Dim Sum

This morning we went to the "International District" for Dim Sum and groceries. The International District is basically Seattle's Chinatown. The area was dubbed "International" to reflect the growing diversity in the neighborhood in the 1970s.
The Chinese were among the first settlers in Seattle (in the 1800s). There was also a large influx of Japanese settlers in the 1800s. With the Japanese internment policy of WWII, however, many Japanese were forcibly removed from the area and deported to labor camps. Tragically, few chose to return when the war ended.
Today there is a mix of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Laotians, and Filipinos, among other Asian communities. We like exploring the markets and restaurants in the area. Today we tried Harbor City BBQ for Dim Sum. It was quite good and really reasonably priced. Needless to say, we ate a little too much.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

On Thursday night, Mallar and I went to see Bonnie Prince Billy at the stunning Moore Theatre here in Seattle. Bonnie Prince Billy, also known as Will Oldham, is a folk/country singer-songwriter. He is an amazing lyricist who writes beautiful songs, mostly ballads. Mallar and I saw him twice in Denmark last year. He is great live because he really takes the opportunity to change up his songs musically. His band is also really talented. The drummer who played with him this time was amazing.

Our concert experience was sweetened by our front row balcony seats in the gorgeous venue. The Moore Theatre, at over 100 years old, is the oldest remaining theatre in Seattle. Hailed as one of the most beautiful and completely equipped playhouses in America, the Moore (in it's heyday) boasted a grand lobby with mosaic floors, marble, onyx, carved wood, stained glass, and metal. There was also a ceiling fresco in old rose, cream and gold. This info from the Moore's official website.

La tête gonflée de nuages

"La tête gonflée de nuages" is a line from an Ariane Moffatt song about returning to Montreal after spending time away. I like to play it on my i-pod when I fly, train or bus into the city. This time it was the train.
Montreal is a fabulous city and full of amazing places to stroll, eat and drink. On the Sunday after my grandmother's birthday party, I got to spend the day cruising around leisurely with my two brothers and my brother's girlfriend. The three of us (siblings) had not been altogether in Montreal (the city we grew up in) in about 15 years. I took them to some of my favorite places starting with Laika for brunch. From there we walked along Duluth and up a sunny St. Denis stopping here and there in shops. We had a drink at Dieu du Ciel, one of my favorite brewpubs and then strolled over to Fairmont bagel for some famous Montreal-style bagels.


Pepe and Gill are dressed in green in honour of the St. Patty's Day parade.

We wrapped up our tour of the Plateau-Mile-End at the Sala Rosa for tapas. Calamares, Chorizo, Goat Cheese with caramelized onions and honey... Soooooo good!

A few rituals

This past St. Patrick's day was spent in Toronto with Mallar's parents. While our time together did not include green beer and leprechauns, the Chakravartys did have an evening of special Hindu traditions planned in honour of the recent marriage. Mallar's mother had laid out a beautiful blue silk saree with gold embroidery for me to wear along with jewelery and bindi. She helped me get dressed (thankfully) and then the Chakravartys took me to a beautiful temple just outside the city of Toronto.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a new temple. Using Italian marble, Turkish limestone and Indian pink stone, the Mandir was hand-carved into 24,000 pieces by skilled craftsmen in India and then transported and reassembled in Toronto. It is quite an impressive construction.


Mrs. Chakravarty wanted to offer a puja while we were there and so we sought out the altar of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesh for a blessing. Mrs. C then placed a loha around my wrist. Bengali women wear the traditionally iron bangle (loha means iron) as a symbol of the strength of their marriage. These days the bangle is coated in gold to look more attractive.

Back at the Chakravarty home, the rituals continued. To begin with, I ate three spoonfuls of a traditional rice pudding dish as Mr. Chakravarty blew into a conch. Apparently, I ate out of the same silver bowl Mallar did at his first solid food ceremony. Mr. Chakravarty sprinkled husked rice on the top of my head in a blessing tradition and also marked my forehead with vermillion. The wearing of vermillion by Hindu women (in their hair parting) is seen as a visible sign of their desire for their husbands' longevity.
There are numerous rituals in a traditional wedding ceremony that we did not attempt (as Mallar was not with me on this visit and much of what did happen was planned just a few days before I arrived). It was a very special experience nonetheless, and it made me feel very much welcomed into the family.

I got married!

03/03/09

Mallar and I got married in a very private (just the two of us) courthouse ceremony on March 3rd. We had been waiting for a good time to get married for awhile but between thesis writing, job transitions and a couple of huge international moves, the "right" time was never obvious. It was fun to do it low-maintenance and without telling anyone -the day was all the more intimate that way. The ceremony was without stress, planning fatigue, and the usual negotiation of compromises. It was just two people exchanging vows.
We will very likely have a celebration with family and friends when we both return to Canada. Perhaps a gathering of family in the Niagara region and a more raucous dance party with friends in Montreal.

Family Gatherings

I have just returned from two weeks in Canada visiting family. My tour began in Niagara and ended in Montreal with a one day stop-over in Toronto. The big occasion driving the trip was the celebration of my grandmother's 80th birthday. My grandmother, Joan Elliott (née Cooper) was born in Niagara on the Lake in 1929. Through her ancestors, my lineage in Canada goes back 9 generations. My ancestors on that side came from Scotland in the 1770s and were among the very first European settlers in Niagara.


One of my ancestors, and the very first person buried at Stamford Presbyterian cemetary (Church depicted above) is Janet Mulwain McMicking. She died in 1785. I tried to find her gravestone but the engravings were too far eroded. I know, however, that she is buried in one of the plots closest to the Church, southside.


In 1997, my grandmother wrote a book for her children and grandchildren called, "The Quilt". It is a beautiful and touching family history that works in an amazing collection of material -anecdotes, old family photos, notes from family bibles, war-time letters, excerpts from farm ledgers, family trees, and popular rhymes from old schoolbooks, among other things. I reread the book from cover to cover on my trip. What a gift... I am so grateful that she took the time to put the book together. It's such a wonderful thing to have. It made me wonder a lot about my heritage on my father's side of the family and so while I was in Niagara I took the opportunity to sit down with my other grandmother, Lois McCabe and go through old family albums with her. I learned so much about my family on this last journey home. It was really a meaningful trip.

Mossy Trails

On Saturday we went on a little hike with a few of Mallar's co-workers. We drove just north of Seattle to Snohomish County were we walked the Lime Kiln Trail. It was a pretty easy 6.5 miles with low elevation and a lot of moss. The layers of green were really striking and the views of the Stillaguamish river quite pleasant as well. We saw the historic lime kiln and a collection of railroad artifacts (scattered about) from the years of heavy mining and logging (1890s to 1930s). It was so refreshing to be out in the crisp air all day long, surrounded by enormous trees and marching along muddy paths. It looks like we will try to get out hiking at least once a month.

Retro-soul

We went to see Raphael Saadiq on Thursday night at the Showbox near the market. What a fun show! The concert had the full-body, feel-good quality of an old motown performance. The showmanship and energy Saadiq has on stage is impressive and the crowd just loved it.

Before going solo, Raphael was one of the lead singers in Tony, Toni, Toné! (I saw them in concert -way back in 1993!), and also key member of Lucy Pearl. He actually sang one of my Lucy Pearl favs: Dance Tonight at the show. Saadiq has produced for D'Angelo, The Roots and Mary. J. Blige (among many others). He is R&B, soul, new jack swing awesome.