Canada’s Jeff Christie has been luging for 14 years and competing on a national level for the past nine. After a fast-paced season in 2006–07, Christie was selected by the world’s elite luge athletes to represent them on the International Luge Federation (FIL) Sport Commission. Christie’s first trip to the Olympic Winter Games was in 2006, and he completed the World Cup season with four top-ten finishes in eight races, including a sixth-place finish on his home track in Calgary. Christie now has his sights set on becoming the first Canadian luge athlete to win a medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. When Christie is off the luge track, he is working to complete his degree in business from the University of Calgary. He took time from his busy schedule training for the winter Olympics and studying to answer a few questions.

VancouverBC.com: How did you get into one of the most exciting and dangerous winter Olympic sports?
Jeff Christie: “I went to a summer sports camp at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary (COP) when I was 11 years old. COP is where the Olympic Track for the 1988 Olympics is and so luge was one of the sports I tried. I loved it enough that I joined the luge program that fall and have been sliding ever since. And it’s not dangerous…downhill skiing, now that is dangerous!”

VBC: What are you doing in the final months to get ready for 2010?
JC: “I am currently in Whistler to start our sliding season and we are here off and on training until the Olympics. We also have been training in the gym since April; however, that is normal for us every year.”

VBC: As the Olympics near, how are your feelings changing? Are you getting more excited or nervous or a bit of both?
JC: “My feelings are the same as they have always been—I am excited for the Games. Especially because they are in Canada, but I know that it is just another race and I have to perform to my best no matter what.”

VBC: How do you feel about your event being hosted in Whistler and so close to your birthplace?
JC: “I think that having my event in Whistler is going to be amazing. This town is meant for big events and I have no doubt that it is going to absolutely shine during the Olympics. The people here are amazing, and people make the Games what they are.”

VBC: What is your favourite place in the world to compete?
JC: “Konigssee in Germany. It is the oldest artificial track in the world and always has a huge crowd. The place is steeped in tradition. I love it there.”

Eventually a glum, very unhappy looking waitress wandered over to my table. I explained my breakfast routine – a coffee or two while I caught up with the morning news, and then breakfast. Three or four minutes later she returned, bringing some attitude along with a cup of lifeless, weak half-brewed tasting coffee. “HERE,” she said, plopping down the cup and walking away. Five minutes after emptying my cup, the same girl brought a second cup of the same boring coffee.

On a positive note, the lighting was good, allowing even my old eyes to easily read my paper from almost any location. The washrooms were also neat and clean. However the food prices were outrageously expensive and the cook showed little skill in preparation or presentation.

To keep an even playing field from week to week, I planned to order the same breakfast each time. But the De Dutch offered no poached eggs, even though they did feature Eggs Benedict on the menu, which is basically made using poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce. I ordered eggs over easy rather than pointing out this discrepancy. Despite the high prices, the sausage was cut very thin, about an 1/8 of an inch thick, and you got six little pieces. in total you ended up with less than an inch of sausage. The rye toast was also cut thin, and was hard with almost no butter. There was an accompanying green salad on my breakfast plate, what’s up with that? The garlic tasting dressing did not mix well with the eggs and sausage. The potatoes reminded me of the ones my mother would make me when I was a child – little cubes that you poured from a plastic bag and heated in the oven. Good when Mom made them but not here.

While I wasn’t happy with my overpriced fare, the rest of the menu offered no better choices. A basic omelette would set you back $11, and a Farmer’s omelette was $17. Farmers I know would be smart enough to find a place that offers omelets for a lot less. Eggs Benedict ranged in price from $9.50 to $14.50 for the Seafood version.

As I listened to the chit-chat of the other customers, it was obvious that they came from the nearby hotels. There were no regulars here. (I wonder why?)

My bill for sausage, eggs, potatoes and toast came to $12.44 including taxes and coffee. Crazy! With a begrudged 15% tip my bill came to $14.30…. OUTRAGEOUS! Think about it folks my breakfast budget is $10.00 including everything and tip.

I will not be returning to the De Dutch. The service and the coffee were bad, the food was disappointing and over-priced and the atmosphere – non-existent.

Let’s rate the De Dutch Pannekoek House on Robson!

Service: 3
Cleanliness: 8
Atmosphere: 2
Coffee: 2
Food:4
Price: 1

Over all Score = 3.3 out of 10… I recommend you stay far, far away from the De Dutch on Robson Street.

Bradley Cooper arriving at YVR

Directed by Joe Carnahan, The A-Team has brought a cast of popular stars to Vancouver this fall. This upcoming feature, planned for release in June 2010, is based on the ‘80s television series. The movie stars Bradley Cooper (Faceman), Liam Neeson (Hannibal), Jessica Biel (Amy Allen), Sharlto Copley (Murdock), and UFC fighter Quinton Jackson (Baracus).  For those readers who are unfamiliar with the TV series, the plot is about a group of Iraq War veterans who, after being framed for committing a crime, attempts to clear their name with the U.S. military.

These celebrities haven’t been spending time alone off set either. Jessica’s boyfriend Justin Timberlake has flown in to visit her. The two have been spotted having lunch at Naam restaurant in Kitsilano. Renée Zellweger also enjoyed a romantic weekend in Vancouver with Bradley Cooper. After hitting the gym and grabbing coffee, the couple was seen having lunch downtown with Ryan Reynolds.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake in Kitsilano.

Though the choice of actor and the conception of The A-Team has been the subject to much debate since the project was announced, this highly-anticipated remake of the iconic TV series will surely attract many viewers at the box office.

As a Realtor, my days are unpredictable. Breakfast is the only time of day I can call my own, I love my morning coffee, reading the news paper and eating great breakfast food.
Two things I am very good at, the first – Real Estate, the second – Breakfast.  So when I decided to write a blog each week I did my homework.   Every Real Estate Agent in this city is rehashing the same old Real Estate Bla Bla bla! Who needs more of that?  That leaves me ….breakfast, I am starting my trek looking for the perfect Vancouver breakfast place. And hope you come along.
Please write me if you have something to ad or if you think you know the perfect breakfast spot.  I would love to meet you there for breakfast.

I have chosen 6 categories,each with subcategories for rating each place I blog about.

1 = awful,  10= great, with room in between for all the rest.

Service: including friendliness, promptness and overall impression of the server.
Cleanliness: Including the staff, the tables, condiments, dishes, floors and the washroom.
Atmosphere: What was my first impression, was it a happy place to start my day?
Coffee: How it tastes, how fast it comes and how often the refills show up.
Food: Is it what I ordered, the way I ordered it, was the toast buttered to the edges and the overall presentation.
Price: Is there value for the money I paid? Generally I am happy to pay $10.00 including tip.

Joe’s Grill – Vancouver breakfast Blog #1

My search began at 948 Denman Street in the West End, at Joe’s Grill. My preference for breakfast runs distinctly towards the average diner/cafe, and from the outside Joe’s Grill looked pretty average and urban. Inside, it was upbeat, clean and somewhat trendy. The bar was bright and the waitress stood in the centre, keeping a watchful eye on the customers. A row of dimly lit booths lined the left side of the room. A corresponding line of tables and chairs were on the right.  I chose the table in the front window, as it was bright enough to read the paper by.  A stack of newspapers covered a table by the door, encouraging the customers to settle in for a morning read.

Each table had two coffee mugs with the cutlery tucked inside. The place was clean and orderly. Within seconds of my arrival a friendly and attractive waitress (Anna) came by with a coffee pot.

I’d no sooner settled into my paper and coffee than she was back to take my order. I explained my morning ritual – two cups of coffee while I scanned the paper for news, then breakfast. Her eye was always on me to ensure my cup never went dry – or perhaps she thought that I looked friendly and attractive too.   Only wishful thinking… LOL.

As I scanned the diner I deduced that this was not a tourist spot, but a hangout for locals – at least this time of year in the early days of autumn. The clientele seemed to know each other, and they ordered “the regular” from the waitress.

I finally ordered two eggs poached medium, well done sausages, rye toast and home fries. I often have a hard time getting the poached eggs the way I like them, with the whites cooked and the yokes runny.  Today – perfection!  Prior to leaving I checked out the washroom, which was clean and well stocked.

The price kept with my expectation, coming to $8.50 including coffee and taxes, rounding out at $10.00 with a 17.5% tip.

Joe’s Grill was a big hit in my books.  The coffee was hot, plentiful and had that unmistakeable and comforting taste of diner-brewed joe. The home fries were hot and crispy, the butter went to the edges of the toast, and the service was great.  My only recommendation for improvement is for better lighting. The dim interior made the front window seat the only decent choice for newspaper reading.

Let’s rate Joe’s Grill!
Service: 8
Cleanliness: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Coffee: 9
Food: 9
Price: 7

Overall…. 8.2 = Very Good – Give Joe’s Grill a try.

Keep it short. That’s the motto of the first annual Vancouver Short Film Festival happening this October 23-24. With all the film festivals happening this month, you may have a hard time keeping track. The Vancouver Short Film Festival’s obvious difference is that it showcases short films under 15 minutes that are easy to watch in length, but make no mistake – they don’t compromise quality and story.

Formerly known as the Vancouver Student Film Festival, the festival is now expanding to include a category for professional filmmakers to showcase their work. This year there will also be a screening of international shorts. What does this mean for the festival? By including these new categories, the festival will be showing some of the world’s best short films and the quality of films will be better than ever.

The two-day festival has been divided into three different screenings and the variety of films promise something for everyone. Highlighted shorts include an animated short about bloggers in Iran (Iran: A Nation of Bloggers), a dystopic film shot in one take in reverse (Latte America), and a documentary on the Canadian Paralympic Boccia team (Let’s Play Boccia!). International shorts hail from Cannes, Tribeca, Palm Springs, Sundance, London, Yorkton, Ffresh, the Genies, and the Oscars. The festival will close with the multi-award winning BC film Centigrade: the only short film to break the iTUNES Top 10 downloads in the US, UK, and Canada, and the only Canadian short film to be developed into both a TV series and feature film.

While the films provide entertainment, those of you interested in learning more about short films may want to check out Saturday’s panel. This year’s panel topic is “Making Short Films in Vancouver: Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Potential” and will feature Andrew Williamson, Kris Elgstrand, Ann Marie Fleming, and moderator Kellie Ann Benz.

If you’ve never seen a short film, it’s not all that surprising. Short films haven’t received significant exposure in Canada, but the Vancouver Short Film Festival hopes to change that. The organization works hard to achieve its mandate of promoting the BC film industry by building ties between emerging and established filmmakers. More important though, is being able to provide an arena to celebrate BC’s talented local artists. Many artists have received significant exposure through VSFF’s previous student festival as well as a number of monetary awards.  This year, over $19,000 in prizes will be decided by an industry panel and awarded at the festival after party.

All events will take place in the VIFC Vancity Theatre at 1181 Seymour Street in Vancouver.  The official VSFF after party and awards ceremony take place on Saturday night in the Vancity Theatre atrium and is free with proof of ticket or pass purchase.

Or you could stay at home falling asleep to that long movie you rented.  Our recommendation? Keep it short.

When we think of a musical icon, someone whose sound can be identified in an instant, a person Canadians look up to and are proud to call one of our own, we think of Sarah McLachlan. Sarah’s musical career began over two decades ago and has been going strong ever since. She has achieved incredible success—in fact, every one of her studio and live albums and videos has been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Each of her albums—Afterglow, Freedom Sessions, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Mirrorball Solace, Surfacing, Touch, and Wintersong—gives the listener something truly unique; a sound so special, so different from the next, yet so familiar.

Her Legacy –

Sarah took her passion for music to a whole new level when she founded Lilith Fair, a tour which brought together two million people over its three-year history. It was the most successful all-female music festival in history, and one of the biggest music festivals of the 1990s. Lilith Fair celebrated women in music, showcasing more than 100 female artists to fans across North America. By the end of its run in 1999, the festival had raised more than $7 million for charities and women’s shelters across North America.  Through Lilith Fair, Sarah helped pave the way for many musicians.

But…she certainly did not stop there! The Vancouver-based singer/songwriter founded the Sarah McLachlan Foundation in 1999 to help bring music into the lives of young Canadians, especially those in underserved communities. She established the first Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach—an Arts Umbrella Project in Vancouver’s inner city four years later. The program offers students free music lessons, educational workshops, mentorship and support networks. It provides high-quality instruction in guitar, piano, percussion and choir. The program helps to develop self-esteem and confidence and nurtures students’ ongoing love of music.

If that were not enough, since 2006 Sarah has been the spokesperson for the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, advocating the kind, caring and humane treatment of animals.

Over the years Sarah has worked tirelessly to recognize the beauty and talent in others,  and it was only a matter of time before she began to receive some long overdue recognition of her own.  Sarah received the Order of Canada in 2000 for her outstanding achievements, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Then, in 2008, Sarah received the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award.  The prize, named after the late CHUM Limited founder Allan Waters, recognizes an outstanding Canadian artist whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced Canada’s social fabric.

This eight-time Juno and four-time Grammy winner seems unstoppable. What might she take on next?  That is surely a mystery but we can expect no less than a work of art. While we wonder what brilliance she’ll create next, we can anxiously await her upcoming concert—Summer Sessions at Ambleside, the perfect way to pay homage to a truly spectacular BC summer and welcome in the crisp fall season ahead.  Taking place Saturday, September 12th at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, the event will feature special performances from guests Neil Young and Sheryl Crow, and of course the diva herself.

Over the years Ms. McLachlan’s music has spanned the divide across generations and between races and cultures, and she’s touched the lives of so many—some in person through her humanitarian work, most through her music—all of whom are inevitably moved and inspired by her song.  Sarah, we want in turn to say ‘thank you’ for your gift of music, your generosity and the kindness of your heart.

Tetra was founded in 1987 by former mayor Sam Sullivan, a quadriplegic. Sullivan had a need for household devices that would adapt to his condition. He didn’t need or want high-tech inventions, or expensive items he’d use only once—he needed the means by which to live more easily and comfortably. Paul Cermak, the first volunteer, helped make the necessary changes to Sullivan’s living environment, and Tetra was formed so that others could benefit from these environmental changes as well.

Tetra’s mantra is “people are not handicapped by their disabilities, but by obstacles in their living environments.” The volunteers that help create devices for the disabled come from all walks of life and skill sets, while clients have varied areas of need. The goal is to increase the quality of living so disabled individuals can fully participate in all aspects of life, from work and family to community affairs and recreation. And bit by bit, volunteer by volunteer, this goal is being met.

If you are interested in volunteering your time and talent, or if you know someone in need of a customized device, check out Tetra’s Web site at tetrasociety.org or call 604-688-6464.

Browse popular clothing line Frocks! by Tracy Reese, see how Sugarlime jewellery suits you and give Geisha Ink eyeliner and mascara a try. Model some flirty Betsey Johnson dresses for your shopping companion, or try on a selection by EcoSkin or anything else from many other available collections. September and October mark the beginning of the fall season, of course, and Jules & Eve expects new lines to arrive just in time, along with a fresh inventory of outerwear and gowns. Find hip fall jackets and pair them with metallic clutches and fashion-forward heels.

It’s a stylish gal’s playground—and a rapidly growing one. High-quality skincare and makeup products add to an impressive lineup of in-store stock, and a well-organized Web site makes online browsing and  shopping from home a piece of cake. Au Yeong attributes her store’s success to customers from the Kerrisdale and Shaughnessy neighbourhoods, as well as to travelers from all over Canada and the US who are often referred to Jules & Eve by various hotel concierges. It may be just the place to start your fall shopping spree; but don’t leave without purchasing that dress you keep pulling off the rack—Jules & Eve carries just one of each size to keep pieces unique, and it may not be there the next time you go shopping!

Visit 2009 W. 41^st Ave., call 604-569-0844, or check out julesandeve.com.

Young, determined and focused on earning a place on the podium in 2010, Kelsey Serwa is one of the many athletes now in full training for the glory of the games. Serwa was raised in Kelowna and spent a lot of time on Big White in recent years, but says that wherever there is snow, she will ski. She’s been training hard all year and now it’s finally down to just a few more months before the Olympic spotlight comes to Vancouver and Whistler.

VancouverBC.com: You’ve seen a lot of success in your short career. What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Kelsey Serwa: “I haven’t had any wins on the World Cup circuit but I have had my fair share of success, especially considering this has been my first year of racing Ski Cross. My greatest achievement so far was finishing second at the World Cup Finals in La Plagne, France, which moved me into third position for the overall World Cup standings.”

VBC: How do you balance training and competing with the rest of your life?

KS: “Starting at a young age, I had to learn how to balance my academic and social life with my athletic responsibilities. While in high school, I had to complete most of my courses through self -schooling and correspondence. Instead of having a classroom with a teacher to guide the lessons, I had a bumpy van or a crowded hotel room to study out of.

During the competition season, I am fortunate enough to be able to dedicate all of my time to my sport to ensure that I perform at my optimum potential each race. During the off season, we have a little more freedom, and are able to live relatively normal lives. I balance physical training and work on the weekdays, leaving the weekends comparatively free. At the moment I am working part time at Whistler Mountain River Adventures booking rafting tours.”

VBC: Leading up to the 2010 Winter Games, what does your schedule look like in terms of preparing for the Games?

KS: “My preparation leading up to the Games began many years ago. Five days a week I work on conditioning my body in the gym and on the mountain to build both strength and endurance. We also have a couple of on-snow camps scheduled this summer to improve our skiing abilities and to work on different race strategies. We begin our competition season in late December or early January, and from there will have a total of seven races before the Games. These races are crucial for qualifying for the Games. I have also been doing some mental training as preparation for the upcoming race season.”