Birthday

I don't remember since when I began to not really "celebrate" my birthday in any big way. I mean, you know, not to invite a whole bunch of friends and plan a whole bunch of activities to do. I guess as one gets older, it's harder to want to "celebrate" the aging? Of course, we can think positive and believe it as the brain and heart becoming wiser but really... it's the body becoming wider.

Anyway, so P and I went to Cioppino's to enjoy a great dinner out. We've heard lots of good things about this expensive restaurant in Yaletown and we were very excited after checking out all the dishes we plan to order from their website. Service was excellent: attentive but not intrusive. The head chef Pino himself paid visits to each table and greeted his clients. We were seated in a room within the restaurant and, hence, was a quieter area.

We had the pear salad and chestnut soup for appetizers. The soup was definitely a winner as they and many patrons have claimed. As for entrees, P had the dungenous crab risotto specially made for him although it was no longer in the menu and I had the papperdelle with braised veal cheeks. Both dishes were awesome...the dishes may look shallow but they are actually quite filling. P had the chocolate lava cake with sorbet specially pre-ordered as my birthday dessert; we really wanted to order one more but ended up with no tummy room in the end.

All-in-all, it was a pleasant experience with enjoyable food. I would say it's definitely worth the money to go occasionally.

Alternate Investment

Okay, so I've never been a huge supporter of make-up. It's not very good for your skin despite making you prettier...for most people anyway. In fact, my mom used to be a make-up artist and she was the one who instilled the philosophy in me that one shouldn't need or use makeup unless it's a special event or until she becomes older. So I guess I must feel OLDer because I've recently shown a growing interest to the world of make up.

Yes, it is exciting indeed. The wallet gates are open to kingdoms like Sephora and brushes, shadows, powders, etc. are flooding into my life while the $$$ is flowing out. But I've convinced myself that it's okay. It's an important investment just like RRSPs, mutual funds, bonds, etc....except it's even better! Because we don't even have to wait to reap the benefits...the rewards are instant. A little painting on the face with the right tools is like a revised C paper into an A. And it's not just me who thinks so. When people around, including my mom, notice the difference and begin to say how fabulous you look, it really makes you value those colours and brushes inside fancy cases just a bit more. Worth it indeed.

A Chat with Leaves

Trees stand tall,
You fall and fall.
Can you hear the wind call you?
Can you surf the breeze beneath you?

Droplets of rain,
Chill through your vein.
Yet, colours of yellow, orange, and red,
Warm you even on the shivering grass bed.

It’s that time of year:
at autumn’s rear,
winter whispers near.

Dunbar Haunted House

So I finally got around to visiting the ever-growing and impressive Dunbar Haunted House on Halloween night yesterday. My friends and I were so glad that it didn't rain out of all days. The atmosphere was great and though there was a long line up, the hour and a half we were there passed by quickly with 10 of us there to chat with each other. Parking was easy to find despite it being a residential area but washroom might be an issue if you really have to go...we just tried to avoid the subject altogether.

The set-up at the house itself was impressive, the fake and real actor/actress costumes were so well-made, we couldn't tell who was real and who was not...which made it extra freakish. They also had actors & actresses "harassing" you periodically in the line-up...it was quite entertaining. They even had a construction-like yellow sign at the front saying "Zombies at work." I must say the house (or rooms set up outside their real house really) was exceptional and better than all the Fright Night houses I've been to at PNE in past years. I guess another thumbs up element to it is that all the proceeds go towards charity and enjoying the haunted house is purely by donation, so it really makes you feel every penny you're paying is worth the value. Some of my friends who had visited last year said they've changed up everything compared to last year, so we'll probably revisit again next year for some more screams and laughs!