Yellowjacketstudios http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress Life, in China, in Music Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:35:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Eating well at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2010/01/13/eating-well-at-the-2010-vancouver-winter-games/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2010/01/13/eating-well-at-the-2010-vancouver-winter-games/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:24:58 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=144 Right,

So you’ve decided to come to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics to experience the best athletes in the world compete in the hallows of winter. You plan on taking in all the sights and sounds that this super, natural city has to offer. While the beauty of the mountains, or the [...]]]> Right,

So you’ve decided to come to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics to experience the best athletes in the world compete in the hallows of winter. You plan on taking in all the sights and sounds that this super, natural city has to offer. While the beauty of the mountains, or the sounds of the outdoors make wish you moved here 10 years earlier, don’t make the mistake of leaving out your poor taste buds from indulging alongside you. Yes, Vancouver is your destination for ensuring that your stomach chimes in to say, “I, too, want to heart Vancouver.”

Don’t bother with guide books to provide you the way to abdominal enlightenment. When it comes to consuming true local delights. The best thing to do is to find a Vancouverite who can lead you to the right direction. What? Me? Why… I thought you’d never ask. So let me help educate you in the details of experience some of the finer restaurants in Vancouver.

Canadian
What food do most people think of when they think of Canada? It’s either Maple syrup or Canadian ham, right? Um, yah, if you believe everything that’s on TV. To really indulge in the Vancouver experience, you definitely have to grab a burger and milkshake at White Spot. Established in Vancouver, this is truly comfort food to visitors with a West Coast splash to your tastebuds.
Tim Hortons is woven into the fabric of Canadian culture, interwined with hockey and communities above the 49th parallel. Donuts and coffee reign supreme here, but make sure you grab some TIMBITS before you head out to watch your next event (word is that foreign delegations have been served Timbits)

Chinese – Better Than the Real Thing
So, as most Washingtonians already know, Vancouver is the home of some of the world’s best Chinese food. “How’s that possible?” you may ask? Well you can thank to the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Chinese who have immigrated to Vancouver over the last 30 years. Cooks from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China have made it easy to find good eats in basically all regions of the Lower Mainland. The general rule of thumb is that if it’s Chinese, it’s generally pretty decent (that’s because crappy places wouldn’t have survived in this competitive market), but I’ll point out a few worth treating yourself to.
Chinese Fine Dining: Kirin prepares some of the best seafood the Chinese have to offer. You’ll be spending a pretty penny, but you’ll get what you pay for.
Dim Sum: What eating extravaganza is complete without Chinese Dim Sum? Sun Sui Wah and Kirin (see above) serve up some of the tastiest. If you don’t know what dim sum is, take a look here and get ready to indulge!
24hr dining: So you’ve just finished your apres-party and your stomach is growling. Not to worry, No. 9 Restaurant in Richmond serves it up 24/7.
Bubble Tea: If you thought the cafe market was strong in your hometown, well, you’ll be right at home in Vancouver, with a twist. Bubble tea is the de facto drink in Vancouver. Brought over from the Taiwanese, and combined with the availability of fresh fruit here, you’ve got some of the best in the world. My favorite is Dragonball Tea House. Don’t let the small interior fool you. Drop by here at 10pm and you’ll see a lineup of people stopping by to take out after their evening activities. In Richmond, just drive down Alexandra Road, close your eyes, spin around and point. You should see a bubble tea store in front of you.

Japanese Food – The Chinese Way
Vancouver’s downtown is home to more Japanese sushi bars and ramen noodle houses than Starbucks. Go figure. Sitting in the Georgia Strait seafood can’t get any fresher. And who else to capitalize on this? Yes, the Chinese (and honorable mention to the Koreans) have done it again! There aren’t many other places in the world where you’ll find so many sushi buffets at where you can eat to your heart’s content. You’ll also find sushi in downtown on almost every other corner. While the majority are pretty tasty (how can pieces of raw, succulent fish not be??), finding ones run by the Japanese would be a plus. I’ll comment on one in my next section later.
Fusion: Japadog, you’ll find this located downtown, and you’ll finally get to experience what all the publicity has been about their special hotdogs…

Steveston
Located in the southwest corner of Richmond was once a fishing village and cannery and has now become one of the best places to get good eats while enjoying the ocean view.

For years this place has been famous for its fish & chips. Pajo’s serves its fish and fries the way it was meant to: wrapped in newspaper. Many of the other restaurants nearby also serve similar offerings (with indoor seating and better ambience). And if you have a hankering, walk less than 3 minutes to get to Timothy’s frozen yogurt which has been a cornerstone in Steveston for years.

Steveston was also home to one of the earlier Japanese settlements, so, guess what? There are some pretty authentic japanese restaurants such as Ichiro that are worth enjoying after an afternoon stroll.

Other Specialities
La Casa Gelato – if you had to go to one place for ice cream, this is it. Not a franchise by design, with over 508 flavors in stock and 218 available at any one time, this is as close as you get to dairy heaven. And yes, they also have a fine selection on non-dairy ice cream as well. Oh, and by the way, did I mention free tasting before you buy???

Of course, Vancouver isn’t without other fine dining. Cioppino’s serves wonderful Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Vij’s serves modern Indian food takes no reservations, so get there early to get a seat.
Chop is also a favorite for fine steaks. Ambience inside is amazing, and the sirloin and prime ribs will make you wish you could have both in one sitting. Or I could be wrong, and you can…

Further Reference:
Well, I hope that gives you a good overview of how to blow a gastric gasket during the Olympics. For more dining ideas, please check out dinehere.ca for more restaurant reviews and descriptions. Or leave a note on what you think is worth going to! Bon appetit!

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]]> http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2010/01/13/eating-well-at-the-2010-vancouver-winter-games/feed/ 0 My top 10 discoveries about Switzerland… http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/09/02/my-top-10-discoveries-about-switzerland/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/09/02/my-top-10-discoveries-about-switzerland/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:47:40 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=117 At the beginning of August, I had a chance to visit the beautiful country of Switzerland. Here are my top 10 discoveries about the land of chocolate and knives:

Didn’t realize “1/2″ means child’s fare. Didn’t think I’d pass as a child. Like in Canada, you can drink the tap water. Plastic cups have their own plastic cup-shaped [...]]]> At the beginning of August, I had a chance to visit the beautiful country of Switzerland. Here are my top 10 discoveries about the land of chocolate and knives:

  1. Didn’t realize “1/2″ means child’s fare.
  2. Didn’t think I’d pass as a child.
  3. Like in Canada, you can drink the tap water.
  4. Plastic cups have their own plastic cup-shaped recycling container.
  5. A McDonald’s value meal really isn’t a value (food is expensive there).
  6. The country is clean….almost too clean…
  7. The Coop is where everyone goes to get their groceries.
  8. Swiss Army Knives are truly cheapest in Switzerland.
  9. The Swiss have the coolest-looking passports.
  10. Backpacking is the way to travel Switzerland.

Swiss Passport
Picture source: wikimedia.org

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]]> http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/09/02/my-top-10-discoveries-about-switzerland/feed/ 0 Farewell Beijing.. http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/25/farewell-beijing/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/25/farewell-beijing/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:15:36 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=130 If you didn’t get a chance to catch the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it’s too bad. Personally, I usually don’t care too much about closing ceremonies, and I figure most people won’t be watching either. However, I must say the artistry of it all was hard to forget. I [...]]]> If you didn’t get a chance to catch the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it’s too bad. Personally, I usually don’t care too much about closing ceremonies, and I figure most people won’t be watching either. However, I must say the artistry of it all was hard to forget. I loved the guys with the climbing harnesses, dressed in half silver half red, climbing up this steel beam tower, looked like ants. At one point they were able to position themselves to represent roses blooming, which was amazing. At the end, it got cheesy with all the singers and dancers coming out, proving the fact that Hong Kong/Taiwan has produced most of the famous singers with the likes of Jackie Chan　(well, part-time singer), Andy Lau, Kelly Chen, and Leehom.

But if you were to go back to re-visit some of the can’t miss events of the Olympics, here is my top 5 list:

  1. Opening Ceremonies – someone mentioned to me that it would be hard to think of another live performance in history that would be able to top this…
  2. 4×100 free relay final – 46.06 by Jason Lezak on the last leg for the Americans. That is by far the most insane swim time a most heated race, helping Phelps get a gold, and setting a WR in the process. Instant classic.
  3. Men’s 100m dash – I don’t think we can fully appreciate how fast someone who is 6-5, and runs like a madman, but Usain Bolt did it. The 200m also ranks up there as well, with him taking down Michael Johnson’s long-standing record.

Had to add this. Insanely stupid move in the Olympics:
Loser of Taekwondo match goes and kicks referee. Kids, please do not do this at home, or anywhere else.

And other sports/non-sports highlights from ESPN here and CBC here and here.

Overall, it was a great Games, lots of fun, can’t wait for Vancouver 2010.

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]]> http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/25/farewell-beijing/feed/ 0 How to get the most from the Olympics in Beijing http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/19/how-to-get-the-most-from-the-olympics-in-beijing/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/19/how-to-get-the-most-from-the-olympics-in-beijing/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:52:37 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=121
  • Do book a hotel the day before you arrive, and make sure you bargain like you would bargain for clothes at the Silk Market.
  • Find a relative that makes the Olympics as an athlete and make sure the sport is very hi-profile, like swimming.
  • Go watch athletes in warmup and notice how focused they are.
  • Do hang out and mingle in the stands with the likes of the rich and famous.
  • Take advantage of the benefits from supporting organizations, and in turn, get free tickets to events.
  • And if they have a buffet, make sure you eat as much as you can.
  • Make sure you also attend the various evening parties that are held.
  • Repeat #6 for #7
  • Bring plenty of water wherever you go. And if you run out, it’s alright. Prices for bottles of water are capped at 3RMB (Word has it it used to be 7RMB inside the forbidden city!)
  • Go right up to strangers who you think are athletes and say hi to to them. Celebrate their accomplishment of making the Olympics!

    • Baseball Playerse

  • Be amazed at the architecture, such as the Water Cube, the Bird’s Nest, and the CCTV Tower.
  • Try not to get too sick of CCTV playing montages of nothing but Chinese athletes and Michael Phelps all day.
  • Remember to sleep. With all the excitement it’s easy to forget!
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    ]]>     http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/19/how-to-get-the-most-from-the-olympics-in-beijing/feed/ 0     Another friend wins a gold! http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/18/another-friend-wins-a-gold/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/18/another-friend-wins-a-gold/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:45:48 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=122 This wasn’t about being a surprise, it was about redemption. My high-school friend Kyle Hamilton and his 7 teammates rowed their way into Olympic history by claiming the gold for Canada in the finals yesterday. The redemption is complete as their men’s eight rowed to a disappointing 5th place finish four years ago [...]]]> This wasn’t about being a surprise, it was about redemption. My high-school friend Kyle Hamilton and his 7 teammates rowed their way into Olympic history by claiming the gold for Canada in the finals yesterday. The redemption is complete as their men’s eight rowed to a disappointing 5th place finish four years ago in Athens.

    I remember going to a Canucks game with him and showing his gold medal from winning a world championship, but as most athletes understand, a world championship without an Olympic gold still feels incomplete.

    His team comprises of Kyle Hamilton of Richmond, B.C., Adam Kreek of London, Ont., Dominic Seiterle and Malcolm Howard of Victoria, Jake Wetzel of Saskatoon, Andrew Byrnes of Toronto, Ben Rutledge of Cranbrook, B.C., Kevin Light of Sidney, B.C., and Price of Belleville, Ont.

    So, congrats Kyle! Way to go with having the hard work pay off.

    You can read more on them on TSN

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    ]]>     http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/18/another-friend-wins-a-gold/feed/ 0     Live blogging wasn’t possible for me… http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/13/live-blogging-wasnt-possible-for-me/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/13/live-blogging-wasnt-possible-for-me/#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:04:47 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=120 Live blogging at the Olympics isn’t so easy when you don’t have GPRS service setup, nor a laptop to type on, but to give you a general idea of what I experienced there, I’ll list out a record of some of my SMS messages I sent to a few good friends over the 3 days [...]]]> Live blogging at the Olympics isn’t so easy when you don’t have GPRS service setup, nor a laptop to type on, but to give you a general idea of what I experienced there, I’ll list out a record of some of my SMS messages I sent to a few good friends over the 3 days I was there.

    August 9th
    1223hrs – Just picked up tix to my event. Speedo holding a party tonight for relatives.
    1310hrs – Had lunch in oriental plaza. Cousin picked up maps of beijing starbucks locations for all of us.
    1419hrs – Staying in wangfujing. Already have seen ppl from all areas of world. Subways are all 2RMB and very new
    wangfujing

    1818hrs – Amer tourist killed. At scene now
    1908hrs – Registering at bank of america center. American’s home away from home
    2054hrs – Finished buffet at boa building. Just given 2 free tix for bball and 2 more tix for swimming.

    August 10th
    1040hrs – Wasted from yesterday. Pouring rain here this morn. LIkely some cancelled comp today
    1749hrs – Rain has stopped. Village is awesome. Buildings are ridiculous..pictures don’t do it justice!
    me and bird's nest

    1820hrs – I’m peeing my pants. Training pool is full of the swimmers. Swim tix are going for 800 to 1K on the street
    1846hrs – Sitting right in front of phelps mom
    2026hrs – Friend of Dwayne wade’s brother might get us one tix for tonight’s game thru him.
    2115hrs – World record in my cousin’s swim. Not bad, not bad..going to head home to catch bball game. Neil bush had problems getting tix for opening cermonies.

    August 11th
    1010hrs – Just chatted with gary hall jr. Very nice guy
    1314hrs – Heard bush was found scouring the silk market, perhap for an authentic texas belt clip. Coke and adidas exhibit worth seeing.

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    ]]>     http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/13/live-blogging-wasnt-possible-for-me/feed/ 0     Gold medal for Nathan! http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/gold-medal-for-nathan/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/gold-medal-for-nathan/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:46:23 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=118 Yes, the trip was a success and Nathan’s come away with a gold medal in the 4×100free relay for the States. Did I also mention a world record? But Nathan swam the opening leg in the prelims in fine fashion, helping his team out as the fastest qualifier into the finals. [...]]]> Yes, the trip was a success and Nathan’s come away with a gold medal in the 4×100free relay for the States. Did I also mention a world record? But Nathan swam the opening leg in the prelims in fine fashion, helping his team out as the fastest qualifier into the finals. Unfortunately, the record only held up until that time, where a few other guys were subbed in to give more people a chance at the gold. If you guys have missed it, it was a swim for the ages. For the details check out this summary from NBC.

    Just a ridiculous swim that will go down in as part of swimming folklore. Was very glad to be in the stands for both his race and the finals (thanks to my aunt and cousin!), and screamed my lungs out while up on my feet like everyone else. The atmosphere was astounding!

    Will write more later when I have my pics up from the event!

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    ]]>     http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/gold-medal-for-nathan/feed/ 0     comments finally working again.. http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/comments-finally-working-again/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/comments-finally-working-again/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:12:10 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=116 Just finally got my comments to work again by disabling the WP-Captcha Free plugin. Thanks to Sherwin for alerting me!

    Tags: Website ]]>     Just finally got my comments to work again by disabling the WP-Captcha Free plugin. Thanks to Sherwin for alerting me!

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    ]]>     http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/comments-finally-working-again/feed/ 0     Day 1 in Beijing for the Olympics http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/09/day-1-in-beijing-for-the-olympics/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/09/day-1-in-beijing-for-the-olympics/#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:05:30 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=115 Even before I’ve had a chance to write about my trip to Switzerland, I’m in BJ already with my relatives and friend. It’s been a nutty day so far with trips to the Square, the Forbidden Palace, and being hours removed from the site where the US tourist was killed. Right now, I’m [...]]]> Even before I’ve had a chance to write about my trip to Switzerland, I’m in BJ already with my relatives and friend. It’s been a nutty day so far with trips to the Square, the Forbidden Palace, and being hours removed from the site where the US tourist was killed. Right now, I’m at an internet station set up by BoA. Very kind of them to do so. Tonight, hopefully a Speedo-sponsored party….

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    ]]>     http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/08/09/day-1-in-beijing-for-the-olympics/feed/ 1     He’s going to the Olympics! http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/07/04/hes-going-to-the-olympics/ http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/2008/07/04/hes-going-to-the-olympics/#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:41:09 +0000 Administrator http://www.yellowjacketstudios.com/wordpress/?p=113 Earlier this evening my little (well, now not so little) cousin made a big splash today at the US Swimming Olympic Trials. With a time of 48.46, Nathan Adrian qualified as the first teenager on the 2008 US Swim Team, locking down a position for the 4×100free relay. I can tell you, my [...]]]> Nathan Adrian
    Earlier this evening my little (well, now not so little) cousin made a big splash today at the US Swimming Olympic Trials. With a time of 48.46, Nathan Adrian qualified as the first teenager on the 2008 US Swim Team, locking down a position for the 4×100free relay. I can tell you, my aunt and uncle are pretty darn happy!

    But that wasn’t where all the drama took place. To actually get into the finals to swim for a spot, a swimmer needs to swim through the heats, then swim through the semifinals, before swimming the finals the day after. So a swimmer needs to swim three times well enough to get a spot on the team (Note, this is why what Michael Phelps is doing in his quest for 8 golds is so difficult is because he needs to swim each of his individual events three times! If they were all sprint events that would be a different story, but he’s swimming a lot of 200m and 400m events, which is a lot of mileage!).

    Back to the story, Nathan swims a personal best of 48.89 in his semifinals but ties for 9th place. Unfortunately 9th doesn’t get you into the finals. Then the magic begins to take place. Ryan Locte, one of the best swimmers in the world in backstroke and the individual medley, scratches from the race. Now this was likely done as a strategic move, as he was ranked 5th going into the finals. This means that Nathan is now in 8th place!

    Not so fast. He tied with Alex Righi with the same time. So how does one solve this? My suggestion of having them perform in front of Simon Cowell and the other American Idol judges wouldn’t likely be internationally accepted, so they’ll have to do it the good ‘ol fashioned way: (cue the “duh-duh-duh!!” sound effect and quick camera zoom to my face) Swim-off!

    A swim-off consists of having the two (or more, depending on how many swimmers end up with the contested time) compete head-to-head in the same event. With the thousands in the stands, and only a lane divider between the two of you, you can cut the tension with a knife. (Can you imagine if you tied for 8th in swimming the 1500m? I hope someone suggests my idea)

    Obviously, Nathan edges out his competitor and finds a spot in the finals. With this, he’s got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. (This brings back memories of when I qualified for the BC provincials in the 100free, coming 4th in our region. Usually only the top 3 get to go, but I swam under the provincial qualifying time, opening up a spot for me. I ended up swimming under 58sec for the first in my life, and making the finals in 8th place. Lucky for my opponents, I stayed in 8th..)

    So as we now all know, Nathan swims out of his mind and takes another 4 tenths off his PB, and ends up in 4th. Ladies and Gentlemen, my cousin is going to the Olympics.

    Although ending up 4th means he’s not considered an alternate and will go to the Olympics, the question remains to whether Michael Phelps, who swam under 48 in the preliminary heats before dropping the race, will be selected to be part of the relay. However, as results from Athens has shown that a relay member can take part in the prelims, and NOT swim in the finals, and still get a medal in the event. We shall see…

    But in any case, congrats Nathan, and may they never use my idea to decide ties in swimming! All the best on the upcoming 50 free race as well!

    You can read more here or here:

    Here’s also listed on NBC as a “dark horse”

    You can also watch his 100m Short Course Win here

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