VSO

So I went to see the VSO and Stephen Hough yesterday. It was my first time to see an orchestra at Orpheum.
It was my third time there and I really love that theatre but I had not imagined  how it would be with an orchestra. I had just seen Tony Bennett and Renee Flemming.  Well, on the whole, the performance was pretty good, but I was not able to enjoy to the fullest. VSO needs a new home. I mean Orpheum is just too small for them. I cannot believe that such an international city doesn't have any big enough concert hall in downtown. I have seen Centre of Performing Arts, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vogue Theatre and Chan Centre but none of them are big enough for an orchestra. Orpheum is a beautiful theatre built in 20's and has the great interior that perfectly fits classical music. But come on, it used to be a vaudeville house, it's just tiny. It's like watching a school play.So after the first program, and the middle of the program, orchestra members have to stand up to move their seats to accommodate Mr. Hough's piano. It was just odd and painful to see. And sound and acoustic system are pretty bad. I was at back of the hall but the sound simply got stuck in front. It doesn't travel through the back of the theatre. So you feel like you are standing the hall way of a high school, in front of the closed door of the music room. It's would be too tough to compare with Tokyo, but I couldn't stop thinking of those amazing theatres there, like Orchard, Suntory, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space and Tokyo International Forum. All of them have great capacity to have major productions of opera and ballet. They were all sophisticatedly designed for maximizing the sound. I started missing those great theatres that I had taken for granted.
VAG doesn't need a new home. Let VSO and Ballet BC have the fund instead.

One more thing, it always surprises me when I see all those casually dressed audiences. It seems that there is nothing special about going to the classical concert or ballet in Vancouver. You wear jeans, sneakers, shorts, flip flops. Men don't wear ties. But girls wear beautiful dresses to go to Cactus Club. Guys wear suits to go to Joey's. What is special about Cactus Club? It's just a mini adult family restaurant. Sometimes it is very hard to get their concept of clothing. Maybe it's a good thing to make people feel much easier and more comfortable to go to theatres. But I sure miss Japanese people with the concept of Time Place and Occasion.

French Nail 4

Finally I got rid of French nails! Yay! What a relief. I cut them back short and got them nice pink. Actually I didn't go to the salon to remove, I did it myself. Just peeled them off. I knew it's bad for my nails but I really wanted to save money and time. It worked well. They seemed to get dry and rough a bit, I put some cuticle balm. Anyway having long nails has been so stressful, I am very happy now.

French Nail 3

OK, so I got this French last Saturday...they only had OPI at salon which I hate as it chips so fast. I told them about it and they recommended this UV nail, I decided to give it a try since the receptionist said I can remove it with my enamel remover. But after everything was done, I asked  the girl who did it again to make sure and she said I have to come back to remove it!!! What a liar! I hate having no freedom of changing colour or fixing. It just sucks if you have to make an appointment and a trip to the salon every time you want to fix or remove it. Plus you have to pay for it!!! Anyways, it has been only 5 days and it has already been chipping! And the girl did a pretty bad job, some of them are no shiny and she missed the most of the side parts of nails.
I can't stand this stickiness as well. I can't stand having long nails anymore...so I called the salon just now and made an appointment to remove them all. Can't wait to cut them back short again! And I might put the nice pink this time :) Bottom line is I will NEVER have UV nail again. It's just not worth. Sigh.

French Nail 2

I have not cut my nails for two weeks! Yay! Actually I made an appointment for mani & pedi this Saturday so that I can force myself to keep my nails long. They are quite long now... So I have been fighting with this yearning to cutting them short, looking at some getting moisturizer stuck in. But I am so looking forward to getting French! Hope Jason likes it too. Well after French, I will definitely go back to short nails! I am planning to get mint green enamel of Essy. It's so beautiful and I think  it will surprisingly go with any clothes.

French nail

Yeah, so I clipped my nails short again. I had been hoping to go to a salon and get French, I couldn't stand them any longer. Longer nails are really annoying when you cook, clean rooms and put facial moisturizer. You end up getting minced onions, mushrooms, facial moisturizer, etc. under your nails. Ewww. I always wonder how those girls survive cooking and putting moisturizers or hand cream. Perhaps they don't cook and they don't care about hand cream stuck under their nails. Hmm. I should learn how to ignore and not to care about them. Plus how to overcome the fear of getting nails caught somewhere and ripped them off.

Or maybe it is time to admit that French is not for me.

Giovane Cafe

So I have been to this cafe several times and to day I finally found that only thing I like here is oatmeal raisin cookies. They are quite nice, with great flavour of butter. It can beat oatmeal raisin cookies at Cafe Ami at HSBC building.  Well I have eaten this Cafe Ami cookie too much and now I am tired of oatmeal raisins but Giovane's cookies are still appealing. However, there is nothing like Black and White cookies at Urban Fare. Those are definitely addictive. Anyways, other than that, I guess they don't have anything special for me. Sugar buns are amazing, I have to say, but I am not a big fan of buns or doughnuts. I recommend it to those who love doughnuts, especially cream doughnuts. Their cream is very silky smooth and rich. I tried muffins and strawberry shortcake, but both of them are disappointing, mediocre and stale. Thus my quest for best muffins keeps going on.