What is harder than dying in Gaza by a missile?

These are the days of miracle and wonder. Sons and daughters announce engagements. A grandchild is born. We celebrate each new day, life and all that it brings.

These are also days of unimaginable horror. Planes fall out the sky. School girls are kidnapped and never seen again. Villages are destroyed to be made anew for someone else. How do we begin to understand this seeming global madness, especially when we have so much to celebrate?

Into Israel rockets are fired by Hamas. The Israeli government responds with a massive campaign. In some cases, earlier in this war, the IDF gave advance notice to civilians; that their homes were about to be bombed. One should leave if given that kind of notice. Advance notice that is perhaps worth celebrating in a strange sort of way.

Mahmoud Jouda, a Palastinian in Gaza was interviewed by the Institute for Middle East Understanding and gave a much different perspective on a lifetime worth celebrating each and everyday. But for the advance notice...

I’ll tell you what is harder than dying in Gaza by an Israeli missile deluxe.
What is harder is that you get a phone call from the Israeli army telling you to evacuate your home because it will be bombed in ten minutes. 

Imagine; ten minutes; and your whole short history on the surface of Earth will be erased. Gifts you received, photos of your siblings and your children (dead or alive),
things that you love, your favorite chair, your books, that last poetry collection your read, a letter from your expatriate sister, reminders of the ones you loved, the smell of your bed, the jasmine tree that hangs off your western window, your daughter’s hair clip, your old clothes, your prayer rug, your wife’s gold, your savings;
imagine; all this passes in front of your eyes in ten minutes, all that pain passes while you are struck by surprise.

Then you take your identification papers (passport, birth certificate, etc.) which you have ready in an old metallic candy box,  and you leave your home to die a thousand times, or refuse to leave and die once.

These are the days of miracle and wonder. And don't cry baby, don't cry. And then again...

Lyrics from The Boy in the Bubble by Paul Simon (1986)

Photo by Jim Murray.

Copyright 2014.

49th Parallel Coffee

Meticulous comes to mind after having a coffee at 49th Parallel Coffee. This is serious coffee where attention to detail is everything.

49th Parallel Coffee was born out of Caffe Artigiano. In the late nineties, Vince Piccolo established the upscale Caffe Artigiano in downtown Vancouver. It was wildly successful and expanded to five stores and a staff of over 100. Around 2004 Piccolo opened a roasting facility in Burnaby so he could roast his own beans. The same year he sold the coffee shops and Artigiano's expansion continued. Meanwhile Mr Piccolo concentrated on roasting beans and then selling them to coffee shops like Artigiano.







In 2008 49th Parallel opened its first store in Kits and a few years later entered trendy Main Street with another. The store on Main is a delight; lots of seating, including long tables, more intimate settings and some comfy chairs near the back. And while the decor is great, its the coffee that blows one away.



The espresso drinks are made with an obstinate care. Beans are ground and weighed. Temperature and time are constantly measured. The shot is pulled and, if it doesn't meet a certain weight, it is set aside, as was my first espresso. "Not really up to our standards" said the pleasant young man pulling the shots. "I'll make another for you right away."

Presentation is impressive. Espresso drinks are served on wooden boards, with indentations in the wood for cup, spoon and water. Impressive indeed.

The coffee is superb. Creamy, rich and delirious in chocolate tones. I had to have another, this time from a different bean; again it was delightful, with hints of nuts and smoke.

An important sideline, though it's hardly secondary, would be the high end donuts crafted in-house. Could this be the best coffee place on earth?

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014.

The Nectar Trail in Vancouver

In cities many bees have been pushed out of their natural habitat by urban development. The remaining bees end up living in "islands" within the city: meadows, naturalised parks and community gardens. They then have to move between these "islands" through trails of green space in which they feel comfortable. This is not easy.





Last year, a group called the Environmental Youth Alliance, partnering with the City of Vancouver, and local residents and schools, began to develop a plan to facilitate habitat for pollinators, and The Nectar Trail is happening in our neighbourhood with a corridor linking VanDusen Gardens to Queen Elizabeth Park.

On our regular walks the past year to VanDusen we've noticed a wild space of flowers along West 37th Avenue, near Oak Meadows Park, along with something called the Insect Hotel (a telephone booth re-used). Along with the off-leash area for dogs and a popular playing field, the park has been naturalised to the benefit of not just bees, but other wildlife too. One night we watched as two young owls learned to hunt.








The Nectar Trail project only began last year, though much advance work was needed to bring it to life. It is a fantastic example of what can happen when great ideas and good people come together for an even greater common good.

Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2014.

Caffe Artigiano ~ Vancouver Coffee Shops part 12

Yet another coffee shop, this time in Kerrisdale and right next door to Faubourg, the wonderful French bakery-cafe that creates the best croissants in the city.

Caffe Artigiano is a local chain of ten coffee shops through Metro Vancouver and four, opening soon, in Calgary of all places. They are anchored by their own roasting facility in Burnaby.

I used to be an almost-regular to their store in North Burnaby and was always impressed by their artistry, as well as the sweetness of the roast.







The coffee here is good and it certainly has that sweet aroma I recall from several years ago. There was an distinctive hint of chocolate to my espresso, and they readily make a proper cappuccino and macchiato.





Compared to the place next door, Caffe Artigiano is a more relaxed and quieter space, which is often welcome in a coffee shop. Background music was subdued and there weren't any screens that I noticed; another plus to be sure.





For pastries it is perhaps impossible to beat Faubourg, but for coffee... we might have to come again to Caffe Artigiano.

Photos by Jim Murray. 
Copyright 2014.

Canada Day and World Cup futbol

It's Canada Day and what better way to start the day than with another World Cup game at nine in the morning.





Many of my comrades would choose to go to a coffee shop or pub along Commercial Drive but I chose to walk to my club: the Langara Golf Club. And why not? It's only a fifteen minute walk from home with great views and excellent sandwiches, and it's proudly owned by the citizens of Vancouver. On a serious negative side, beer and wine cannot be served until after eleven, given our strange liquor laws. If I had known that at eight in the morning...




The golfers were certainly out on this fine holiday morning and there was no sign of coyotes on the fairway today.

The futbol crowd had not yet materialized and I had a relatively easy time picking out a table. Well, in truth, the crowd never did materialize.

In the end los Albicelestes were the better team, though the Swiss, oddly perhaps, kept the game scoreless through the regulation ninety. Finally, and only moments before the end of extra time, and the dreaded shootout, Di Maria scored after a beautiful set up by Messi. One picture says it all.




But two or three say it much better.

And so it goes. One game closer to the final victory and another smile from Lionel.

Happy Canada Day!

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014. 
Game photos from La Nacion, Buenos Aires.