Discovering Gallery Arcturus

Greetings! I've got a question for you. When was the last time you explored something new and found it to be a total delight? I mean something that made your mouth and your mind smile. I experienced this recently.

I mentioned in my post last week that I visited a new-to-me art gallery called Gallery Arcturus. It is located at 80 Gerrard Street East, by Ryerson University, in downtown Toronto. Admission is free.

Gallery Arcturus is actually a public art museum with five galleries in a multi-storey house. When I arrived at the front door, I needed to buzz to be let in. The staff on duty gave me a quick overview of the Gallery and let me wander on my own to view the art works on exhibit.

I was there at mid-day, mid-week and had the five galleries to myself. Think "a kid in a candy store". From the ground floor to the top floor, everything seemed to be well-curated and tastefully displayed without making the visitor feel overwhelmed.

Although there were many art items on display, for this blog post, I included just a sample of what was on exhibit that I thought was interesting. We all have different tastes for arts and our mood also affects what we see so I'll let the photos "speak" to you and perhaps you see something you like.

THE GENESIS GALLERY: This gallery displays installations and new sculpture titled A Serious Matter and overturned by debbie harris. The artist displays her name all in lowercase.

A Serious Matter by debbie harris

overturned by debbie harris

overturned by debbie harris

blown away by debbie harris

THE COLLAGE GALLERY: "from the street" sculpture and cards by Joseph Lammirato are displayed on all the walls in this gallery. There is a paper handout that lists the titles of what's on display on each wall. His sculpture will be on the telephone poles of the city in the next month or so.

Art creations by Joseph Lammirato

THE UP NORTH GALLERY: This gallery displays art work by Claustro, McConnachie, and Kimura. Claustro is the husband and wife team (Carol Currie and Stuart Leggett). Eric McConnachie is a northern Ontario artist who has adopted the medium and tools of one of his mentors, Tom Thomson. Most of McConnachie's works are done on small wood panels showing nature and how it changes through all the seasons and light.

Silver Peak by Carol Currie & Stuart Leggett

Paintings by Eric McConnachie

THE ASCENDING GALLERY: This gallery displays art work by Kimura, Kuptana, and harris. I like the bright colours in Kuptana's paintings.

Painting by Floyd Kuptana

Sculpture by Floyd Kuptana

FLOYD KUPTANA GALLERY: This gallery displays sculpture and 2-D work by Kuptana. There is also a library and seating area here, perfect for admiring Kuptana's art works and browsing books.

Sculpture by Floyd Kuptana

Seating area in Floyd Kuptana Gallery

I'm glad I decided to give it a whirl and visit a place that I have not been to before. This is my new whirl 2018.10 edition! It's a total delight to discover Gallery Arcturus. In addition, upon leaving, I received the staff recommendations and a list of nearby museums and galleries with free admission. I look forward to eventually visiting them all.

Have you explored something new recently and found it to be a total delight? I'd love to hear about it.

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A new whirl 2018.09 edition

Greetings! I've been documenting the new fun activities that I tried every month since March this year. In September, my new whirl was easy thanks to a few of my friends who invited me to meet them individually for lunch. We cook and eat meals at home most of the time so these lunches were nice opportunities to try restaurants that are new to me or that I visit infrequently. I should mention that Toronto is a multicultural city and the wonderful restaurant choices reflect our diversity.

On my first lunch date, my friend and I just walked into Penelope's, a Greek restaurant, without reservation. We got seated right away. My friend ordered grilled lamb chops while I tried the Grilled Atlantic Salmon. My grilled salmon was served with salad, rice pilaf, oven roasted potatoes, lemon, and oregano. I could have easily gone for the souvlakis, or moussaka, or dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) but I felt like having fish that day. The service was prompt and friendly. The lunch crowd was mainly business people. We were both satisfied with our meals and would come again.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon at Penelope's

On my second lunch date, my friend reserved a table for the two of us at Scaddabush, an Italian restaurant. She ordered a gluten-free meal while I tried the Spaghetti Sorrentina with their Charity bread. My spaghetti was served with tomato sauce, basil, baby arugula, olive oil, cracked pepper, and a fresh mozzarella cheese ball at the top. The service was prompt and friendly. Both of our meals were tasty and came with big portions even though we ordered the Small portion. The next portion size is called Regular in the menu. We would come again to Scaddabush.

Spaghetti Sorrentina at Scaddabush

On my third lunch date, my friend and I went to Pai, a Thai restaurant, without reservation. This place is much bigger inside than what it looks like from the outside. I arrived first and got a table for two right away. Within ten minutes all other tables were taken so Pai is a popular place. The atmosphere was casual with loud music in the background so we needed to speak louder than normal. I ordered Chef Nuit Pad Thai with mild level of spice, while my friend had the Green Curry dish which he thought was amazing. My Pad Thai included stir fried rice noodles, house-made tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, tofu, egg, chives, Thai coriander, fresh lime, home roasted peanuts, and my choice of shrimps. It was delicious. We both agreed that we would return here for Thai food.

Chef Nuit Pad Thai at Pai

My fourth lunch date was at Il Fornello, an Italian restaurant where my friend and I had a nice table by the window with street view. We each ordered a two-course lunch prix-fixe. Mine was Pizzetta Pollo "BBQ", a mini pizza with Pomodoro sauce, mozzarella, slow-roasted chicken, chipotle BBQ sauce, roasted red pepper, charred red onions, and a small mixed green salad. I forgot to take a photo before eating my meal. Both of us enjoyed the food but the waitress was rushing my friend unnecessarily so her service could be improved.

My fifth and last lunch date in September was at Aroma Indian Cuisine, a restaurant that offers all-you-can-eat Northern Indian lunch buffet, and mild to hot à la carte options. My friend and I got a table right away just before the place filled up. We both went for the lunch buffet. I tried their Naan bread, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, veggies, beef, and Gulab jamun with ice cream for dessert. My friend is from Goa, western coast of India, and she said Aroma's food is very good. I agreed! I forgot to take photos of the buffet before the lunch crowd arrived so maybe next time. The service was good with frequent water refills at the tables and plenty of food at the food stations. We'd return for Indian food here.

I'm grateful for good friends, good food, and fun conversations that made me happy in September.

RELATED POSTS:

• Riding public transit in Santiago, Chile in March
• Learning French online starting in April
• Taking a trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in May 
• Featuring my first guest blogger and exploring Warsaw, Poland in June
• Experiencing new art and sushi in July 
• Visiting Auvers-Sur-Oise and eating Cambodian beef lok lak in August

Do you like trying food from different cultures? Does your town or city have diverse cuisines? What's your favourite food? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

A new whirl 2018.08 edition

Greetings! I just returned from my fabulous trip to France and am catching up with life at home. Today's brief post is about two new experiences that I had in August: Visiting the village of Auvers-Sur-Oise in France, and eating the Cambodian beef lok lak dish.

Auvers-Sur-Oise:

The lovely village of Auvers-Sur-Oise is located about 30 km from Paris. This village is where the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) spent his last seventy days while boarding at the Auberge Ravoux. He painted seventy eight pictures here. The village is 7 km (about 4.5 miles) long, and is a real open air museum, with immortalized sites of the main pre-impressionists, impressionists, and post impressionists painters spread out through the whole village. I'm enclosing one photo below. A separate post to come with more details.

Cambodian beef lok lak:

This is a popular Cambodian dish served with cubed beef, rice, with or without egg, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and lime. We stopped for a late meal at an Asian restaurant on our way back from Auvers-Sur-Oise to Paris. My aunt's husband had lived in Cambodia and suggested that I tried this dish. The cubed beef was well marinated and sauteed. It was a very tasty meal that I'd certainly have again if I had the opportunity.

I've documented my previous adventures in March, April, May, June, and July below. What new thing did you try in August? I'd love to hear your comments.

RELATED POSTS:

• Riding public transit in Santiago, Chile in March
• Learning French online starting in April
• Taking a trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in May 
• Featuring my first guest blogger and exploring Warsaw, Poland in June
• Experiencing new art and sushi in July

An InLinkz Link-up

A new whirl 2018.07 edition

Greetings! Today I'm sharing some of my new experiences in July. They fall into two main categories: Art and Food! You can tell that I have my priorities straight, art for the mind, and food for the body :)

ART FOR THE MIND:

In July I saw a lot of interesting art work, both while I was in Quebec City, and after I returned home. Quebec City's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, steeped in history so no matter where you look, there is art and historic architecture to explore. The city itself is situated in a picturesque setting with hills, the St. Lawrence river, and the surrounding mountain range. I shared some of my photos from Quebec City here.

In July I also led a 'virtual' discovery walk in Toronto to explore the twelve (12) outdoor art installations on King Street as posted here. Since my last visit to King Street, four new winners were added. They're designed by Ryerson University students. Resonance and Imprint are installed in the Entertainment District at King Street West and Simcoe Street. Parcade and Caravanserais are installed near St. James Park, at King Street East and Church Street. Here's a closer look at the four winners:

Resonance: A colourful grid with drums made from straps and buckets from local stores. When you smack the hand prints, the drums light up with green and blue lights.

Imprint: This life-sized interactive installation encourages passers-by to create 3D art or impressions by pressing into the pins. You can press your whole body into it.

Parcade: An interactive video arcade made from plywood and acrylic. The 'Countman' game uses little beads to tally your count of things like birds, bikes, or dogs in St. James park. The 'Tree-Thousand and One' game helps you identify the different types of leaves you can find in the park, and the 'Squirrel Racer' provides a fun way to map out the park.

Caravanserais: A wooden seating in the shape of a car parked along the street where tired urbanites can take a rest. Back in the days of horse and carriage, a caravanserai is the term for a roadside inn where weary travellers could park their caravans and steeds after a long journey.

FOOD FOR THE BODY:

While in Quebec City, we tried a new-to-us restaurant called La Piazzetta on rue St-Jean and liked it so we returned with our friends. We had thin crust pizzas, regular crust pizzas, salad, and pasta. Everyone was satisfied with their food order which is a good sign.

In Toronto, I tried Japanese sushi and maki rolls at Gonoe Sushi. I enjoyed my food order which came with a bowl of miso soup and a small salad. I've been looking for a Japanese restaurant to substitute for those that I used to go to but have been closed after the owners retired. I now have Gonoe Sushi as an option.

There you go...Exploring new art and food is my new whirl in July. I've documented my previous adventures in March, April, May, and June below.

RELATED POSTS:

• Riding public transit in Santiago, Chile in March
• Learning French online starting in April
• Taking a trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in May 
• Featuring my first guest blogger and exploring Warsaw, Poland in June

Your turn...What's new for you in July? Which of the four art installations do you like the most? Do you have a favourite pizza place or sushi bar to share? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

A new whirl 2018.06 edition

Greetings! Way back in March, I saw this art work that inspired me to try new things and keep track of them. So here are a few of my whirls:

• Riding public transit in Santiago, Chile in March
• Learning French online starting in April
• Taking a trip to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in May

Today I'm joining my blogger friend, Leslie, to share two new activities that I did in June. Leslie wrote that they don't have to be monumental achievements but can be quiet successes. Well said, my friend!

In June, I had my first guest blogger on my blog. I invited my blogger friend, Donna, from Retirement Reflections blog to be my first guest. Since I haven't met Donna IRL, it felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone. Donna just finished the gruelling A to Z Challenge in April, and was writing several guest posts for other blogs, in addition to maintaining her own popular blog. She promptly accepted my invite, and sent me her guest post before I left for Estonia. So I'm truly grateful for her generosity and friendship. I'd encourage you to visit and subscribe to her blog so you won't miss her post when she returns from her technology break in August.

In June, I was in Poland, exploring Warsaw Old Town with its cobbled streets and historic buildings that were lovingly restored after their destruction during World War II. I used zloty, Polish currency, that I've never used before. I saw street signs in Polish language, ate Polish food in local restaurants, and visited Wilanow Palace built in the late 17th century as a summer residence for King Jan Sobieski III. So many new and splendid experiences on one trip. I'm grateful for having my good health, free time, and financial means to travel. I'm also grateful for having an adventurous spirit that urges me to seize the day and explore the world around me.

Your turn...What new things did you try in June? Have you ever asked another blogger to write a guest post for your blog? What did it feel like for you? I'd love to hear your story.

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A new whirl 2018.05 edition

Greetings! I arrived home safe and sound from Europe. Just want to write a quick post while I'm catching up.

Back in March this year, I wrote my Give it a whirl post, and started writing about my new whirl each month since. You might like to read my "A new whirl" posts in March here, and in April here.

Today, I'm writing about my new whirl in May. It was my trip to visit Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Warsaw in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland respectively. Wow, the new sensory experiences were fantastic. The trip was wonderful. The weather was sunny and warm. It rained only one morning when I was in Warsaw then cleared up in the afternoon.

It's my first time to these four European capitals. For this new travel adventure, here's my top ten fun experiences:

1. Meeting my Finnish friend in Tallinn: It was so nice to talk in person for a few hours while sharing tea and desserts.
2. Walking for hours to experience the local scenes, as well as to explore the historic sights, some of them are on the World Heritage list.
3. Tasting local food, wines, and European desserts. This item can actually jump to second place but I should work up an appetite first :)
4. Hearing new languages spoken in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Each country has their own official language.
5. Listening to the local guides' narratives, reading what's posted at each landmark, and learning about the history of each place.
6. Interacting with new and friendly people, or observing how local people interact with residents and visitors.
7. Using foreign currencies i.e. Euro in the first three countries, and zloty in Poland.
8. Noticing the architectural details and different designs reflecting the history and local culture.
9. Riding long distance by bus to go from one country to the next and viewing the countryside on the way.
10. Getting a souvenir pin from each country and new stamps on my passport.

I took a lot of photos. Some will be posted here once I sort them out.

I'd love to hear about your new whirl in May. Please share below.
 

An InLinkz Link-up

A new whirl 2018.04 edition

Greetings! Back in March, I wrote my Give it a whirl post, and described my new whirl riding Santiago's airport bus and metro in Chile. I like the playfulness in the expression. Today, I'm writing about my new whirl in April and will be linking up with my blogger friend Leslie's Stepping Out of Comfort Zone series.

For those who have been reading my blog, you might know that I've been learning Spanish on my own by taking online lessons fifteen minutes daily. Initially, I started it for fun with no specific plan in mind as to when I'll be using Spanish. Then my travels took me to Costa Rica, Spain, and Chile where in each destination, I had plenty of opportunities to speak and read Spanish. I was able to converse with the local residents and even helped other travellers with transactions such as ordering meals in a restaurant, buying metro card and tickets, etc.

From these positive experiences, after my trips were over, I continue to practice Spanish daily. I don't know when I'll go to a Spanish-speaking country next but I know if I stop my lessons now, I'll lose what I've learned very quickly since there is no need for me to use Spanish where I live.

This spring, I started taking French lessons fifteen minutes daily. I had taken French courses in school so the language is not brand new to me but learning two foreign languages concurrently is. I have forgotten a lot of my French vocabulary which is now coming back. It's satisfying when I can remember a French word that I knew long ago and haven't used for a while.

Why did I choose French? Well, we're planning to visit French-speaking cities later this year. I'll have perfect opportunities to apply what I'm learning. Again, I don't know how long I'll keep taking French lessons after the trips but I know when I stop, it won't be long before I forget what I've learned.

In the mean time, the two foreign languages certainly give my brain a whirl every day, and I'm having fun learning both! No exam, no stress, simply learning for the joy of learning.

How about you? What's your new whirl? I'd love to read about it.

An InLinkz Link-up

A new whirl 2018.03 edition

Greetings! About two weeks ago, I published my well-received post titled Give it a whirl. Today I'm joining my blogger friend Leslie who just started her Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone series to share one of my recent new whirls.

Earlier this month, I travelled solo to Chile. I have done solo travel many times and have been to South America before. However, it was my first time visiting Chile where Spanish is the official language. Santiago, the capital of Chile, has seven million people, about 3.5 times more populated than my home city. So it's kind of daunting to think about how I'm going to navigate in and around the city without getting lost.

Upon arrival at Santiago's Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, I decided to get into the city centre in a frugal and adventurous way, i.e. Riding Santiago's airport bus and metro (subway). Most tourists would use a shared van service or a taxi which, for the convenience, of course, costs several times more but does not save the passengers any time since Santiago traffic is heavy everywhere.

I had read about Santiago's airport buses and metro system before leaving home. I have also used various public transit systems at home and abroad before. Still, when there was no English-speaking staff available, it was out of my comfort zone to converse with them using my basic Spanish. I managed to buy a Centropuerto bus ticket to ride from the airport to Los Heroes terminal, then got off the bus, went underground, bought a Bip card to ride the metro (subway) to Baquedano station, and walked a few blocks from the metro station to my hostel. It took me about an hour door to door. The airport bus ticket was 1800 CLP, the Bip card was 1500 CLP, and the metro ride cost 750 CLP. Total 4,050 CLP or about CAD$8 (US$6).

The Centropuerto bus stop is outside the airport terminal at exit #5. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver. There is a small luggage area behind the driver, or staff will stow luggage in the bus belly. There is a second bus company named TurBus that runs similar route and charges the same for the ticket. The Bip card is mandatory since the beginning of March 2018. It's named after the sound it makes when scanned at the turnstile. Card holder can load the card with the ticket costs as needed, for one rider or more on the same card.

I made it to my accommodation safe and sound! I was pleased with myself for being able to use another foreign transit system without getting lost. Success!

How useful was my new experience? The next day, I helped an American couple from San Francisco to buy a Bip card and tickets. I also loaded my Bip card and hopped on and off Santiago's metro like a pro :)

What to do with the money saved? Well, how about treat myself to a nice glass of Chilean wine, maybe two, and enjoy the view of San Cristobal Hill from the roof top patio of my hostel?  Bring on another new adventure!

Your turn... What's your most recent new whirl? Please share.

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