Fruits Applenty

Today we were in Chinatown for dinner and so afterwards my gf and I went for a walk. Eating a big dinner has a way of making me feel fat and sleepy. Therefore the walk was most necessary. As we made are way down the side walk we happened upon a fruit store. In true Chinatown style, half the produce was set up on the sidewalk and the store staff were actively trying to push their wares. However this shop sold the fruits of my youth. When I was young and visiting Malaysia, I came across these fruits and came to love them. The one pictured here is a mangosteen and is my favorite of them all. The taste is sweet and unique. It cannot be described but MUST be tried.


Here we have the durian and the longan. The durian of course is widely regarded as the "King of Fruits" as those who know it, love it. Be warned though that this spikey fruit is quite dangerous to handle but the taste is impecable. The best description for the taste was "a cross between custard and a burning rubber tire". Trust me. It is delicious. The texture is like ice cream and the flavour divides the gourmet from the rube.

If you can't get behind the durian, try the longan ("loh-ng-yan"). Common in most western grocery stores, the longan translates as "Dragon eye" and tastes much better than it sounds. Consider it a sort of firm grape. But the flavour kicks any grape's punk ass.

Now we move into the passion fruit catagory. Growing up in Canada made me oblivious to anything aside from apples and oranges. However when I went to Malaysia at the age of 10, I came across the passion fruit. The first one here is the sour sop. And the one of the right is the custard apple. Sweet and delicious. Tropical and exotic. Don't fear them. Eat them on sight. Now!

Lastly we have the langsat. I was so surprised to see it here in Canada today. It's been more than twenty years since last I saw it. Well, I can tell you that yes it tastes awesome, but I would advise against trying it. Why? Because the skin possesses a milky sap that is so sticky and bitter than when you eat this fruit, you'll taste the bitterness and have sticky fingers. Not pleseant.

Anyhow that's all I gotta say on the fruit of my youth. They represent sweet innocence and a deep connection to the past. Take a bite.

Blast from the Past

Well I've mentioned this in the past but never delievered on it. So here it is; El Debarge. This cheesey guy was the sh*t back in the day.

Here is his "Rhythm of the Night" video from 1985. It was a mega hit if you can believe it. Just see for yourself.

Rhythm of the Night.

The only thing worse than this video is the movie that it was showcased in. Have any of you ever heard of this terrible movie from the same year titled, "The Last Dragon"? Yup. This stinker was about a young dude from Harlem who thinks he's Bruce Lee. Worse yet is his arch enemy the Shogun of Harlem, "Sho 'Nuff".

Notice the aura around the Last Dragon? That was the whole point of this stupid movie. To achieve the ultimate level of Kung Fu mastery; The Glow. I am not sure but I think the real source of The Glow was that greasy geri curl he had. You can even see that oily mess leach down his head.

Anyhow, I hope this post might help to close the book on a sordid time in my life.

ps: I can't believe DeBarge was married to Janet Jackson. I can't look at her the same way anymore.

Toronto is Third World Sticky

Damn it is hot and sticky here! I haven't felt this kind of weather since my last trip to the equator!

Hogtown has been suffering uder 30 degrees of blazing sun this last week, but the real b**ch is the humidity. The smog traps the heat and the humidity pops through the roof. For those of you out there who don't know what this means, it means that the air outside is like standing in a pot of thick soup. You could scoop some of the air into a ziplock bag and save it for later like gravy.

If Spike Lee knew what he was talking about when he did "Do the Right Thing", then I am expecting the crime here to jump as well. It might even start with me when I kick the ass of the next unfortunate person to ask me if I think it is "hot enough for me?".

The Hateful Easter Bunny

You have got to see this!

I go to a "YouTube" type site called Guba once in awhile and found this video. I laugh my ass off everytime I see it. Check it out. EB isn't always about easter eggs and chocolates.

GUBA

World Cup in Vancouver

So I just got back from a week in Vancouver and I was there for the World Cup games. Since it came down to Italy versus France, we of course went down to Commercial Drive to check out the fun. It was so crowded, but lucky for us, a couple of buddies went down there early to save a table.

Here is a shot of the inside and outside of the pub where we were at. It was about 90 percent pro-Italy and so just to be a pain in the ass I was backing France.....well that and because I thought Zidane was kinda cool when he scored that lone goal in the previous game. Very Clint Eastwood.

This is my buddy Gerry. He was so fixed on watching the game he kinda just sat there with his mouth wide open and his eyes glazed over. It was amazing how he could blindly search for the beer pitcher, find his glass, pour, and re-set the pitcher all without missing a beat. In this picture I tried to sneak a shot of Gerry, but he caught on just as I was snapping. His super-powers become amplified during sporting events.

This is Cynthia from Ecuador. We shared a table with her and her buddy. She was totally pro-Italy so of course I had to let her know that France was going to win by penalty shoot out. We got into a bit of a heated rivalry but it was fun. I was so looking forward to rubbing her nose in France's victory. So of course when Zidane melted down and France lost, I had to endure her retaliation. Damn you Zidane.....at least Canada is WAYYY bigger than Ecuador!

Here's Gerry again. By this point he was in his element. He had been drinking beer for about 5 hours now and he was totally enjoying the game. If you notice the bald dude in the back, that's a total stranger. By the end of the game Gerry was best buddies with the guy....rather Gerry was buddies with anyone who could appreciate football and beer....especially beer.

So when Italy won, Commercial Drive became an Italian blurr. It was just raging with soccer fans, Italians, and party goers. Loud and proud. Even the riot police who were watching over us looked more amused than nervous. Good times.

Remember my buddy Gerry? Here's a secret shot I snapped of him passed out on the bus. Mama would be proud. Well I don't blame this German; the bus was sweltering hot, crowded, and we were all well sauced on beer. Thank goodness World Cup is only once every 4 years.