Crystal Mall Eats

Fairly famous XLB and good beef noodle, both quite impressive considering they are just in the food court of a small Asian mall. I can learn a thing of two from this beef noodle, it has that extra kick of flavor from pricklyash peel (Szechuan pepper) that stimulates the tip of your tongue just right.

Whistler Blackcomb - Chilli Wonder

Why is the beef chilli on the mountain a wonder? For two reasons:

1. The darn thing costed me $12.82
2. I "wonder" why I order this everytime. Granted it is good chilli, but the breadbowl is so not a good idea. It sucks away all the liquid and expands like crazy in your stomach.

Hm...that reminded me, I should learn how to make chilli.

Whistler Blackcomb - Human Wonders

The other amazing thing about Whistler Blackcomb is how much capital and effort had been putting in to make this a world famous vacation spot. Building one gondola/lift line is uneasy, and building many that cover both mountains is impressive. You start your journey from the base, which in the summer transforms into a hardcore mountain bike park. Each gondola/lift line lasts 10~30 minutes, but imagine without them, it might take you a whole day and a bloody foot to just to get to the mid station. And how did the Roundhouse ever get built so we can enjoy the breathtaking view? And now the new Peak-to-Peak, supported only by two steel towers it lift you across 4.4 kilometers and 436 meters above the Fitzsimmons Creek. Whistler Blackcomb is the ironic example of how human conquers nature, but at the same time respect nature for its grand pleasures.

Whistler Blackcomb - Natural Wonders

Just few photos from my hike on the Whistler Blackcomb mountains. It is quite amazing how the same place is so different in the summer and in the winter. Completely unrecognizable because now most of the snow had melted and now you can start to appreciate the trees and the mountain. Now that the rocks are exposed you start to think how just few months ago, you can easily glide on the surface just with two planks of wood (or fiberglass I guess). The snow covers everything, very forgiving, in a very cold, frigid way it protects us from the danger below.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

So there I was at one of the most famous tourist spot in Vancouver (of course I've never been here before dispite almost twelve years of living in Vancouver). It was a nice day so there were tons of people here, including a small tour bus that dropped off tourists and their cameras.

The Lynn Canyon Cafe just near the entrance of the trails. The building looks big from the outside but inside is very crowded. A nice looking building none the less.

The suspension bridge (shorter than I expected). Because there were so many people lining up to cross there was really no time to  take in how supposedly amazing (?) the bridge is. Barely had time to look down at all. The bridge is not too shaky since it is shorter so quite disappointing.

But there is a shot of what's beneath the bridge. We are 50m up from the water.

A jungle boy with blue hair ran by when I was taking a photo. You think I can send this to the National Enquirer?

At the 30 Foot Pool people/dogs are dipping in the cold water.

Anyone with a keen sense of observation will notice the picture from here on has a misty / romantic effect to them. It is because.... I DROPPED MY PHONE IN THE LYNN CREEK WHILE TRYING TO TAKE THIS PHOTO ABOVE!! Water got into the lenses and everything is foggy now! But luckily it cleared up in the afternoon. Thank God for the Canadian try climate.

Pipeline Bridge - pipelines runs along the bridge so hence the name.

Quite dreamy, isn't it?

The Three Lions Cafe

I was just in the mood of celebrating after a long but good news week. So when I knew I am going to the Three Lions Cafe (hm, TLC eh? Exactly what I needed.) I knew I am going to order a drink to go with its famous traditional English pub food.

 The quote reads: Work is the curse of the drinking class. - Oscar Wilde

So I ordered a Crown Float, which is consisted of half Guinness and half Strongbow cider. I never realized you can mix Guinness like this, and isn't it the perfect thing for a Friday night.

The Guinness stays on top so its strong taste get you in the mood right away, but later when the cider below is sorta mixed in then it's a very easy drinking concoction for the rest of the meal.

Famous Bangers and Mash - Cumberland sausage served with buttermilk mash, onion gravy and Yorkshire pudding. I am usually not a big fan of Yorkshire pudding, but at TLC the pudding is shaped like a bow so it maximized the surface area to gravy ratio... yum. And apparently the sausage is heavenly too...

 Fish and Chips - usually made with sole but tonight with tilapia.

 My Sirloin Steak and Chips - Marinated in herbed extra virgin olive oil, grilled to medium rare and served with house made chips. I was just in the mood for red, red, red meat, so I ordered medium rare. Came out a bit more cooked than I expected but because it was well marinated the beef is still tender and flavourful.

Overall, good eats, good atmosphere, good drinks. I will definitely come back for more TLC!

Who knew "quit" can bring so much joy (not me)

quit

[kwit] verb, quit or quit·ted, quit·ting, adjective

–verb (used with object)

1.  to stop, cease, or discontinue: She quit what she was doing to help me paint the house.

2.  to depart from; leave (a place or person): They quit the city for the seashore every summer.

3.  to give up or resign; let go; relinquish: He quit his claim to the throne. She quit her job.

–verb (used without object)

8.  to cease from doing something; stop.

9.  to give up or resign one's job or position: He keeps threatening to quit.

10. to depart or leave.

(source: Dictionary.com)