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Ecuador & Canada

~ thoughts and stories about living in Canada after being born and raised in Ecuador

Ecuador & Canada

Monthly Archives: May 2015

Canadians & Music

20 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by soyla54 in Ecuador Vs Canada

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Canadá, Ecuador, música, music

En esta entrada voy a comenzar reiterando que el propósito de mi blog no es destacar los defectos de Ecuador o de los ecuatorianos. Adoro la música de mi país, me encantan muchos artistas ecuatorianos y canto muchas canciones tradicionales con mucho orgullo.

Me encanta la música en general y mi sueño frustrado es no poder cantar bien, aunque de todas maneras cuando estoy sola canto a todo el pulmón mis canciones favoritas. Seguramente no es regla general de todos los canadienses, pero al menos los que conozco y en el círculo social que me muevo, todos tienen un gran conocimiento musical y la gran mayoría sabe tocar un instrumento. Adicionalmente, la gente aquí prefiere la música “independiente”, es decir no les suele gustar lo que está de moda o lo que suena en la radio, les gusta lo auténtico y original y eso hace que haya un gran espacio para nuevos artistas pues hay para todos los gustos y hay presentaciones y shows  a precios exequibles. Muchas personas son artistas que tienen un trabajo regular, una familia regular pero también tienen su banda o grupo de música con la que practican y generan música e incluso tienen presentaciones, y no lo hacen por el dinero, sino más bien por el simple espíritu y satisfacción de poder tocar su música ante quien sea que los quieran escuchar.

Si bien me gustan bastantes géneros musicales y me creo abierta a sonidos nuevos, crecí viendo Mtv y escuchando la radio en Ecuador, por lo que mi carpeta musical en la computadora tiene bastante Pop en inglés y en español. También tiene rock debido a la influencia de tíos y mi hermano, pero no fue sino hasta conocer a mi esposo que pude escuchar cosas nuevas y ahora que estoy en Canadá, puedo ver cosas nuevas, y una de ellas es Danko Jones. Tuve la oportunidad de verlo en vivo hace unas semanas y fue una noche increíble!

Me gusta mucho que hayan espacios para que todo tipo de artistas puedan dar a conocer su música y espero que en Ecuador, la gente vaya creciendo y apreciando más lo local para poder brindar espacios a nuevos artistas, pues talento sobra en Ecuador!

Canadians & Music

I’ll start this entry stating again that the purpose of this blog is not to make a remark on the flaws of my country or of Ecuadorians. I love the music of my country, I love a lot of Ecuadorian artists and I sing proudly a lot of traditional songs.

I love all kinds of music and my dream since I was a little girl was to be a singer, later in life I came to realize that I can’t carry a tune! Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop me from singing out loud with all my soul when I’m alone.  I’m sure is not a general rule in Canada, but it’s a general rule of the people I know that everyone has a vast musical knowledge and that most people can play at least one musical instrument. In addition, people here prefer “independent” music, they don’t really like what’s playing on the radio or what’s “trending”. They like authentic, original stuff and I believe that this is what made possible that there are a lot of venues and places for new artists of all kind of music genre and when they have a show, people can actually afford it! A lot of artists have a 9-5 job, a family, etc., but they also have a band to play their music, jam and create something new and when they go on shows or get to be known it’s not really about the money it could bring them, it’s really about the musical passion and spirit they have, it’s really about being able to play their music to whoever is willing to listen.

I do like a wide variety of music and I think I’m pretty open to new sounds (or I like to think I am), but I grew up watching Mtv and listening to the radio in Ecuador, so my music folder on the computer has a lot of Pop music in English and Spanish. I also have Rock type of music, mainly because of the influence of my brother and some uncles, however when I met my husband I was able to listen to a lot of different things and now that I’m in Canada, I get to see a lot of different things… one of these was Danko Jones. I had the opportunity of seeing him a few weeks ago at the Danforth and it was an AMAZING night!

I like it that there are a lot of places so that a lot of artists can perform and people get to know their music and I hope that people in Ecuador can grow to like different sounds as well so that they appreciate local music and that way we can give some space to new artists, because I’m sure there is plenty of talent in Ecuador.

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EATING OUT / DURHAM REGION:

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by soyla54 in Tips & Suggestions

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breakfast, Canadá, falafel, Food, gelato, Italian, perfection, pizza, sandwiches, Shawarma, sushi

Growing up in Quito and having an amazing chef (a.k.a. Mom) has made my taste in food very varied. I love eating good food, I love eating out, I love talking about good food and I love trying new flavors. While Toronto offers a great deal of amazing restaurants and my in-laws cook delicious meals, there are a few restaurants nearby that are my favorite not just because of good service (which is important), but because to my opinion they are THE best.  Hereunder there is a list of the places that have made it to my top ten because every time I have a bite of their food I think to myself: PERFECTION

Pita Delites: The best falafel and shawarma ever! Back in Quito there are a lot places that sell shawarmas, falafels and other yummy meals, but this place is amazing! I love how friendly they are and I especially love their baklava. Their prices are reasonable and the quality of their food could compare very easily to a fancy restaurant in Quito called Baalbek which is my favorite from back home. Pita Delites is located in Ajax.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pita-Delites/147021885353529?rf=159594454100673

I-Thai: I had Thai food for the first time ever when I came to Canada in 2013, after having it here I couldn’t believe how I went through life without eating this. I love their mango –veggie salad and their Chicken Pad Thai is so flavorful and it makes you wish the food was not running out every time you have a bite. This restaurant is located in Whitby:
http://www.ithairestaurant.com/home.html

Catrionas: This café has amazing sandwiches; the service is great and is a family-run place. My husband loves their sandwiches and so do I, but my favorite thing about this place it’s their Gelato. The first time I realized they had Gelato instead of ice cream they made the list because back home my weekend afternoons I’d spent them with my aunts having a gelato at the mall and Gelato is one of the first things I missed from back home when I came to Canada. I really don’t care if it’s healthier than ice cream or if it’s more expensive than ice cream. I just don’t like the cream of the ice-cream so gelato, especially at Catrionas, is my favorite desert ever! Make sure you try the lemoncello flavor! This café is also located in Whitby:
http://www.catrionascafe.ca/

PJ’s: Another located in Whitby. The first reason I loved this place was because it looks like the local spot of a movie (because I grew up in Quito, watching north-american movies, things “like in the movies…” are very significant to me).  The second reason why I like them is because of their all-day-breakfast! I’m one of those people that love having breakfast. If I could have breakfast for lunch & dinner I would. At PJ’s they sure know how to make breakfast and I always walked out of there with a full belly and a smile on my face. Anything you ordered here is GREAT. The only thing I’d add to the breakfast Menu is: homemade beans.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/PJ-S-Restaurant/127595130612315

 

Sushi T&T: This restaurant is located in Ajax. Anyone who likes Sushi as much as I do should go here! From the outside it doesn’t look as amazing as it is and you always get the impression there is only one waitress for all the tables, but don’t let that fool you; the service is great and fast and the food… well… if it’s on this list is because is PERFECTION. Another thing that I love about Canada is that most Sushi places are buffet style, so it’s perfect for me because when it comes to Sushi, I love over-doing it. http://www.sushitnt.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&view=rsform&Itemid=112


Sinatras:
One of the best places in Oshawa to have a hot sandwich! You can tell the food is made with love. I have the impression it’s packed at lunch time, but I usually go in the afternoon and you can actually sit and enjoy their creations. My favorite is the chicken sandwich; the second favorite is the meatball and in third place is the veal one. Have them with a san pellegrino soda can or a glass of wine at home.   http://www.sinatras.ca/

La Pizza & Pasta: Also in Oshawa and also Italian! Awesome Pizza! Do I need to say more? … This is the best pizza I’ve ever had! I can’t wait to try their pasta and deserts. They also make Arancini, which are these amazing balls of rice that I love to have with a tomato sauce or some bruschetta-like tomatoes. Be sure to check out the local newspaper, sometimes they have great deals for a very affordable price.  http://www.lapizzaandpasta.com/

TRAVEL TIP: Luggage Scale

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by soyla54 in Tips & Suggestions

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With airline prices going up and luggage restrictions becoming more severe, it’s really anoying getting to the airport and realizing that you have to pay a lot for that extra kilo or two. A luggage scale would have been very useful when I came to Canada the first time and after realizing how useful it is I decided to get one myself. I love buying things online and after checking all the options and prices I decided on this one

Lagute Portable Digital Luggage Scale:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00HNL0P40?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

My trip is still a few days ahead but one suitcase is already done and I know for sure I wont pay any fee for overweight.

Quote

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by soyla54 in Travel

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” If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone that you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you”

Elizabeth Gilbert

 

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