Lobster in a Tank

Sobey’s has a great aquarium stocked full of lobster making lobster portrait taking super easy. This was taken with my new Canon A2000 IS point and shoot. The camera boasts 6 times optical zoom, but yesterday I was enamoured with the macro settings.

Lobster was a ridiculous $6.99 a pound this weekend at the store! Not sure if it’s Newfoundland lobster or Nova Scotia lobster…most of the fish the giant superstore carries is from Nova Scotia I was told.

Which reminds me of a conversation I had a few months ago at the sane fish shop. I was checking out a flounder up close, because I find them fascinating. Flounders are like halibut – these fish start out normally, symmetrical, but slowly during adolescence one eye starts to migrate to the other side of its head until both the eyes are on the same side. Then the fish turns on its side, sinks to the bottom and becomes a bottom feeder, it’s two eyes now at the top of its head, which was formerly a cheek.

Since I, raised in landlocked Toronto, had never seen one, I had my nose pressed up to the glass, checking out the Picasso-esque nature of the fish, when I sparked the interest of the woman working the counter. I remarked to her how wild I thought it was that the fish started out normally, but by the time they grew up, they came out all crazy like that.

She returned my comment with a deadpan, “yep, like most of the people in my family.”

Newfoundland humour. I loves it.

Lobster Season In Newfoundland

All of a sudden the restaurants on Water Street have been boasting lobster dinners, some as cheap as $22 bucks for a full meal. The local fish stores as well as the grocery stores are selling them live or cooked fresh at rock bottom prices. Not great for the fishermen – this season prices are lowest they’ve been for lobster in 25 years — around $3 a pound (about $6.60 per kg). But great for the consumer.

Though lobster Season In Newfoundland is a short season, it’s well celebrated. My roommate is invited to a lobster boil and I am green with jealousy.

A few times I have been regaled with stories of friends remembering that lobster was a poor man’s food when they were growing up…a by catch that was unsellable. It has only been in recent times that the crustacean has developed it’s upper crusty ways around here. How fascinant.

Newfoundland’s lobsters are bigger than Nova Scotia’s and some say tastier. Most are headed for the States.

Lobster season is over in June or July, depending on the lobster fishing area, so hurry on up.

PS. Don’t let the sign fool you, that’s one of the city’s finest fish stores advertising its wares. Fresh fish comes in daily at The Fish Depot and they will gladly package your lobster or other purchases up for you for traveling. The Fish Depot is located on Duckworth, just above the big bronze statue on George street.

As for the flippers, I have only had seal flipper pie once. It was a pie from Bidgood’s, and though the pie itself was tasty, the meat is really strong tasting – in fact it tasted like an Omega 3 fish oil pill. I think it might take time for me to acquire a taste for it. A mighty long time.

Creative Cursing – Just One More Thing Newfoundlanders Do With Style

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT, NOT FOR THE TIMID!!!

As if I had to warn you.

Have you heard about the new book in production yet called “A String of Oaths: Creative Cursing in Newfoundland & Labrador”

You just might have as this week the book had a string of publicity. The entertainment section of the Thursday May 8, 2009 edition of The Telegram had a huge front page article featuring the creative partners Don Maher and Danielle Dawe talking about their book. Look out for another interview to be published in The Scope, and an interview with Ted Blades of the CBC will air soon too. There’s also a Facebook Group page with well over 600 members!

The phrase, “A String of Oaths” refers to a bunch of curses strung together. Donny has had the idea for the book for the past few years, reflecting that the wonderfully colourful phrases he heard while growing up on the southern shore should be exalted and preserved somehow, like in a book, or on t-shirts, calendars and mugs.

So that’s the plan. This summer Danielle and Donny will be out and about scouting for more “oaths” to add their book. They will be traveling the province, scouring for unique and regional curses, doing interviews with locals, collecting stories as well as historical and cultural details to add to the mix.

You can help by contributing your curses!

A String of Oaths is a community project -so your contributions are welcome. You can add them to the Facebook group page (over 500 members and counting), to their web site as soon as they get it up at www.creativecursing.com, or right here in the comments section below. Danielle Dawe is my roommate, so you can be sure to let them know.

What kind of curses are they looking for? All of them! Here are a few supplied by Donny to get you started:

“”Cursed the Queens’ Cunt,” and “By The Knocked Kneed Nun.” Both of those were heard on the southern shore from an old lady who should never say such things, but blurted them out of the top of her head on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis!!! God love her cotton socks!”

I was just at the Facebook page thinking I should pick up some good local expressions, jumpin Jeessus, Mary and Joesph and the late St. Patrick, god help me, it’s about time.

So, get your thinking caps on and send in as many curses as you can, and please forward this on to anyone you may know who has heard some good curses over the years, or knows someone who has the gift of the curse!!

If you have some starter curses for newbies to town, make sure to leave them below.

Funny Online Videos Of Newfoundland dogs

Newfoundland dogs tolerate their owners’ whims.

Newfoundland puppies are adorable.

Newfies slobber.

Newfoundland dogs are not bears. yeesh.

Here’s a funny video of parker the Newfounldand dog.

More funny online videos here.