Browsing Tag

food

Let’s Go To The Ex!

I haven’t been to The Ex in about five years, so I was excited to return and take advantage of working within such close proximity to the CNE grounds. From concerts and performances to midway games and small roller coasters, the CNE has something for everyone.

Some game operators were quite aggressive in trying to entice festival-goers to play coin toss, but they always greeted passersby with a smile (unless texting on the job was keeping them distracted, that is).

Speaking of salesmen, one sales associate in the Direct Energy Centre implied that there may be haggling opportunities for visitors to take advantage of. Pointing to the price sticker, I asked if that was the correct price, to which he responded, “Back home, we have a sign in the store that says you get it cheaper based on how much you smile,” and added that flashing my pearly whites granted me a $20 discount. Smooth.

I didn’t make it to The Taste of the Danforth this year, where I’ve enjoyed a candy apple for the last few summers, so I carried on this tradition tonight instead. The red sauce melted instantly and dripped all over my hands, making me feel like a somewhat sloppy middle schooler who could star in a TV ad for Wet Ones. Nevertheless, it was a healthier alternative to the abundant deep fried item on sale at kiosks throughout the Food Building. Perhaps next year I’ll discover what a deep fried pickle tastes like.

The Ex continues until the end of Labour Day weekend and is a worthwhile summer outing for Torontonians and tourists alike. I suggest bringing a bag in which to carry your prizes to avoid schlepping an oversized bumble bee or stuffed blue Smurf doll on the way home.

August 24, 2011 by

Weight Discrimination is Something to Size Up

In preparation for my presentation at Western’s ‘Flaunting It’ conference next Friday, I revisited a paper I wrote last year about weight discrimination. My research focuses on how this affects hiring practices and employment, but it certainly affects overweight people on a larger scale.

In some developing countries, people are starving and malnourished due to poverty, but obesity rates are increasing around the world exponentially. Fortunately, people are taking note of these statistics, such as the producers of MTV’s I Used To Be Fat. The show completed its first season earlier this month after introducing viewers to nine high school graduates who devoted their summer to losing weight. Motivating viewers to meet their weight loss goals is a positive step forward, but it does not change the fact that far too many youth are binge eating, out of shape and lazy.

Before reading Barry Popkin’s The World Is Fat, it never occurred to me that people have developed such a sweet tooth that youth are not only overindulging in soft drinks, but also adding additional sugar. For many overweight people, being weight is not a conscious choice; sometimes it’s merely a matter of genetics. Deliberately sweetening drinks like that is outrageous though. Even after government regulations ensured that all food and beverage packing include nutritional information people are ignoring this data, or at least dismissing it as unimportant. Education is an essential tool to discourage such unhealthy lifestyle choices. This is important for not only nutritionists, doctors, and food manufacturers to reiterate, but also fashion designers and advertisers.

On Tuesday afternoon, I had the privilege of listening to the inspirational entrepreneur, Ben Barry, who spearheaded the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, once again. Ben’s tenacity helped him convince Sears Canada to include models in their catalogue that resemble their customers, unlike the twigs who typically posed for their glossy pages. Since then, he continues liaising with fashion and marketing executives to help them sell products to their target demographic by hiring models who customers can identify with. The average soccer mom does not look like a toned size 2 woman with flawless skin and Ben asks advertisers to recognize that and promote their products accordingly.

As someone who started a business at age 14, Ben strongly believes in the potential of youth entrepreneurship and youth’s ability to inspire others and make great changes in the world. With Ben’s message in mind, I have changed my opinion about the MTV reality show because even if those nine kids inspired 100 people to start exercising, that’s better than nothing. Their reunion episode for the season finale allowed the participants to reflect on the show and prove to audiences that they have since created a social network amongst themselves and offer each other ongoing support. This is what people truly need: support, friendship and motivation. Whether this comes in the form of fat acceptance amongst hiring managers who should change their attitudes about candidates’ physical appearances, or clothing manufacturers that should produce high quality clothing that flatters overweight people, everything counts.

Ben Barry, November 2008, Queen’s University

 

March 19, 2011 by

Concert Review: Arcade Fire

It sure has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed all the fun that Centreville has to offer. August 14th marked my first time back at Toronto Island in about ten years. It was also the first time I’ve seen patrons encouraged to support local eateries like Big Fat Burrito, rather than tempted to buy overpriced slices from Pizza Pizza. Despite the inconvenient wait for the ferry, the Island is a great venue for outdoor summer concerts. Surprisingly, I found the acoustics were better than I’ve heard at Molson Amphitheatre, so I anticipate that we’ll see many more popular headliners perform there in the future.

If you haven’t listened to Polaris Music Prize finalists The Sadies yet, please Google them ASAP; and the same goes for fellow opener Janelle Monae, who is simply incredible. While she was barely on my radar before this past weekend, Janelle has an unmistakable ability to demand attention, such as by standing on top of a speaker. After making a dramatic entrance covered in a black cape, Janelle was full of energy for her hour long set. She even impressed the talented Jully Black who tweeted that she is “dope”, and rightfully so. ‘Wondaland’ is a particularly catchy song, as was ‘Another Year Again’ by The Sadies.

Once the sun disappeared and Arcade Fire came on stage, they proved why their album has been #1 on the Billboard charts this month. Their ninety minute performance had the perfect combination of hits like ‘Keep the Car Running’ along with tracks from their new album The Suburbs, including my personal favourite, ‘Modern Man’. Lead singer Win Butler and his wife Régine Chassagne only spoke to the audience twice: first for the purpose of promoting their charitable work with Kanpe, an organization offering aid to people in Haiti, and then to thank Torontonians for their loyalty. Meanwhile, the band’s use of black and white clips from vintage films made for interesting multimedia displays without distracting fans from the eight musicians or their critically acclaimed lyrics.

While broadcasting a show live online was an innovative idea on their part, oohing and aahing along with thousands of other fans isn’t something you can do in front of a computer screen. When they first disappeared prior to their encore, the audience continued chanting to the tune of ‘Rebellion (Lies)’. Evidently, fans can’t seem to get enough of Arcade Fire, especially given that this was their third show in Toronto alone this summer. As the clock keeps ticking, one can only imagine what’s next for Arcade Fire, the band that never disappoints.

Originally published on Sympatico’s The Hook.

August 16, 2010 by