Canada: Day 5 From Jasper to Banff / Athabasca Falls

After spending the night at Hinton, we explored more of Jasper's sights.

ATHABASCA FALLS









Athabasca Falls is one of my favorite locations within the two parks because the views of the waterfall are gorgeous. The water flows out into a lake, where puffs of foam float (I was told that this foam contains contaminants, but they're still pretty to look at). Interesting to note is all of the warning signs posted: if you fall in, you will die because the water is extremely cold and you will have hypothermia within minutes.

Juxtapose the powerful energy of the waterfalls with the serenity of the lake:



View from the lake of Athabasca Falls - one of my favorite shots, the milky glacier water looks ethereal.



A short 15 sec clip of Athabasca Falls

Canada: Day 4 Jasper

Canada's Jasper National Park is full of unspoiled natural beauty. It's connected to and north of the more-traveled, older Banff National Park, Canada's first national park. I had read that travelers enjoy Jasper more than Banff because Jasper has less visitors and is less developed than Banff. The central town in Jasper, while much less developed than Banff, still offers plenty of shops and restaurants and also appears very well-maintained. The fam was surprised at how commercialized the town was, but it was nothing in comparison to Banff.



Doesn't this look like a place where you'd have a conversation with God?
Pyramid Island at Pyramid Lake



Beware of idiot tourists!



Medicine Lake



Maligne Canyon



A black bear sighting! Mama bear was eating berries, while the baby cubs ran away. It was amusing to see how people react around a bear sighting. Rather than stay ten bus lengths away, everyone inched closer with their cars. There was a massive traffic clot as people parked their cars every which way to get a closer peak at these elusive animals. I saw one man leave his car and approach them for better pictures, as if the millions that he had took in his car weren't enough (and he had parked right in front of them). Tourists climbed on top of their cars, my mother perched on top of the sunroof, it was quite an experience.

Canada: Day 3 Kamloops

After a day of shopping in Vancouver, the fam was ready to journey eastward toward Kamloops, where we would spend the night. The drive was beautiful - lots of mountains, trees, rivers and lakes. Since I could not drive (the car having been rented), my time was spent finding choice music on satellite radio. I have to say, I was not impressed with satellite radio. Maybe it was because of the limited number of channels, but there were only a few channels of music that the whole family could listen together, mostly pop and oldies. And what we all soon discovered was that the same new Jonas Brothers hit or Miley's #1 song kept replaying over and over. Oh god, the horror.

So after abusing our ears with enough replays of "7 Things" and Fall Out Boy's "Beat It", we permanently fixed the radio dial on oldies.

Kamloops, while not the small town I imagined, looks more like a sprawling mass of suburbia. There really isn't much to do here. We went to the Oriental Gardens Restaurant, which offers Japanese and Chinese cuisine. I was wary of the themed appearance of the restaurant's exterior, which should have been a giant warning sign, but the fam was really hungry. We ordered several Chinese dishes and they were terrible. The meat had a strange texture, and the food did not look freshly prepared.

Spotlight: Laura Laine

Laura Laine for Zara (see more of her illustrations on the Zara website under Inspiration)

I recently came across Laura Laine's fashion illustrations on the Zara website and instantly fell in love with the mood and movement of her misshaped characters. One of the most striking features of these figures is their hair, exuding energy with overpowering volume and fluidity. Bodies are strangely contorted, with hunched postures and elastic limbs. These girls' ghostly expressions contrast with their animated bodies, attesting Laine's strength in depicting dynamic bodily form.

To see these characters dressed in the latest fashion is mesmerizing. Tiered ruffle dresses billow beautifully. Trouser jeans skim legs gracefully. The clothes emphasize, rather than overpower, the lines and form of their models. Laine skillfully plays with colors, textures, and patterns.

See Laine's online portfolio here.

Read an interview with Laura Laine here.

See her work at an upcoming exhibition in Los Angeles! Laine's work, as well as the work of many other talented artists, will be shown from November 7th to the 29th at the Thinkspace Art Gallery. For more information, click here.

Canada: Day 3 Shopping at Robson Street

One street in Vancouver has all the biggest names of retail - Robson Street. With diverse offerings ranging from luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci to cheap n' chic Zara, Robson Street is the go-to place for your retail fix. Central to Vancouver's dining scene, Robson Street also has plenty of great restaurants - my fam and I went to CinCin yesterday, which was at Robson.

Although my fam doesn't really enjoy shopping as much as I do, we spent the morning at Robson to peruse a few stores so that we could spend more time in Vancouver before leaving for Kamloops. I had read that Kamloops doesn't really offer much besides golfing and other leisurely activities, which the fam was not interested in doing. At Robson, we stopped by stores like French Connection, American Eagle, and Zara. I made it a point to stop at every store which I did not recognize the name in order to find Canadian brands or brands not easily found in the United States, such as lululemon athletica and MEXX. I wish I had stopped at Aritzia.

See what Robson Street has to offer here.

On the drive to Kamloops, we stopped by Hell's Gate where we saw a gorge and a salmon fish-ladder. Apparently, falling rocks due to railroad construction during the early 1900's further narrowed the gorge, making it extremely difficult for the salmon to make their yearly migration, so these fish-ladders were built.

Canada: Day 2 Stanley Park

Stanley Park is gorgeous! It offers beautiful views all along the seawall, where lots of people jog and bike. There are several beaches along the coast and some attractions within the park such as totem poles and an aquarium. It is a very big park!

Since we did not have much time in Vancouver, we took a free shuttle around the park. It seems that everyone uses the shuttle to see the park, rather than to get place to place, since the buses were always packed and nobody ever got off.



If I ever return, I would love to bike along the entire seawall.



Around 6PM, we decided to eat at a nice restaurant. Vancouver has a fabulous dining scene (and while the prices are expensive, they're not outrageous). The fam decided on CinCin, a Mediterranean restaurant. Since we were dressed in touristy attire, we called ahead but they said it wouldn't be a problem.

I had the roasted boar gnocchi - I've never had boar before, so it was quite interesting. For dessert, petit fours! They were so adorable and very yummy - I wish I had taken a picture before we started eating them. Our waiter at CinCin provided top-notch, excellent service.



One of the petit fours - tart



A half-eaten plate of petit fours!



After dinner cookies!

And then we went back to the beach at Stanley Park to see the sunset.

Jason Mraz + Tristan Prettyman

Canada: Day 2 Capilano Suspension Bridge

Capilano Suspension Bridge is definitely a tourist trap. It is expensive to get in and is very commercialized. I mean, people-walking-around-wearing-historical-costumes-and-singing-songs commercialized. There are some nice developments, like the Treetop Walking exhibit, which is gratifying for those of us who never had tree houses as little kids.



Upon entering the park, there is a very long and very high up suspension bridge, the kind that sways from side to side when the wind blows (or when your dad walks behind you so he can shake it for his own amusement - so not funny) so it can be frightening for those with fear of heights.



The view from the Suspension Bridge is amazing.



One of the exhibits in the park.



There are several ponds within the park (with lots of fishies).



An act of vandalism - the boards are covered with all sorts of messages.

Oh, and they give you little maps that you stamp at every exhibit so you can get a prize - if you're over the age of 10, this is not for you. Trust me - you will be sorely disappointed.

Obsession Du Jour: J. Crew Snakeskin Slingbacks

J. Crew's Snakeskin Slingback in brilliant blue is drool-worthy - the gorgeous color, beautiful texture, the little bow. I wish I could get my hands on these...

Be prepared for the hefty price tag!!!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

I went to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 yesterday with two of my closest friends, and I have to say... it wasn't as good as the first one. The sequel seemed to jump around, with each girl's storyline so disconnected. And so much was happening, it veered into sappy soap opera territory. To enjoy the movie, you had to forget about reality and just enjoy the scenery - because really, that's the real reason most of us will go see this movie for, to see these four successful starlets come together on the big screen (and to drool over Michael Rady's Kostos, and now newcomer Jesse Williams).

I have to say I was inspired by the girls' wardrobe, especially Lena's grecian-inspired white dresses with matching espadrilles and Bridget's "Indiana Jones"-esque vests and work boots.

I loved how Kostos and Lena only wore white in the boat scene.



Lena (Alexis Bledel) pairs her white dresses with espadrilles. Rekindling my longing for a pair of espadrilles, I set off to find out where her shoes are from. Acccording to Premiere Props, she wears Michael Kors' Stinson Espadrille in navy stripe fabric and Anne Klein's Judine espadrille in white.

My Wishlist

My top three picks from J. Crew's Fall 2008 Collection are:

1. Herringbone ecole jacket in Sweet Potato
   
   
   
   
2. Juliet heels in Light Pumpkin
   
   
   
   
3. Jamie Bag in Honey Glaze
   
   
   

Canada: Day 2 Granville Market

The second day in Canada was spent exploring the city of Vancouver. After picking up the missing GPS from the airport, we drove to Granville Island first.

Granville Island is very small and easily missed on the map. Getting there seemed like a mess of winds and turns, so we were thankful to have our GPS. The island's warehouses house art supply shops, galleries, small specialty stores (like an umbrella shop), and a public market. I loved Pike Place Market in Seattle, so I was especially excited to visit another public market. Comparing the two, Granville's market has a more open, accessible layout (due to being in a warehouse). However, Pike Place presents itself more nicely and more "commercial"-ly than Granville. The memories of Pike Place's vibrant flower stalls and charismatic fish market are more alive than my impression of Granville.

From the harbor there is a great view of the city.



The fam went to the Granville Island Brewing Company to get a taste of the local beers.

Canada: Day 1

Every summer, my family and I go on at least one vacation trip together. This year, we flew to Vancouver, Canada, drove eastward to Jasper and Banff National Parks, and flew back from Calgary, Canada. I intend to write about my trip, but in more easily digestible segments spread over several days.

Day 1: Arrival in Vancouver, Canada

We arrived at Vancouver's eerily empty airport in the evening around 6PM, to the sound of drippy water fountains and the sights of lush plant-life and Native American carvings, quite a sensory overload after having just stepped out of the airport gate. Finding luggage was no problem, but the rental car pick-up had one. A middle-aged, neatly coiffed lady spoke in her stuffy accent that her records showed no request for a GPS system, while the printed record in my mother's hand did. She gave us a telephone number and a stiff smile, but her mind was probably dreaming of the day she could give her boss the bird and leave her dead-end job.

My brother remarked that the suburbs of Vancouver reminded him of Baltimore.

Our hotel was located along Granville St. across from three adult video shops. That night, we decided to explore the neighborhood, so we started heading west. Walking down Davies St., I was amused by the gigantic posters of scantily clad men and store displays with male mannequins wearing furry banana slings. I didn't realize Davies St. was a prominent gay neighborhood until I noticed the ubiquitous rainbow flags waving aloft. While my brother and I knew this, my parents were completely oblivious.

We stopped by Kam's Place Singaporean Cuisine for dinner because my mother, having visited Singapore ages ago, wanted to revisit the cuisine. The menu bore similarities to those of Americanized Chinese and Thai offerings, and the food did too. The owner of the restaurant (I believe it was Kam himself) seemed personable, making small talk with all of his guests. Sensing my mother's disappointment, he explained that the restaurant's main clientèle, which he whispered sharply "Caucasians", weren't "ready" for the fishy, pungent flavors of authentic Asian cuisine. The conversation felt both honest and yet slightly inappropriate, especially with the two white patrons within earshot behind me. I half-expected them to react in some way, and even then I couldn't predict in what way. It was a very uncomfortable beginning to a conversation. However, no one else appeared phased by it, so either I'm hyper sensitive or we were all being polite.

Afterwards, my father asked about things to do in Vancouver and the owner pulled out a map for us and gave us advice on where to go and when. Everything he said was old news to me, since I had been researching for the past few days, but what did stand out was his warning not to go to Chinatown at night.

Walking back to the hotel, we passed by a small Korean grocery store. I can always expect my parents to patronize Korean businesses, even in foreign countries, and this trip was no exception. My mother talked with the locals and bought a calling card, and we made another trip to this store before leaving Vancouver.

And we also passed by a busy nightclub, Celebrities, which had a really long line. While night-clubbing would have been fun, clubbing with family would have been really awkward. Even clubbing with just my brother would have been awkward - he's probably thinking "How many shots is too many before I become a bad influence?", and I'm thinking "Would it be traumatic for him to see his sister get 'down and dirty'?" My brother was sorely disappointed to find out that he had missed Celebrities' "Stacked" Tuesday nights with (his favorite) electro music, but then was relieved to discover he would be missing Wednesday night's "Divas & Gents".

My first impression of Vancouver was that it's extremely diverse - there is a thriving Asian population in Vancouver, but it seems that the different nationalities are not too concentrically located. There seems to be a serious auto-theft problem - there are signs and people everywhere telling you not to leave anything in your cars. Also, I really enjoyed having daylight until 9-10 PM. That, I really miss.

Poupée de cire

"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" by France Gall

FOTC's "Foux Da Fa Fa" led me on a search to discover what exactly Scopitones were. And that opened a treasure box full of wonderful old gems, little 3-minute musical time capsules. I absolutely adore when this happens. There's something about vintage and oldies and history that makes me happy. Since TCM's Oscar Month, I've been addicted to that channel. Everytime I heard that piano music they played with the montage of Oscar film clips, I got emotional. But admit it: so did you. And when I'm in Los Angeles, my radio happily nestles down at K-EARTH 101.



"Pourquoi pas moi" by Mareva Galanter

I went onto YouTube for more Scopitones and found Mareva Galanter's Scopitone-inspired music videos. It was her version of Laisse tomber les filles that got me thinking "I've heard this song before... and I like it!" But who sang the original? And that's when I found France Gall. I've heard of Françoise Hardy. I've seen the word "Yé-yé" thrown around, but never really took the time to figure out what it was. I've even listened to a few Serge Gainsbourg tunes. But what really inspired me to figure the whole thing out was Gall's off-kilter, captivating voice and her look: youthful innocence and that blonde bob.



"Baby Pop" by France Gall



"Laisse tomber les filles" by France Gall

Oh, how I love the Internet. One things leads to another... it's instant gratification.

Où est J. Crew?

I love to speak French. Mais je parle un peu français. Très peu. And having only taken one class of French, my impressive vocabulary can be summed up in this video:



"Foux Da Fa Fa" by Flight of the Conchords

which apparently is enough to pick up French chicks, go shopping at the supermarket, and tandem-bike in the park. Besides being completely enamored by Bret and Jemaine, I also love the color-happy 1960's costumes



which I felt could be recreated with J. Crew's menswear. Here we go...



Solid vintage oxford shirt in grapefruit
Secret wash button-down shirt in microstripe in light dahliah



Secret Wash white-collar shirt in banker stripe in oxford pink
Cotton-cashmere crewneck sweater in provencial blue
Broken-in chino sneakers in ivory



Thacher-stripe ribbed cardigan
Vintage slim fit garment-dyed denim

I may have cheated in that last one... but that umbrella was just too cute! Its from girl's Crewcuts.

Stopped by J. Crew today...

and finally got the Elizabeth halter top in white, but its made from a cotton and silk blend rather than all silk! So its machine washable, which is great because what stopped me from getting it earlier was having to dry clean it. I can't find a link for it on the website, so I guess its from their new collection. I'm already thinking of all the ways I could wear it:

1) with the Market tee or any other crewneck tee like this photo:


2) tucked into a pencil skirt like this photo:


3) this looks pretty cute too

with shorts or fitted pants like skinnies or straights - and dark denim

4) a thicker sweater, with a crewneck neckline, or maybe a printed cardigan

Can't wait!

Surfing

I've recently taken up surfing. It's exhilarating, frightening, euphoric (the first stage of hypothermia). My friend and I were so excited to try out our newly acquired surfing skills at the local beach, that we rushed into buying wetsuits at the local store so we could catch the morning waves. Not having our sizes in the instructor-recommended 3/2 wetsuits, the salesperson suggested the springsuit. This was a bad idea - after spending two hours in the ocean, my fingers were numb and I was shivering a lot (which Wikipedia tells me is the first stage of hypothermia. I love Wikipeida.). Worst yet - non-returnable.

Lesson learned. Bought a 3/2 wetsuit (at a different store). And some cute Roxy rubber flip-flops (might as well look good eating sand).

J. Crew Sale!

Yay for sales,
20% off all sale merchandise at www.JCrew.com. Just bought this jacket:


Priced down to $99 from $168, plus 20% off = $79!

Ten Essentials

Everytime I go shopping, I have a mental list of what I need, but I end up taking home things I want. Hence, buyer's remorse and the quick fix-it of returns. So, I'm making a list of the ten essentials I need for this spring.

1. A little black dress - I can't believe I don't have one. A no-brainer!
   
2. Athletic sneakers - I'm planning to take tennis lessons next quarter, and I'm looking for a clean-looking pair.
3. Undergarments - I'm very flat-chested, so it's difficult (and expensive) to find bras.
4. Straight leg jeans - Great for tucking into my boots. The tricky part here is finding one for my petite frame.
5. Summer sandals - After having worn flip flops for the past few years, I'm a little tired of them. I'm looking for something more chic.
6. Sunglasses - I have a great (and expensive) pair of sunglasses that my parents bought me years ago, but sadly I've rarely worn them. Call it a change of heart. Can't return them, so I'll probably sell them online.
7. Casual collared button-up shirts - I love these! I'm looking for cotton shirts with a classic look about them like pinstripes and small patterns.
8. A suit - Almost time to enter the workforce! Suits are expensive, so I need to be super picky about this one. Right now, I'm digging slim silhouettes.
   
9. A leather handbag - Another big splurge item, I'll need to save up.
10. Sweats - Every CA girl seems to own sweats AND wear them everyday. Not that I want to wear them out, but I'd like a pair to just lounge around at home.
    

I guess part of the problem is that I'm extremely picky about the things I need. I want them to be quality and timeless and affordable. And then I go off and do something stupid like shell $20-somethings for disposable trend at Forever 21. I need to prioritize.

Spring Inspiration - MAC Naughty Nauticals

I can't wait for the Naughty Nauticals make-up collection from MAC, which you can find out more from the blog For the Love of Beauty. I don't own much make-up, but the few eyeshadow and lip products do I own from MAC are my favorites. I'm enamored by the red lipstick on the model.

Both photos from For the Love of Beauty

When this hits the states, I definitely plan on stopping by and picking up this lipstick, called Port Red. It reminds me of a pin-up girl, very classic and sexy.

Bold Cat Eyes - Can you wear it?

Doll-faced model Lily Cole brings glamour back in Vogue UK's December 2007 issue with diamonds, diamonds, and more diamonds! But what had me swooning from the start was Lily's cat-eye look, emboldened by its minimalist palette and captivating to the point where I *almost* rushed to the B&N's sales counter to fork over the $10 bucks (before reasoning that $10 is a bit too much for sudden lust of one editorial and that developing an impulsive buying habit is not on my list of resolutions for 2008). ALTHOUGH an impulsive buying habit would have brought this magazine into my hands in the comfort of my home where I could obsess over it privately... but I digress.

According to the magazine, the make-up artist used a Chanel fine eyeliner brush to apply Dior Style Intense Liquid Liner on the lid.

Victorian Ruffles

My recent spending binges (who am I kidding, more like constant) have left a dent in my bank account, so now I'm trying to hold myself back from whipping out that plastic card that makes pretty things mine (oh, the wonders of that magic little card!). But it's become increasingly difficult as the Christmas (shopping) season approaches and my favorite stores have stocked up on some tantalizing wares. Take J. Crew's color-happy corduroys and cashmeres; I can't help but lust after their basic tissue tees and two-tone satin mary janes. On my wish list is this Victorianesque silk halter, versatile enough to layer or wear alone unbuttoned and unique enough to justify the $88 price tag. Santa, take a hint, in color white please!!! (Highly unlikely though, as they are due to arrive early January - maybe a gift card?)

J. Crew Solid Silk Elizabeth Halter