Guest blogger and more FKO highlights (Part 4)

I've been invited to be a guest blogger for Design Sessions: Notes On Design this week; you can see my first post here.

Back to some more FilKONtario highlights, told in photos...



Above: Douglas and Juliana ("Pondside").

At each convention, I always strive to take away at least one new, good musical experience. For some people, filk conventions are purely social; for others, the focus is on the music. For me, it has always been a blending of the two.

I enjoy hearing performers I've come across before and liked, but I also seek out new music; it's too easy to get into a rut otherwise, only going to the concerts of people I know, or only going to the open filk circles where I know everyone.

Douglas and Juliana (who also happened to win the Urban Tapestry Interfilk/n'MC package) definitely fit in my "yay, I'm so glad I was in that open filk that evening" category!




Above: Michael ("Beige_alert") plays a lovely flute instrumental in open filk. Michael also sang a German version of Aryana's "Still Beautiful." I think it's very VERY cool how music has been shared back and forth between different countries over the years. Hurray for Interfilk! And hurray for musical sharing of songs and ideas!

This is especially important, I find, when sharing songs written by filkers who don't often travel outside of their home territory. Within Urban Tapestry, Allison's been especially good at finding songs written by other people that we can share when we visit other conventions.

A survey for you filkers out there: What was the last song that you performed that was written by another filker?




Another highlight: The resounding success of Phil Mills and his very first concert, ever. :-) In the photo above, Phil is ably assisted by Tom (in his puffy shirt, yay!), Sue and Jane.



Allison, Jodi and I arrived early for the children's concert and were blown away by the gorgeous music wafting up from Ed Staff's vocal workshop.



Tom and Sue, newly engaged. They plan to have their wedding at next year's FilKONtario. Because of a loss in the family, Dave Clement was unable to participate in the Dandelion Wine concert. Tom gave a wonderful solo concert, however, and called up Sam Baardman to perform "Solar Flare" as the last song.

!

My, but those n'MC types "scrub up nicely." :-)



Sib's excitement about coming back to Montana's. At the beginning of the weekend, she vowed to work her way through every dessert on the menu.



Photo by Phil Mills.


Margaret Middleton had donated a gorgeous quilt to n'MC/Interfilk auction; Peggy Warner-Lalonde won it.


Photo by Phil Mills

Wonderful to hear/see Gwen Knighton again!

Photo by Phil Mills.

Tanya Huff gave her strongest performance ever in her one-shot. Perhaps she was extra-inspired by Henry, a doll custom-made by Teddy (in the UK), presented by Heather Borean (who won the raffle for the doll, had it made for Tanya). Henry is one of the characters in Tanya's Blood Books, a novel series which has been launched as a television series.

Below: Gary McGath and me.

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April Fool's!

Some of you may recall the practical joke that our friend Walter played on Jeff and me when we first moved in.

Well....

So I had started another Blathering this morning, continuing my FKO report, when Jeff called down in a strange voice, "Deb, have you looked outside the house this morning?"

Here's what we saw (neighbour's house blurred out for privacy):



There was also a sign on the back. The one on the front read:

"ATTENTION

This is the official border checkpoint for
OHILAND
Sovereign Domain of Her Majesty
Deborah Marion Kazumi Yow-Hoo You-Betcha-Baby Ridpath Ohi The First
who by the Grace of the United Kingdom of Ridpath and Ohi and of her
other realms and territories
bears the titles Queenie, head of Inkygirl, and Defender of the Filk.

Know that you enter upon these lands at your own peril and that by so
doing you forfeit all rights to any chocolate that may be within your
possession and you will, at the whim of Her Majesty, be required to
perform such vocal or instrumental presentations as she desires or face
the Nameless Guilt That Knows No Bounds.

Long Live the Queenie!

Posted by Official Order this April 1, 2007."




The sign was fixed in a poured concrete base, yet more evidence of the culprit: WALTER.



The back of the sign (which you would see upon leaving) read:

"ATTENTION

You are now leaving
OHILAND
Sovereign Domain of Her Majesty
Deborah Marion Kazumi Yow-Hoo You-Betcha-Baby Ridpath Ohi The First
who by the Grace of the United Kingdom of Ridpath and Ohi and of her
other realms and territories
bears the titles Queenie, head of Inkygirl, and Defender of the Filk.

Know that your gift of chocolate has pleased Her Majesty (or else you'd
be in the dungeon, not leaving) and that the vocal and/or instrumental
performance, that you spontaneously provided upon being entranced by
Her Majesty's beatific countenance (i.e. the look that can bring forth the
Nameless Guilt That Knows No Bounds) has similarly been pleasing to Her
Majesty.

You would do well to remember to bring MORE chocolate upon your next
sojourn to Her Majesty's fair domain.
Have a nice day.

Posted by Official Order this April 1, 2007."

When I called Walter, he answered his cellphone: "Her Majesty's Checkpoint."

Oh Walter, you are SO DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED....



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Toronto's Pomegranate restaurant: a Persian delight

(FKO reports to continue in a future Blathering...)

(Updated: Woohoo! My sister's newest book, A Trip With Grandma, got a great review in today's Globe & Mail! You can see the review on the Globe & Mail's Web site, but apparently the paper version also has an image from the book as well. Flatmouse is going to be famous!)

My friend Craig and I were trying to decide where to eat yesterday; we decided to look for something in the CAD$25 range, and I wanted something unusual. Like me, Craig's an adventurous eater, willing to try almost anything.

We ended up choosing Pomegranate restaurant (420 College St. (at Bathurst), Toronto, ON 416-921-7557, Map) because of this Toronto Life review. I've never tried traditional Persian cuisine, and the unusual-sounding ingredients intrigued me.


Doogh, a tangy yogurt drink.


The restaurant was full when we arrived; the only space available was a small raised alcove in the back that the hostess called a "takht" (a Persian double bed), just big enough for two people along with their dinner; you take off your shoes and sit crossed-legged or lounge against the pillows as you eat.

Craig and I were delighted; we couldn't have asked for a more exotic dinner setting! The hostess said most diners tended to opt for regular tables, so was relieved that we didn't mind. Craig and I both agreed that when we come here again, we'd purposely reserve the takht.

For drinks, Craig ordered the Persian tea, and I opted for doogh, a homemade salty carbonated yogurt drink with mint. You can see a photo of it above. The green is mint and the red is powdered rose petals; it made for an unusual tasting drink which I very much enjoyed. Plus I like the name: doogh. What a cool word. ("Hey, come sit in my takht and share my doogh.")



We ordered an appetizer called maast-o khiar for $3.75 (see above), a blend of English cucumber, walnuts, raisins and rose petals in a rich creamy herbed yogurt. It came with a warm Barbary flatbread.

For our main courses, we ordered queymeh and fesenjaan.



Above: The queymeh was a tomato-based tangy stew of yellow split peas, lamb chunks and dried lime topped with cinnamon. CAD$10.95. The round ball on top was the lime, I think; we ate the whole thing, peel and all. Yum.



Above: fesenjaan -- a smooth rich stew of ground walnut and pomegranate syrup served beside a plate of saffron basmati rice, creamy yogurt and salad. We ordered the chicken version instead of the vegetarian version. CAD$13.95.

EVERYTHING was very good, and I would definitely come back here. There are so many things I still want to try! Like the kashk-e bademjaan appetizer, which is charred eggplant, persian whey, garlic and walnuts topped with crispy onion. And a main course called aloo gheysi, which consists of bokhara plums and dried apricots in a saffron sauce with boneless chicken pieces served with creamy yogurt. And morasa polo: jewelled rice - slivers of seville orange peel, almond and pistachio with diced carrots and barberries blended in saffron basmati rice served with a braised lamb shank, creamy yogurt and salad.



Above: For dessert, we opted for a dessert tray which included honey-soaked, deep-fried pastry and chickpea cookies. The pastry was a yummy sticky-sweet concoction topped with slivered almonds and something else I can't recall. I wasn't so crazy about the cookies, which seemed relatively tasteless (at least in comparison to everything else). Next time I think I'd like to try the saffron-rosewater ice cream.

After an appetizer, doogh drink, two Persian teas, two main courses and a dessert, the total bill came out to less than $45 for two people. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good food in an unusual setting. Reservations highly recommended, and be sure to ask for the takht in the back!

Pomegranate Chai House
420 College St. (at Bathurst)
Toronto, ON Canada
416-921-7557
Map







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FKO (part 3): Children's concert

Photo by Phil Mills

Above: Performing the "Banana Slug Song" with Mary Ellen Wessels in the children's concert at FilKONtario. Allison and I are wearing fuzzy yellow slipper-socks that Sib gave me.

Photo by Phil Mills

I had a lovely birthday yesterday. Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone! Ruth took me out for lunch and Jeff to took me to Senses Restaurant; it wasn't exactly what either of us had expected (Jeff had read about a 14-course tasting menu, but apparently the menu has changed since then), but had some wonderful food and friendly waitstaff.

For my birthday, Jeff gave me an upgrade to Corel Painter 10 (I currently have Corel Painter 9.5) as well as a Wacom tablet upgrade. I'm especially excited about the latter; after seeing Michelle Dockrey's tablet at GAfilk, it became clear to me that tablets have improved a great deal since I bought mine many years ago. Before ordering the Painter upgrade and the new tablet, I'm looking online for any special bundle deals; if any of you have heard of one, please do let me know.

But back to FKO highlights...

One highlight for me was the children's concert we did on Sunday with Mary Ellen Wessels and Heather Borean...and all because of the enthusiastic audience. Ironically, most of the audience were adults!

In the photo below: Erin, Dave and Mary help us do "Rattlin' Bog":



Photo by Phil Mills

(Erin, by the way, is currently offering custom-designed calligraphy services; she says orders received before April 15 will receive a 10% discount.)

We also debuted one of my new songs, Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam, which was a songwriter's cliché in that I wrote it while taking a shower. No, I wasn't eating a sandwich at the time. :-)

Mike's and Rennie's son (*gasp!* an actual CHILD in our audience!!) was the definitely the star when we sang "The Hockey Monkey Song":


Photo by Phil Mills

Urban Tapestry also debuted a song I wrote for our friend Walter in revenge for various conspiracies in the past. I've posted the lyrics to the song at the end of this Blathering, if you're interested. When we ate at Montana's the following morning, Walter drew a comic strip in response. (Wow...Walter can draw AND sing! I had no idea...)

Thanks to Phil Mills for letting me use his photos in my con reports, by the way! You can also find other photos from the convention on the following pages:

Allison's photos
Erin's photos
Walter's photos
David W's photos
Hitch's photos
Beige_alert's photos
Gary M.'s photos
Phil Mill's photos

WALTER

By Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Mar/2007

Dedicated to Urban Tapestry's friend, Walter Korynkiewicz!


Allison:
I have a friend named Walter
He's in my class at school, he has a
dog that quacks...and that's a fact.

Jodi:
I have a friend named Walter too
He's my very best friend, he knows
how to fly...and that's no lie.

Debbie:
Excuse me, but Walter's MY friend
He even shared his lunch with me (A&J: so what?)
Spiders in a pot (A&J: great Scott!)
...I kid you not!

CHORUS:
Walter, he's still a mystery today, but on
Walter, you can depend, oh
Walter, 'til the planets fall away
we will be your friend.

A: I have a friend named Walter
He has blue skin (J&D: What a coincidence!
So does OUR friend!)...(All: Is this a trend?)

J: Hey, where are you going, Walter?
A: Is that a spaceship? (All: How COOL!)
J: Hey don't go! A: Can I come with you?
J: Me too! Me too! (D: Me too!)

CHORUS:

BRIDGE:
A: We had a friend named Walter
A&J: Can't believe he left without us
J: I packed him a lunch
A: Well so did I (D: peanut butter and marmite!)
A&J: GROSS! No wonder he went back to space!
D: That's not fair!
A: No wonder he has no hair! (D: HEY!)
A: Walter, will you say hello to Stitch and E.T. & Mork & Mr. Spock & ALF & Dr. Who & the Borg...
J: Allison why on earth would you want to say hello to Borg they were evil and wanted to assimilate everyone
D: Except for Hugh
A: Yeah except for Hugh
J: Hugh was a wimp I hate him the Borg were a really really cool villain until Hugh came along
A: Jodi this isn't the time to have this discussion we should get to the end this song we can talk about this later
J: Okay! D: Okay! A: Okay!

CHORUS:



Photo by Allison Durno



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Birthdays, friends and music

Photo by Allison

(temporary interruption of my FKO report)

Hey, it's my birthday today! Happy birthday also to my sister-in-birthdays, Katy Dröege!

Yesterday evening, Jeff and I had a small dinner party. In attendance were some of the visiting Brits: Mich, Marilisa and Simon, as well as Allison and her husband John, Jodi, and Walter. It was a good number; any more and I would have been spending all my time worrying about hostess-stuff. Eight is a good maximum for a gathering where you all actually talk with each other rather than splitting off into sub-conversations, which tends to occur with larger groups.

I learned expanded my British vocabulary to include useful terms like "I'll give it a mull" and "faff" and "waistcoat." Simon, Marilisa and Mich added a highly amusing addition to our Visitor Book which I'll have to Blather about separately someday.


Photo by Allison

What I hadn't realized: that everyone else had been plotting in e-mail for several weeks to surprise me with a birthday celebration after the dinner. I must be truly be losing it; I used to be pretty good at sensing conspiracies, but I've been pretty clueless for the last few. :-)

I discovered the conspiracy last night when Walter arrived after dinner. I was trying to encourage everyone to move from the dining room to the comfortable couches and chairs in the living room, but Allison insisted on lingering over her drink...with an ulterior motive, I quickly discovered, because a few minutes later I heard Walter SINGING; Walter has always told me he doesn't sing.


Photo by Allison

Walter claims he was doing a "military cadence" and wasn't singing, but it was a funny song (Walter, did you write it?!?), and he came in carrying a decadent chocolate cake. Wow, it looks like the top of it is on fire in the photo above! Guess those candles add up...


Photo by Allison

He had also brought some adorable chocolate mice whose imploring eyes begged us not to eat them. We cruelly ignored their pleas, of course. Yum.



Mich, Marilisa and Simon presented me with a smiley-face balloon and a sumptuous-looking cookbook called "Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes: Unwrapped." Oh my; I can feel those calories leap onto my thighs just LOOKING at some of these photos! Can't wait to try them.



Later in the evening, Mich and Marilisa played some music. I pleaded...unfair, really, because how could they say no? As Mich pointed out, I had just fed them and it was almost my birthday; I can be so heartless sometimes. :-D Anyway, as you might have guessed from Tuesday's ravings, I was in Playing Rapunzel Fangirl HEAVEN. Marilisa sang "Puff The Magic Dragon" in Catalan and "Hockey Monkey" in Greek (!!! :-D); I've been told the latter is Merle's fault. Mich and Marilisa sang a lovely a capella medley that included "Wind In The Pipes."



And then...be still my heart...Mich played my harp! I was melting all over the place. Oh dear lord. She tuned it (Omigodomigod Mich Sampson tuned my harp! I can't tune it ever ever again!!), even. Mich played a gorgeous instrumental or two, then performed "Father's Honour," a song I recognized from her Just Beyond CD. You can hear a soundclip from that song on her CD Baby page. By the end of the song, I was bawling.



Then, much to my surprise, Marilisa asked if she could play my harp. I hadn't realized she could play; she played several lovely instrumental tunes:



Thank you so much to Jeff, Walter, Allison, John, Jodi, Simon, Marilisa and Mich. It was a marvelous evening, and a birthday celebration I'll never forget.

Tough to say good-bye; I'm not sure when we're going to see Marilisa, Mich and Simon again. Eventually I'm going to have to make it overseas to one of the UK cons again. Either that or work on getting the Brits to immigrate to Canada.



You can see Allison's photos of the event here (and most of the photos on today's Blathering!). I didn't take nearly as many because I was in hostess mode, but you can see mine here.




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