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The We s t E n d Community paper

In the end, the sprinklers won out over the “chickenchic” focus of this story. The re-imagined LaurierBarbecue, now named Laurier Gordon Ramsay,celebrated its resurgence on August 9 with a jam-packed, scalding-hot VIP soiree, featuring the star-of-honour, celebrity chef and co-owner, Gordon

Ramsay, his local business partner Danielle Lord,other luminaries and a bevy of fawning, passionate

foodies. It was certainly a night to be remembered,particularly Chef Ramsay’s entrance about an hour in,accompanied by Mayor Gerald Tremblay (quite fitting,actually, since his goose is increasingly cooked with everypassing month) and others.

The Chef is quite suave in person and on this evening,exchanging his white working jacket for a fashionable suit,

he looked amazing. Grabbed by a senior as he squeezedpast the photo-taking, autograph-hunting throng of

well-wishers, after she kissed him on both cheeks hestated, quite unabashedly, “Darling, you lookfabulous!” Turned out (from what I understand) thatshe was the mother of one of the producers of hishit show Hell’s Kitchen, but the chef certainlyseemed genuine nonetheless.

Genuine, too, is what the cuisine appears to be, astep up from the establishment’s basic but historicchicken dishes, including pot pie, that have beenstandards here for eons. On this evening, we were

treated to tiny-but-delectable “amuses bouches”and smaller portions of some of the newer

staples, such as scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth pork medallions, the fabulous housepoutine and something involving pulled beefthat had me salivating for cow longafterwards. Oh yes… and their house-created potato chips are simply to die for.

Chicken

chic at

Chef

Ramsay’s

newest

culinary

hang-out

This�Issue:

*Briefly Bram sounds

off on Bell

*Graif on straight

shooter Tevan

*Last Call Sol and his

gas problems

*Day Travel: Grosse Ile

and the Irish Memorial

*Challenging puzzles

Photos:

BramEisenth

al

issue16_Layout 1 8/18/2011 2:27 PM Page 1

THE LOCAL SEEKER, AUG 19 (pg. 2) FREE CLASSIFIED ADS: 514-975-7745 www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

hour performance at Centre Bell where you could hear Don Henley’severy word as they performed the ultimate rendition of Boys of Summerand every other hit in their repertoire, all for $100. Now THAT was a show!

A friend of mine saw Paul McCartney a few weeks ago at this same venueand told me that the sound was as bad as it was yesterday.

Evenko: Sir Paul, Travis and the lads, and music fans everywhere, deservefar better. As you age, your memories are often all you have (if you arelucky) and I’d like my memories of your concerts in this still-newmillennium to be of classic music and lyrics… not this high-pitchedscreech in my ear caused by the feedback from the useless noise you areultimately responsible for. Yeah, I know you will tell me the bands alsohave a say, but I pay you, not them, for the privilege of actually hearingthem.

Milestone on the horizon

This paper will be celebrating its first anniversary in mid-September andI’d love to quote some readers regarding what they have liked mostduring our debut year.

Please e-mail your comments to [email protected] and I’llpublish the best of ‘em.

Br i

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Br i

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The Local Seeker, West End Montreal Edition

Volume 2, Number 16, Aug 19 2011

Founded by Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud 2010

Published by Local Seeker Media Group, Cornwall, Ontario

The Local Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies

published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as

the statements and opinions of The Local Seeker.

My ears are still ringing as I write this, but the onlysmile on my face is because of a musician namedTravis Barker and not the concert I saw lastevening at Centre Bell. Having come back aftermidnight from what was likely THE poorestamplified show in my personal history, I’d like tosay more, but I’m too upset at the venue andimpresario Evenko (formerly GillettEntertainment) for organizing this tripe.

When tickets were announced for the show, featuring My ChemicalRomance – one of the few latter-day bands that I admire and respect– and pop punk headliners Blink 182 – I knew I had to go. MCR isresponsible for the scintillating hit theme album Welcome to theBlack Parade several years back and I had driven four hours to Albanyto see them back then… and immediately four hours back, as theshow had been cancelled by the time I got there due to the foodpoisoning of the performers. And being a drummer once upon atime, I gravitate toward the best of ‘em and there aren’t many betteranywhere than power drummer and musical contortionist Barker.

Now, I have seen hundreds of live concerts since the age of 15, whenI slept outside the Montreal Forum to grab a ticket to see the Stonesin July 1972 (for $8, with Martha Reeves and the Vandallas and StevieWonder as opening acts!). I KNOW good sound when I hear it and,baby, last night’s show… how should I put this?... sucked. And I havefigured out the problem. Today’s generation of music buffs is SO usedto “screamo” music, where lyrics really don’t matter a hoot, thatorganizers don’t have to spend an extra dime on a good soundsystem. And let me tell you, the Bell Centre likely spent no more thana nickel on its sound system last night, as I and my group could hardlymake out a proper syllable for MCR and Manchester Orchestra, theforgettable opening act before them. The sound for Blink was slightlybetter, as they appear to have set up their own speakers on stage, butnot enough to make me fully appreciate the final leg of the show.What I DID adore, however, was the energy these professionals putinto it, as vocalists/guitarists Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus set upexpertly for Barker’s delirious drumming.

Eschew the energy drinks – watching Barker is all you need do if youwant to feel alive. He is so unbelievable I was sure an immortal robotwas perched at his drum kit. Barker survived a 2008 plane crash andfire that ultimately took the life of his good friend, David MichaelGoldstein (DJ AM), so there may be something to the cyborg notion.When Barker capped his performance with a drum solo right beforethe final song, he and his kit hanging over the audience suspendedby a mechanical arm, this could only have been sci-fi percussion forthe ages. So thanks for that, Travis, because my alternate memory willforever be of a horrid mélange of sound mixing that left me withworse tinnitus than usual… and feeling ultimately ripped off. I paidgood money for this gig, man, $60 after taxes… not what manybands bring in, true, but this would have even been obscene at $20.

You know, I hear this is pretty endemic in the business today and I canonly assume it’s because no one complains, so organizers can getaway with it. The last time I went to see a band I REALLY felt gave memy money’s worth was The Police, at the Bell Centre on theirnotorious final tour a few summers ago. I still wear the tee-shirtproudly. Prior to that, Eagles gave a more-than-memorable three-

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio

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Take me to your litreWhen did the gas shafting begin? When they introduced the metric

system to Canadians. Can you imagine the uproar if theyhad raised the price forty-five cents a gallon at a time? But10 cents a litre back then wouldn’t sound as bad.

It is no secret that the petroleum industry raises priceswhenever they choose to and needs no reason to do so.The governments look the other way because they taxsales at the pump. The municipal government wants toraise taxes on gasoline even higher, in order to raisemoney for infrastructure repairs - instead of gettingthose that roll the biggest trucks along our highways topay higher taxes they want the working man to do so.

But let’s get back to the real culprits: Petrocan, Shell Oil, and ImperialEsso. The price for crude oil is $80 U.S per barrel after being over $110U.S. in May. That means the cost of a litre has been reduced by 25% andwe received a reduction of 10% over that same time period. The oilindustry has shown time after time that they organize amongstthemselves, where a simple phone call sends all the station operatorsrunning out to change the price.

As I said in the last issue, an independent commission needs to beestablished to approve or disapprove each application for a pricechange. It is never as pressing as now that it is done immediately.

There is a web site on the Internet, with the URLhttp://www.essencemontreal.com, where you can log on 24 hours aday and find the lowest and highest gas prices on and off the island. Ifyou register to receive their newsletter, you will be notified early in theday when gas prices are about to be raised by day’s end. It is alwaysaccurate. By mid to late afternoon the price will rise, first at Petrocan(our government) then at Shell and Esso. By the end of the day, all willhave raised their pump price except for Ultramar, which is usuallygood till late at night or possibly the next morning.

Once the villains raise their pump price everyone rushes to Ultramar tofill up at the old price. The next day when all prices are equal we forgetthat it was Ultramar that gave us a break and return to those thatshafted us and forgive and forget until next time.

Last issue I promised a solution and here it is. Boycott all gas stationsexcept for Ultramar and the independent stations (Calex, CanadianTire, Cosco, etc.) Let the operators of Petrocan, Shell, and Imperial Essoraise their price as high as they like and then sit and twiddle theirthumbs while we all buy our gas elsewhere till the price comes downto where it legitimately should be.

I really would appreciate hearing some comments. I know you’re outthere.

It’s closing time.

P.S. - Condolences to the family of the late Ted Tevan

ED. NOTE: I have been calling for a boycott of the most offensive gasstations for several years now in Briefly Bram and this has simply fallen ondeaf ears. I am willing to allow this paper to serve as an informationsource for such a move anytime readers are willing to act. But if you aregoing to sit around and likewise twiddle your thumbs, cursing withouteffect, why waste your and my time? Till then, I will run comments to Sol’scolumn if you send them. Where’s that team spirit?

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Chicken chic at Chef Ramsay’s newest culinary hang-out (continued from cover)

I had been hoping for an interview with Ramsay, even a mini version, but I had been prepared bypublicist Kristin Gable of Cossette Communications, who stressed that an interview would likely not bepossible. It was no wonder. Ramsay was quickly located at the back of the restaurant atop a platform,where throngs of diaphoretic media and well-wishers had him cornered. I and my little paper didn’t havea chance. But I had been promised that Ramsay would reply to three simple questions (including onereally good one asking him to explain why being a chef is such a passionate pursuit) I had e-mailed theday prior. The pictures you see here were taken by me as he was engaged in an interview with CJADradio.

The next day, however, I received this standard response from Ramsay via Gable to my questions,intended to suffice for all three:

“I love Montreal and its vibrant culinary tradition. Laurier Gordon Ramsay fills a niche by providing theperfect casual dining experience, with everything from rotisserie chicken that has been popular for 75years to, of course, poutine. The dessert menu will also be the best of the old and new. This restaurantis truly unique, and I am very excited.”

After being sloughed off this way, I wondered if Chef Ramsay has ever been happy to receiveundercooked chicken or burnt tartlettes from one of his Hell’s Kitchen chefs. I still had Lord tointerview personally, however, and I was actually more excited about bringing you the POV of the localpartner… till the darned sprinklers went off the following evening, leaving Lord with one hell of akitchen and overall facility to clean up, this was going to be a very different story.

Undaunted, though, I decided to nonetheless give you some insight into this city’s major event of theweek. It’s not every day that someone the calibre of a Gordon Ramsay visits a city with internationallyrenown for its cuisine, although my personal favourite celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, has beenhere to film segments for his TV show, No Reservations. Bourdain has not yet bought into his ownplace here, though.

Some trivia I learned in culinary school is appropriate here: Any idea what the classic chef jacket is patterned after? Well, the cooks who slaved overhot stoves to feed Napolean’s armies didn’t get much respect from the other soldiers, it seems. So, because he ran a pretty tight ship, the ‘LittleGeneral’ clad them in jackets that resembled military uniforms and demanded that the same respect shown to him by his soldiers be shown to hischefs. The custom has apparently stuck, as today’s chefs are treated with an absolute, military-like respect by their staffs and students. Just ask thepeople who work for Chef Ramsay.

Laurier Gordon Ramsay381 Laurier W.Montreal H2V 2K3514-273-3671

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Texture a major element when itcomes to our favouritefoods

You ever wonder what makes people lovecertain foods while others hate that sameitem? Naturally, you might assume it’s allabout taste. What tastes good to oneperson might taste terrible to another. Butwhat if there is something else at play

here? Consider texture and how food feelsin the mouth: Sometimes this is referred to as

“mouthfeel.”

Texture plays a huge role in how we consume food. Forexample, some people prepare their pasta “al dente” whileothers prefer it softer. Many people like to munch on rawbroccoli and some will only eat their broccoli cooked.

Kids are often all about texture. Parents never clue in aboutthis and thus label their little one picky eaters. Similarly, aspeople age, anatomy changes or illness compromisesswallowing. What was once easy to eat becomes achallenge. To help them, it could be as simple as changingthe texture of the foods they eat.

Likes and dislikes can easily be attributed to texture. Manypeople hate fish. If you probe them you will find out it hasto do with how the fish feels in their mouth. I have seen thesame thing with nut butters, pickles, quinoa and evenmustard. One client insists that mustard feels like tiny littlesand pieces in his mouth. Some people describe milk asslimy. Interesting choice of words, once again pointing to atexture issue.

As a dietitian, there is nothing I can really do to helpsomeone “like” a texture. Simply recognizing this is oftenvery helpful for the person. When a parent understands thattheir child is adverse to a food because of the texture,perhaps they can serve the same food prepared or cookeddifferently. For seniors, offering soft foods more often coulddo the trick. It’s important for seniors to meet their nutrientand caloric needs. It’s also important to make sure they are safe when they are eating, so they don’t choke or aspirate food, which could lead topneumonia.

You see, eating is not just about flavour. There are so many other factors we need to consider when preparing and enjoying a delicious meal.

Caryn J. Roll P.Dt. (514.817.0135)Twitter: @MTRLnutrition Join me on Facebookwww.montrealnutrition.com

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By Bram EisenthalPhotos: Bram Eisenthal

GROSSE ILE, QUEBEC: You don’tneed to be Irish to visit this tinyisland, located in the Isle-aux-Gruesarchipelago on the St. LawrenceRiver. But if you’re searching for anintriguing story, high drama,emotional highs and lows and a trulymemorable excursion, however, itcertainly doesn’t hurt. For here, in theearly-to-mid 19th century, the hopesand dreams of hundreds ofthousands of refugees from all overEurope – many of them Irish - were

either realized…. or scuttled bydisease so ravaging, they spread itto neighbouring Quebec City andas far as Montreal, killing up to athird of their populations.

On Le Coudrier, the sight-seeingship that takes you from the Portof Quebec directly to Grosse Ileand the Irish Memorial NationalHistoric Site of Canada, you can tryto suspend your disbelief andimagine you’re an Irish immigrant,escaping the Great Famine,navigating these very waters andarriving on Canada’s shores.

Thoughts of sanctuary and refugecertainly reigned supreme, if youdidn’t perish from disease duringthe tortuous two-month journey.For these seafarers, Grosse Ile wasthe portal to Canada, a quarantinestation from 1832 until 1937. In1847, the Great Famine reached itspeak and Irish émigrés flooded thistiny landmass, just 1.5 miles longby 2600 feet wide.

Incredibly, 398 ships wereinspected here that season. Thescene must have resembled a

ceaseless funeral procession,as those sick and dying fromtyphus arrived from Liverpoolin England, Glasgow inScotland and Bremen inGermany, as well as the Irishports of Limerick, Cork,Dublin, Sligo and Belfast. LeCoudrier’s passengercompliment early thismorning is majority Irish, agroup of 36 New Yorkershailing from the Emerald andIrish American Club ofWestchester and PutnamCounties. They have come topay lasting tribute.

“I feel a deep sense of tragedyand I am trying to visualizehow these people made itover here,” said John Mulvihill,the leader of the group. Bornin County Kerry, Ireland, aonetime worker with theDingle Railway, he came tothe U.S. in 1957. John firstheard of Grosse Ile in atelevised documentary andtouring the site has become amajor goal for him since.“Grosse Ile is very unique spotand I am very anxious toarrive there. I am sure thatmore than a few tears will beshed.”

The most striking thing when youfirst reach the island is its placidatmosphere. Set in a lush naturalsetting, Grosse Ile is home to manyspecies of rare flora, as well as deerand other wildlife. On the surface aseeming paradise, pleasantthoughts are suddenly dashedwhen you learn more than 7500bodies are buried here. A good partof Grosse Ile is, in effect, a massgrave. Yet its history and the sheermagnitude of the humanity whichflooded its shores makes it one ofthe more interesting venues in thisregion and, indeed, anywhere.

The buildings that dot thelandscape here are remarkableleftovers of a bygone era, many ofthem original structures. Uponlanding at the island’s western dock,you will be facing several large,historically-relevant buildings: thehotels section (also known as the“healthy section”) on the left, wherepeople with varying degrees offinancial means could pay for somepeace and privacy – there wereonce first, second and third classhotels, in fact - as well as the smallyellow vaccination house farther upon the right, and the DisinfectionBuilding immediately in front ofyou. Save the latter for the end ofyour visit, if you can, as it’s the mostfitting way to terminate theexperience.

If you’re Irish, you’ll likely be eagerto reach the island’s majorlandmark, the huge Celtic cross thatcan be seen on your approach byboat. Erected in 1909 by the AncientOrder of Hibernians (AOH), at a costof approximately $12,000, to remindpilgrims of the suffering theirancestors endured, it’s quitebreathtaking no matter what yourreligion. The view of the Saint-Lawrence River from here is quitespectacular. Be forewarned,

I r i s h r e m e m b e rI r i s h r e m e m b e r19th century 19th century

ancestors at ancestors at

historic historic

G r o s s e I l eG r o s s e I l e



however, that there is some uphillclimbing involved and the path isnot wheelchair-friendly. Rememberto stay on paths island-wide, aspockets of poison ivy are quiteabundant in non-marked areas.

To reach the cross, you’ll pass theIrish Memorial, a sorrowful reminderof the citizens of many nations whonever made it beyond Grosse Ile.The memorial portion was designedby Quebec artisans to resemble anancient burial mound,incorporating clear lucite panelsengraved with the names of all thedeceased buried on Grosse Ile.Simple white crosses are situatedover the mass graves of some 6000individuals, while another 1500bodies are buried elsewhere, in twosmaller cemeteries.This is the most spiritual sector of

the island and, if tears are to beshed, this is likely the spot.

Behind the crosses, where thereonce stood a hospital, check out thepretty view of Cholera Bay. Thecholera victims of 1832 (the typhusepidemic struck the 1847 group)were buried nearby, according tothe tenets of the “miasma theory,” sothat the bad humors were notcarried farther afield by air. A legendstates that bodies were foundfloating in this bay, and also thatsome victims were buried in thebottom of the bay during low tide.

For those intoarchitecture andhistory, however,moving farther eastvia the facility’s tourtram will take youto a veritable goldmine of sites. At thecenter is the villageof Saint-Luc deGrosse Ile, wherethe staff andworkforce lived,schooled theirchildren, attended

church, shopped and pretty muchcarried on normal lives.Two spiritual centers, the AnglicanSaint - John the Evangelist, datingto 1877 and currently undergoingrestoration, and the Catholic Saint-Luc deGrosse Ilep a r i s hc h u r c h ,used from1874 untilthe 1960sand inl o v e l ycondition,a r elandmarksw o r t hvisiting.

G u a r dt o w e r ss t a n dtestament,however, tothe fact thissector was separated from the restof the island, so that the ill did notmingle with the healthy. Originalconcrete sidewalks still stand, infairly perfect condition, andfollowing them towards the riverwill take you to the remains of thewharf used by the “sick” arrivals,not too far from the buildinghousing the dual-duty ambulanceand hearse. Foreboding, indeed.The eastern part of the island, thesick sector, saw much suffering.

One cannot avoidbeing deeplyaffected by thisknowledge.

The route passingthe 1912 residenceof the island’s Dr.Coté, the PublicWorks officer’shouse and otherbuildings, bringsyou to the island’soldest structure,the Lazaretto, the

long green and white quarantinecenter. As horrifying a place as thismust have been, its more recentusage was darker still. During themid-1940s, chickens were kept hereby the American, British andCanadian military establishment, fora top-secret purpose. The eggs wereused by scientists for research intoanthrax. In the early 1950s, militarybiological research continued here.Despite the mental imagery thisevokes, it’s perfectly safe to tour thesite today and 30,000 people do soannually.

End your tour by visiting theDisinfection Building, right by thewest end dock. Hi-tech head setswill assist you in experiencing

exactly what new arrivals did upondisembarking from their ships,realistic sound effects and all. Theactual disinfection process, whichoccurred while the clothes werebeing scorched in the hugesteamers still here today, must havebeen quite something. A hotshower, clean clothes, a cardstamped “Bathed and PersonalEffects Disinfected,” and you wereon your way.

Unfortunately, on this island, atleast, Irish eyes were not alwayssmiling. For many, this was thebeginning of a new life in Canadaand perhaps the United States. Forothers, Cholera Bay was the lastthing they would ever see. In theirmemory, a visit to Grosse Ile is themost fitting tribute of all.

If You Go:

From anywhere in the country, ViaRail Canada offers luxurious seatingand dining in their first class car, Via

1, or a most comfortable trip in theireconomy coaches. For reservations,VIA be reached at 514-989-2626 orover the Internet at www.viarail.ca

An excellent accommodation inQuebec is Hotel Royal William (360Charest Street East), a fashionable,comfortable boutique hotel locatednear virtually every major attractionthe city has to offer – it’s a 45 minutewalk or $5 taxi ride to Old Quebec.In addition to nicely appointed,modern, completely-soundproofedrooms, many with jacuzzi tubs andall featuring ergonomic chairs andhigh-speed cable Internet jacks,there are two Internet terminals,offered free of charge to guests, inthe downstairs library. The most

fitting touch is Le Sainte-Victoire, the hotel’s bistrorestaurant. The cuisinehere is delicious and notloftily-priced andbreakfast, served as eitherhealthy or classic, isincluded in the room rate.Call 1-888-541-0405 - forreservations or visit theirexcellent site atwww.royalwilliam.com

Transportation directfrom Quebec City toGrosse Ile is handled byLe Coudrier, acomfortable tour line thatoffers various sightseeingcruises and a 2 ¼ hourtrip to Grosse Ile. The day-trip includes the guided

tour on the island and the return toQuebec. Call 418-692-0107 forinformation while in Quebec City, or888-600-5554, no charge, outsidethe city. Or, if you choose to rent acar, drive 45 minutes to the prettywaterfront town of Berthier-sur-Mere and take the 45-minute trip toGrosse Ile on board the CroisieresLachance, a modern, professionaland fully-equipped father-and-soncruise ship line, which offers its ownspecial packages. Contact them at 418-259-2140, 888-476-7734, or on the Internet atwww.croisiereslachance.qc.ca

Grosse Ile and the Irish MemorialNational Historic Site of Canada isopen to the public from April throughOctober. To speak to one of theisland’s knowledgeable Parcs Canadaemployees, contact them at 418-248-8888. Their website is located at:http://www.parcscanada.gc.ca



Ted Tevan:Homage to a realstraight arrow

Ted Tevan’s passing hasbrought memories of mychildhood flooding back. Iwill never forget thosenights in the mid-to-late1970’s, staying up way past

my bedtime to listen to his show, “the event,” as Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Irvintold me earlier this week. Those bleary-eyed mornings at elementary school when myfriends and I would stand around in the schoolyard at recess the next day: “Did youhear Tevan machine gun that guy last night? It was awesome. He was such a mooch.”

I always marveled at a couple of my friends who managed to stay up late enough tolisten to it all. We had an informal competition between us: Who could get past hisproducer, McGaritty, and actually get on air with Ted to talk sports? I even had myparents call so that I wouldn’t sound like a kid. And if we did get on air, the goal thenwas hardly to be called a “straight arrow.” We wanted to get machine gunned off theradio. We wanted to hear Ted say “You’re gone… 790-0741” or “You’re banned for ayear.”

Irvin was right. Tevan’s show wasn’t about the statistics or the plays on the field, it wasabout him. Thirty years later, we don’t remember who was on first base on somerandom summer night when the Expos turned a game-ending double play to win it.We think back to the man behind the microphone who turned that game we had justlistened to, featuring Dave and Duke, into something far greater than just a game.

We needed to hear how Tevan was friends with the players. We wanted to hear howhe handled all the callers, who, like us, aspired to be shot down,aspired to be humiliated by this man who was larger than life.Fast forward 15 years to 1994. I was just breaking intomainstream radio and producing and reporting for the MitchMelnick Show on CIQC and I was lucky enough to break thestory of the end of the NHL referees strike one day. I remembergoing live on radio stations across the country with the news.But it wasn’t until I returned to the studio to file my reportsthat I was really put to the test. Ted Tevan was on air that night.He wanted me to guest on his show. I had finally secured thebiggest badge of honour among my elementary schoolfriends - I was going on the radio with Ted Tevan as an equal!

Before going on, Ted told me he was proud of me. I beamed.But that night I learned a big lesson. It wasn’t about the newsthat I had broken. It was all about the show. Years later the onlypeople who remember that I broke that story are related tome, but everyone who listened to the radio in Montreal in the1970s and ‘80s knew who Ted Tevan was. What many didn’tknow was that he was kind and generous. He and I stayed intouch over the years: We last spoke about four months agoand he told me that I was doing a great job on TV and radio.

To hear that kind of praise from the man who knew how to puton an event like no other meant the world to me. Ted Tevanwas a pioneer who affected far more careers than just mine. Iam honoured to have known him, to have worked with himand to have learned from him. Ted, you were a straight arrow.

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The art of doing nothing

It is August, and with the excitement and heat ofmidsummer behind us, we start to mellow.Thisperiod of the year is a pleasurable time for many ofus, a time of slowing down, relaxing with loved onesand simply "being."

Doing nothing can be a deeply restorative activity.Yet for a mind that organizes through duality,making sense of the world with such concepts as"something" vs. "nothing," it can be quite scary

to embrace nothingness and embody it fully. If we do,will we fall into the abyss of nothingness? Will we become empty,lonely, sad, depressed and dull? I invite you to explore thepossibility that doing nothing--when done consciously, withawareness--can involve all of our attention and be a safe,compelling and satisfying experience. The following exercisecultivates steadfastness and loyalty to oneself, patience and trust. Italso attunes us, introducing our energetic body to the universallaws of nature.

The Moon Mudra

A mudra refers to hand gestures and finger positions. The meaningof mudra is "that which brings peace."

1. Sit in a comfortable position with shoulders down and relaxed,spine tall and head centred. Tuck the chin slightly in and down.

2. Place both hands on your lap, palms up.

3. With the right hand, gently touch the tip of the thumb to the tipof the index finger. Do not press; the softer and more subtle thetouch, the better. Let the other three fingers rest open andextended, yet relaxed.

4. With the left hand, gently touch the tip of the thumb to the tip ofthe little finger. Again, do not press but keep the contact verysubtle. The remaining fingers stay extended, yet relaxed.

5. Close your eyes and let your thoughts rest.

6. Breathe in and out through the nostrils and hold the hand mudrafor five minutes, before gently releasing your hand positions andopening your eyes.

Ask yourself: Was this experience full and perfect? What effect didthe moon mudra have on my body and mind?

Chantalle Kudsi is a yoga and meditation teacher in the West-End.She can be reached at [email protected]

Yog

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La Semaine des Arts/NDG Arts Week, August 19 – 28In 2010, artists G. Scott MacLeod, filmmaker John McKay and musicianRoger Haughey organized an arts festival to illustrate the unique andcreative pulse of Montreal's largest borough. This ‘grass-roots’ andcommunity driven initiative, NDG Arts Weekend, surprised everyonewho participated, spectators and organizers alike. The festival provedto be a way for our borough to communicate socially and culturallywith the greater métropole de Montréal.

Historically, NDG has been a diverse borough with a rich multiculturalbackground and history, accompanied by an artistic diversity thatshould been seen, heard and tasted. The NDG Arts Weekend was anopportunity for the borough to celebrate that often-ignored richesse.

This year the festival has expanded. Discover the rich array of art andculture that NDG has to offer at the second edition of NDG Arts Week,which takes place from August 19-28. This nine-day festival celebratesthe abundance of creativity and spirit found in the West End. This year,the festival is partnering with the NDG Food Depot to mark their 25thanniversary. “During the recession of the ‘80s, I went to the food depotand was grateful that it was available to me,” says G. Scott MacLeod, ArtWalk & Festival coordinator. “That experience taught me that hardtimes and hunger can fall on anyone.”

The Food Depot distributes over 600 food baskets per week and offersa variety of support and skill building programs. “Co- creating art andbeauty around us is a great way to overcome ‘poverty of spirit,’ ” saysFiona Keats, director of the Food Depot. “We need to nourish ourbellies as well as our spirits to be healthy. Community art projects area natural and fun way to break the social isolation that so oftenaccompanies urban living.”

Although all the Arts NDG Week events are free, donations may bemade in support of the NDG Food Depot’s programs.

Keep an eye on these festival highlights:

Aug. 19, Launch Party – At Coop la Maison VerteAug. 19 -28, Dine For the Depot - A campaign, which celebrates theculinary arts featuring 20 local restaurantsAug. 20, Depot Block Party - Community mural launch, art activities,BBQ, and Live Music- Bring your dancing shoes!Aug. 21, Craft Fair - At the Coop la Maison VerteAug. 21 – 27, Youth Art – Programming for childrenAug. 25, Street Vibes – Head & Hands present’s NDG’s vibrant urbanmusic sceneAug. 26, Off the Wall Film Festival – Short films by local directorsscreened in Girouard ParkAug. 27, Art Walk - Live painting by over 50 artists on Sherbrookebetween Melrose and WilsonAug. 28, Country En Ville – Country and folk festival in Girouard Park

Everyone is welcome. Please check out the program for the full list ofevents - Also available online at: http://www.cooplamaisonverte.com/artsndg/ Join our Facebook site at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-semaine-des-ARTS-NDG-ARTS-week/192246127461950?sk=info

Ach

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Art

ists

The Beauty of the Ordinary

Most people take pictures on special occasions such as

vacations, parties or graduations. Have you ever

considered the idea of photographing the everyday?

Some of the best photos are taken when dad is asleep

on the living room couch or Mom is making those

special cookies you like in the kitchen. Everything is

worthy of a photo but we tend to ignore the things

we are familiar with and simply deem them as boring.

The way to get around this is to have your camera on hand all the time.

I have a large SLR type camera and it is heavy so I generally use it for my

outings and projects, but I have a small Canon that is in my purse at all

times. I call it my visual journal and I use to photograph everything that

strikes me as interesting.

Your eye needs exercises just like the rest of your body and your need to

be looking for photos at all times in order to keep it sharp. You can put

the camera on program mode and just keep it ready to shoot whatever

attracts your eye. A beautiful shadow, light reflected on a window, the kids

playing in the pool in the backyard, or even images of your local grocer

will all make wonderful photos that will give you insight into the unique life

that you live.

Many people find it more difficult to find worthy subjects for photographs

in the places they are familiar with and usually that is because we do not

really LOOK as we go about our routines. There are many treasures to be

found so just open your eyes and be ready to shoot.

Linda offers workshops for intermediate and advanced photographers… you can

check out the schedule on her website, www.lindarutenberg.com, or call

514- 739-0511.

Eye Sp

y by

Linda

Ruten

berg



Hope you haveenjoyed thisissue of the

Local Seeker.Our next issuewill come out

on Sept 2, 2011.

Deadline -Friday, Aug 26,2011, 12 noon

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