitch and putt (designed and built in 1932) – either the #5 Robson/#6 Davie (disembarking at Denman and walking down), any Georgia Street bus (westbound, getting off before the causeway) or taking the #19 Metrotown/Stanley Park and walking over (though the last two options would be a bit more of a hike from the stops).

One item I should note about the Stanley Park course is that the holes are very short, 40 to only a few that reach the maximum 100 yards, so you don’t need to bring much fire-power with you at all. Also, if you plan on going more than a dozen times this year (to any course in Vancouver) I would suggest investing in a punch card.

If you’re looking for more pitch and putt courses in Vancouver, check out the guide I made last year and feel free to suggest more of your favourites (mine being the soggy, rugged, marshy Riverside Par 3 in Surrey where I first learned to swing a club). As for those Blue Herons, you can adopt-a-nest to help preserve their colony near Stanley Park.

About a year ago I wrote about t-shirts designed with the geek girl in mind and I’ve always been a fan of techno-savvy tops (although in an early post from 2005 I did feature HTML underwear). Today a trending topic on Twitter is “Twitter Tees” as it appears Threadless has come up with these amusing styles for the Twitter-minded.

I still like the cheeky “Show Me Your Tweets” shirt I got from 6S Marketing, I enjoy the “Robots – No Follow” shirt I got for John and we have a few favourites that will never go out of style like “There’s No Place Like 127.0.0.1“.

So with these Twitter Tees selling like hot cakes today, I’ll ask… what’s your favourite geeky t-shirt? The one with the audio meter that lights up? The wifi detector? The molecular structure of caffeine? “I Know H.T.M.L“? User-made coffee mugs? If you have a photo of yourself wearing any of the above (or something similar) add it to the Miss604 Flickr group and I’ll post them on this entry. Feel free to share your source for the tees as well (online and off).

The seventh annual Paws 4 Peace walk will take place June 7th at Second Beach in Stanley Park. This initiative by the Canadian Red Cross is to raise awareness of the work done by their Humanitarian Issues Working Group.

Every day around the world, many people lose their life and limbs to explosive remnants of war such as landmines and cluster bombs. Millions of people living in over 80 countries must think twice about where they walk, as they fear the deadly legacies in the ground. People who survive these life-changing accidents must live with their injuries for the rest of their lives. Paws 4 Peace will raise awareness on this crucial issue while raising crucial funds to help the survivors of landmine and cluster bomb accidents. [Read more…]

The walk is 3km around Lost Lagoon and as the name of the event suggests, dogs are very welcome. Participants are encouraged to register and raise funds for their walk or anyone has the option of simply donating to the cause. Friends, family, and children are also welcome on the walk and there will be refreshments, music, displays about the cause, arts & crafts, and “ask the trainer” services for dog owners.

Paws 4 Peace will serve to educate, inform, and help those who need the humanitarian support offered by the Canadian Red Cross.