Presented by the Beothuck Street Players, directed by Clar Doyle  -  Wajdi Mouawald’s multi award-winning Scorched.

St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre from Wed., Feb 2nd – Sat. Feb. 5th.

“Scorched is a gift that will touch your heart.”

“This haunting work may be the best piece of theatre this country has produced this millennium.”

“Intelligently stimulating, politically relevant.”

“A beautiful, compassionate, lyrical and ultimately reconciliatory piece of theatre.”

The play revolves around letters Nawal Marwan leaves to her children to be delivered to their father and brother. The children did not know there was a living father or brother. The journey to find these relatives might also reveal why Nawal did not speak for the last five years of her life. This journey from Montreal to her Middle Eastern country moves between time and space and weaves an intriguing and masterful story.

Playing currently in the cinema as Incendies where it’s been adapted by award-winning director Denis Villeneuve and nominated for a best foreign-language film Oscar.

Tune in this Sunday morning to Weekend AM for an interview with some of our “Scorched” cast and follow the link, below, to an article on “Scorched” featured in the Telegram.

“Funny, heart-breaking and totally engaging, this is storytelling at its powerful best.”

Beothuck Street Players
St. John’s, NL
www.beothuckstreetplayers.org

Today was a most gorgeous day for a walk. Or ride, if you’re a motorcycle buff. Like Eli Patrick Benoit the pug. Here’s Eli out enjoying a ride with his owner dressed in his finest.

Dog day afternoon

Motorcycle dog in helmet

Pug Rider.

There was a larger than normal commotion outside Coffee and Company on Water Street, where the bikes are lined up, as everyone ogled the smartly dressed pug in his motorcycle cap and goggles doggles. Yes, they are called doggles, and they come complete with the skull and crossbones decoration.

Motorcycles on Water Street. Plus dog.

The stoic little dog is looking all dapper dressed in his gear – no cheap motorcycle jackets for our Eli – it’s custom leather all the way, including the custom made dog carrier for the bike.

And yes, he loves riding.

And he didn’t mind getting his picture  taken either. He’s used to the paparazzi.

Doggles - they are goggles for dogs. I knew that.

Here’s a video of Serena Ryder closing at the 2009 St. John’s Folk Festival. Held in Bannerman Park in the city, the festival is part of the “St. John’s Time” series of summer fests, which starts with the George Street Festival (Blue Rodeo were special guests this year) and includes the St. John’s Regatta – the longest running annual sporting event, and the St. John’s Busker’s Festival.

Serena thoroughly enjoyed herself at the show, repeating a phrase which I have come to hear often from bands playing here “You’re the best crowd ever.”

I missed most of the summer fests as I split back home to Ontario for summer fun at the cottage. It’s my favourite place in the world. I am a lake person. So is Maggie the Boston Terrier.

My plane was delayed over 12 hours due to Toronto’s now common tropical storms, and I didn’t make it back until Regatta Day, which unfortunately I had to sleep through due to my all night unexpected flight. But I couldn’t miss the festival. Nope nope.

Bumped into 8 Ball Aitken at The Newfoundland Embassy in Canso, Nova Scotia. Actually, The Newfoundland Embassy is anywhere the Newfoundland band Shannygannock parks their trailer. This time it was parked at Stanfest, and I met up with singer Chris Andrews on Sunday afternoon, where he kindly invited me to a “cocktail reception” they were hosting.

That’s where I got to meet 8 Ball, who told me he’d be in St. John’s the next week. He’ll be here this Saturday at the Ship. Sweet stompin’ swampgrass yeeha.

Above is the music video for ‘Cyclone Country’, a single from the album ‘Rebel With A Cause’ by ’8 Ball Aitken’.

Check out Aitken’s web site – and all the awards he’s won.
http://www.8ballaitken.com

As for The Newfoundland Embassy? Can’t wait for them to roll back in town. The cocktail party was magic, with huge boxes of shrimp being hand-delivered by a famous Digby, Nova Scotia Fishing Co. (sorry, I can’t remember the name, but his boat is 80 feet long and they export to Denmark mostly. Anyone?.)

Shannygannock’s Bob Pine says the boxes of shrimp are the best chick magnets he’s ever seen. Take that Axe.

Lobster Season in Newfoundland

[Update: Lobster season in Newfoundland changes from year to year, and according to the region. It is set by the Department of Fisheries. Check out the DFO website to see the dates.]

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.

Here’s a dream job…and you’ll work with me!

Job Posting! Project Manager – Multimedia/Web/Video Production

Position: IMMEDIATE

If you have a positive, proactive, team oriented attitude, good sense of humour, enjoy working in a stimulating environment and in an industry that is constantly changing, we want to speak with you.

BookShorts is a production + distribution + marketing company specializing in media based on books and authors (original work and client commissions). We are currently looking for a Project Manager for Multimedia/Web. This is a mid-level, full-time contract position at industry standard rates for a resident of St. John’s, NL.

In this position you will work as a key member of our hands-on creative and production team, all of whom are being specially hired to service a significant line of new business.

Our ideal candidate has:
- Three years experience in project management and/or is a graduate of a post-secondary level program in Multimedia with some real-world experience.
- Excellent communication skills both upstream to clients and to production / creative team members
- Hyper-attention to detail
- Excellent administrative computer skills (Microsoft Office); is comfortable with basic functions in Adobe CS; has basic HTML, FTP skills (Dreamweaver a definite bonus).
- Knowledge of basic video editing skills (Final Cut Pro or Avid) sufficient to collaborate effectively with team members
- Familiarity with the Internet and social networking
- Access to a vehicle
- Flexible work schedule
- A passion for New Media and all things web-related

Please email your resume to production@bookshorts.com before Wed., February 4, (MS Word or PDF) with I’m The One! in the subject line.

We thank you for your response however, only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted.

Check out book trailers by BookShorts here.

Newfoundland T-shirts

It’s the sale of the century with Newfoundland T Shirts on sale at Living Planet for just $5 each. Yes. 5 dollars. That’s $5 Canadian. Tax included. Nicely folded and placed in a groovy paper shopping bag.

I just bought $80 dollars worth of t-shirts and am all set for this year’s birthday gifts. ( Ok – everyone who just read that line – if you’re my friend forget I said that or you’ll spoil your birthday gift surprise. )

Just so you know what great a deal this is, these T- shirts normally sell for $25 dollars each. They are gorgeously designed and silk-screened by hand right here in St. John’s at the studio on Barnes Road. Some are silk screened onto American Apparel t-shirts. Sooooft.

Living Planet is owned by Dave Hopley who also is co-owner of the Pi Gourmet Pizza shop that just opened up in town, and is a strong supporter of the arts in St. John’s. I first became acquainted with their products on my first trip to the Rock in 2005. when my SWAG bag was full of Living Planet goods – a t-shirts, cool long cotton scarf, and hat. They area closing up shop at their Duckworth location and moving down to 197 Water Street – hence liquidating their stock to lighten the moving load.

The nice salesperson at the store told me that I had purchased $400 worth of t-shirts. She also said I wasn’t the only one who did that.

I think I bought the last Accordion Revolution t-shirt for women though. That one was destined for me. I’d been eyeing it for a while because it makes me laugh.

The sale will be going on until the 24th of January. Hurray. I missed some friends and am going back tomorrow – who knows how many I will buy.

Sorry – the infamous “I club baby seals” t-shirt is not on sale but you can buy it online at Living Planet’s Newfoundland Tshirt store.

I’ve got my eye on  the “Newfoundlanders are so friendly” t-shirt to.

Juno Awards reception fruit

Just read on the VOCM radio web site that the Junos are coming back to St. John’s. They were last here in 2002. Wow, that long ago? I remember watching the show hosted by the Barenaked Ladies and thinking it was a hoot.

More info about the Junos in Newfoundland is on Wikipedia - Juno Awards of 2002

The cc photo of the carved fruit by novembering.

Can you carve a partridgeberry?

December 1st marked the opening of a new Lulu Lemon store in St. John’s, NL on Water Street downtown.

Yoga moms with tots in strollers lined up outside the door, clogging the street and causing weekend weary hipsters to have to step off the sidewalk to bypass the crowd on their way to get their uber coffees from Coffee and Company.

By 4 pm, the line up was mostly indoors as shoppers stood in line patiently waiting their turn to pay for yoga inspired pants from consumer heaven.

Before the word yoga came to mean an adjective for a fashion style, yoga was a spiritual practice in which practitioners used deep breathing, stretching, physical postures and meditation to become “awake” and in touch with their “true selves.” The enlightened state that spiritual followers aspire to is one in which the practitioner is free from superficial desires and attachments, and thus becomes peaceful – or – “at one with what is.”

In fact Yoga was introduced to the West in the late 19th century by Swami Vivekananda, who believed that yoga could save us new world inhabitants from the “sharp claws of the monster of materialism.”

I have my eye on the cutest hoodie ever.

Crystal Head on the shelf in the Newfoundland Liquor Store

There she be – proof of Crystal Head Vodka on the shelf in the stores. I snapped this shot at the Merrymeeting store near Sobey’s in downtown St. John’s.

And at $49.99 Canadian, the vodka is a steal here in Canada now that our dollar has dropped.

Check out this earlier post to learn more about Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka.

And you can check the availability of the premium vodka in stores at the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation.