Days spent at the beach..

I had just rolled into town and wanted to see a familiar face. So off I went to go meet my buddy Pascale… I ventured out to the University of British Columbia then started strolling through the campus. I finally got to the location only to find out that it took 640 stairs to get down and I was actually walking down a cliff.  I reached the bottom to discover the sandy shores of Wreck beach.. I took a moment to catch my breath and started to realize most people were “au natural”...

Who would have thought, a nude beach right on campus! What blew me away was that it was totally hidden from streets, buildings and the hustle and bustle of human civilization.

Later that day Pascale had introduced me to one of his buddies Ryan who later on would become a really great friend to me. He owned a stand called “Legit Falafels”. We decided to park ourselves there for the day. As I was lazing around I noticed that there was something for everybody here. Quiet and sandy? Dog-friendly with a great view? Crowded and flashy? Popular with the locals? Take your pick this beach as it all. Multiple vendors were selling all sorts of cuisine, jewelry, and clothing. Feel like a gourmet ice tea? Not a problem you can find it. Not one to eat meat? that’s cool, you have options. If you felt like participating in a jam session when the sun is coming down, that is always a possibility. If water doesn't interest you, thats alright, because alongside the water you also have lush vegetation with various forms of wildlife and multiple trails you can hike all within 8 km. It’s an impressive spot..

Coming from Ottawa you don't have these landscapes. Sure you have water and mountains but it’s not the Pacific. Within this bed of water you are also surrounded by these massive mountains, so high the peaks are still covered with snow. It’s remarkable!

Curiosity struck and I wanted  to learn more about the culture of the beach, so the following day I helped out Ryan.. One of the best things I could have done for myself! Not only was I swinging falafels on beach surrounded by everything that I just described but I had made a friend.

So we started our day of at “Joe’s Grill” located on fourth and Kitsilano. Just putting this out there- but probably one of the best tofu scrambles in town! After our morning eats we heading to the beach. Trucking down those stairs was a trip to begin- with try it with multiple coolers and miscellaneous objects. As we like to call it “Falafel Bootcamp”. Try it- if you are out of shape, within a week I promise you will feel like a superhero!

We started setting up shop. Not much to it but there was everything we needed. Barbeque converted into a pizza oven and two fold out tables alongside a log that also acted as a lumber bar! I appreciated the simplicity. Ryan was totally about farm to table and everything made from scratch. The way food should be eaten! It was fried ahead of time and then warmed on site. This week on the plate you got two patties and this beautiful salad from UBC gardens. We got this stupid deal on salad so as Ryan like to say “ We are in the salad business” If you had cleaned leaves you would understand how tedious it can be at times, but it’s worth it. So crisp and fresh- absolutely worth the time spent cleaning. 

It was the added components that did it for me. Sweet and sour garlic sauce, so perfectly balanced with this lovely sherry vinaigrette and tahini- I tell you, off the hook! Tons of fresh blueberries in the salad that were just picked minutes before. You felt clean after eating this dish. It could have been  the closest thing I had eaten to a home cooked meal for a couple of weeks. My main source of nutrition would have been protein bars and perhaps a cucumber, with a side of grapes..

But back to falafel. On a warm sunny day, it’s where it’s at! You never feel like you want to keel over in the fetal position because you have over indulged with a bacon cheeseburger (or, wait for it, a poutine..)If I didn't have this healthier option I would probably have opted for the dirtier one.

Ryan if you are reading this and if I haven’t told you already. Thank you for the nourishment. Always appreciated darlin’! Much love.

As the day went on I started to familiarize myself with the other vendors on site. You have Abul whose stand was beside ours. He is known as the "The Sandwich Man." He migrates to the beach in the morning and generally closes shop late afternoon. He sells these beautiful artisan sandwiches- again everything is from scratch and the baguette is picked up from a local bakery in town first thing in the morning.

I had the pleasure of listening to him crack jokes all day while dancing it out to reggae; all while he searched for a pretty lady to be his wife one day. I think the wifey aspect has actually become a daily mission for him.

From my understanding Abdul doesn’t have to work but it’s something he enjoys. I believe he was engineer turned sandwich man. Maybe it just came down to the summer rays and the community he had built over the years that keeps on enticing him to come back every year. A man with a smile and a beautiful one at that. He had to be in his 70’s. If I can channel his energy at that age. One could only be so lucky.

Then there is Diego, who possessed a gypsy soul. Always in need for change and adventure. He had passion and he was inspired by many different ideas, attitudes and experiences. Always looking for the next best thing in life. Well, that’s at least what I had taken from him. He was beautiful and passionate. Ladies, with the very little time you would have spent with this Cat, he would throw you off your feet.  Something about the Latin vibes that drew this brown eyed girl in. I could only imagine how others would take to this beautiful spirit.. Heart throb one may say...

Here comes “ Ray Ray”  where some will wear a mask he will tell you the truth. He’s honest, fun and just a super good guy to be around. He also works with Ryan, so many hours were spent on the beach with each other.. His main line of work is constructing sets for film but he decided to take the summer off to enjoy the sand for a couple of months.. I very much enjoyed the time spent with him.

Then there is Ryan..

Ryan ended up turning into a good friend of mine. A man of all trades, I’m not to sure if there isn't anything he hasn’t done. Let’s see he is an actor, cook, diver, musician, comedian, entrepreneur, falafel swinger,intellect, baker and overall just a fabulous man. Originally from Montreal, moved around a whole lot. So many stories he has in repertoire. This man had lived and still is...

He had taken me under his wing and always made sure I was safe and kept busy. I never really fell in love with Vancouver till I met him. He showed me the city but not just as a visitor.He loved food as much as I did so eating was a great  deal of our time spent together, along with late night drives through East Hastings to watching the “Sunboat” on Kitsilano beach while eating shawarmas.. 

The sweet ending aspect to our dinner was my fav. Don’t any of your minds wonder, I’m talking about Gelato.

We would head down to commercial in search of a “la casa del gelato” 218 flavors of goodness.. Couldn't try them all thankfully otherwise I may have landed up with a bad case of diabetes. If I was in the city longer, I would have sampled all flavors but my time was limited.... People rarely succeed unless they are having fun with what they are doing and sharing this delicious cold treat with Ryan was a delight. I can see us eating our way through each and every flavor together.  Anyone for Curry, Baba Ganoush or even hummus flavored gelato? That’s right, that was an option.

I went for the chocolate basil, banana cream pie, biscotti dream boat and raspberry swirl and whatever Ryan ordered. If one day you catch yourself walking down the street of East Van,it will be a shame if you don’t stop in yourself.

Under the shadow of the cliff, I swung falafels while jumping into the waves, tight roped, and struck conversations with the most random of them all. All while enjoying a lime kiwi freezie crafted by a fellow named Tim, and occasionally wandering off to take a nap on the rocks. This gave me the opportunity to bring out my spider monkey skills when I didn’t take into account the rising tide.. As it came in I would wake from my slumber with no path back but the sharp edged rocks to lead me to civilization.Time seemed to have stopped, and, if time had stopped, what better place for it to stop ..

The wreck has a nice secluded feeling to it, seeing as how walking down a cliff to get to the beach is your only option. During the day you could lay in the sun while indulging the delightful treats at your disposal, and at night the only lights you see are the bonfires on the beach.People gathered around them while all listening the sweet sounds of music being played.. I probably should mention clothing is optional..

If you stop by, say hi to my friend Ryan and Ray Ray! you should probably eat a falafel. They’re lovely, I can promise you that! I am the chickpea connoisseur, don’t you know.

xoxo

                                 

Into the Great Wide Open......

Throughout my life, I have been blessed with many opportunities to go to concerts, and I have always been mesmerized by them. Not too long ago I was offered this opportunity to  work on a food truck that was headed up to Pemberton, BC for a music festival.  

Embarking on this journey I  had promised myself that whatever the world may bring me along my travels, I wouldn’t deny an adventure to come my way. No one in the world can tell you what may happen tomorrow and I think that’s the joy of life. To taste experience to the utmost, to reach out with enthusiasm and do to without fear for newer and richer experiences to come.

So here went of little miss Sera to the great wide open..

So I found myself  on the other side of the country, driving up the North in search of an energetic environment where I couldn’t hear my own voice at times and my own thoughts could be at total inner peace, all while slamming out the most delicious pulled pork sandwiches..

I pulled up to the grounds and and realized that I was surrounded by the mountains, in the woods, and having a very strong presence of the wilderness around me. A weekend full of great jams alongside a sense of peace and tranquility. It sounded perfect to me!

I set up camp and made my way to the truck. I realized that there was a nine other food vendors also working out of mobile units. Though some trucks got lost in the crowd, there were a few that really stood out to me.

The trucks had very simple menus; in many cases, five or fewer menu items seemed to be the theme. They had everything; from organic burgers to vegan and vegetarian cuisine, Thai food, homemade perogies, fish and chips, and tacos (which by the way had to be one of the best tacos I’ve had). I think their shirts alone sold me. Their logo was “taco slayer” but written in the same font the band used. It’s reminded me of my bro.

The festival started on Thursday and then would run till Sunday. I expected it to be busy with organized chaos but this was mayhem. We didn’t stop the whole weekend, which meant 17 hour days. Very little sleep meant not a moment to decompress- but that’s the rush I live for. It’s pure adrenaline that pumps through your veins. I’ve always liked chaos. If you stay one step ahead, it becomes a game. It’s about maintaining quality control, speed, and efficiency- along with the practice of avoiding and kitchen accidents. I would say that it’s safe to write: never trust a chef without a burn marks along his or her arms. Kitchen accidents happen and they’re part of the business. There’s an element of danger, but that’s part of the mayhem and part of the game. The trick is keeping sharp and staying calm regardless of the chaotic environment.

Don't get me wrong fatigue manifested more and more strongly- but there were no murmurs of complaint. Rather we fed off one anothers spirits, knowing we were in this together, united as one. We became ninjas! Sharp, clever and joyfully witty! Ninjas can be witty? right?

Sunday came to an end. Outkast took over the stage and came on with “Sorry Miss Jackson” At that moment, I decided to call my roommate back at home to take a moment with her while joyfully singing along with them,these are the moments I live for. I had completed the job successfully and could celebrate with the ones I love while dancing in a field barefoot with the feeling of grass, wonderful on my feet. It makes the soul feel good!  

I said my goodbyes to the community of chefs that I had the pleasure to meet. We couldn't be more thrilled to hug it out after the weekend of madness. We sat down, ate a dirty poutine and a side of beer, embracing every bite.

Walked home to discover that the shower trailer was vacant with no other faces in sight, so I blasted Tom Petty, sang my little pretty heart out and may have taken the longest shower known to man or female. Perfect ending, if I say so myself!

 

I had camped, listened to fabulous artists, and enjoyed doing something I loved; but what I gained most from this experience was beginning to find myself again. I had gone from being two halves of a whole, to being half, and then slowly learning to be whole again on my own.

I learned so much from all of this and I can honestly say that I will never forget the people I worked so closely with. Music has a way of fixing memories into our minds! And,I love the unpredictability of these food stories that we all have up our sleeve! Regardless if you’re a chef or not food is still something that we all share in common and ever a simple food truck can create a memorable moment that is made to stick with you. It just takes that first bite…

Much love,

Sera xo

Sun is shining and the birds are singing...

As I was about to embark on this new chapter of my life. I broke down as I was on route to the airport. I had pulled off to the side of the road,removed my seatbelt got out of the car and fell to the ground. At that moment to me I had realized, the real beauty of life is at any time we can change our destiny by the choices we make. We don’t have this predetermined precise, rigid, life pattern we have to rise to.

During my lifetime many changes will have taken place, just like the sun it can be obscured by the clouds of a storm, however, the sun is still shining no matter how dark the world may become around us. It’s temporarily hidden from our view.  So regardless what the outcome is I can always rely on the sun to come out and shine!

As I picked myself up from the ground that day. The thrilling feeling of awe swept over me.It’s the same emotion when I stare into the horizon and the glistening reflection of the sun on the ocean leaves me feeling.

This morning as I was walking home, I caught the sunrise. It was this luminous display of radiant colours. Colours had blended so perfectly into each other. As I marveled into the sky it had dawned on me that this ball shaped gaseous celestial body that shines by its own light is actually a radiant mass of life giving vitality that feeds my soul.

Vegetation rises from the earth, sucking energy from the bottom of the earth, and seeks energy from above from the rays of the sun and in return it creates growth.

As the sun feeds me it is indirectly giving me food to evolve just as it does for plants to flourish!

 

I’m starting to understand how vital it is for me to be around all elements, water and sun being the most important. It’s opening my mind and body to take on the wonderfulness of what life has to offer. 

So I will leave you with this..

May you notice the beauty of the morning, hear the sweet melodies of the birds, feel the moments of the day and see the splendidness of the sun!

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

So earlier this year I felt the urgency to step away from my daily routines.I’ve always been drawn to Ferry Boats, so I decided to head out West and make my way to Seattle. Seattle is a beautiful city filled lush green parks all within the city limits. It’s actually called the “emerald city” which I later learnt. The name alludes to the lush evergreen trees in the surrounding area. To my Canadian Friends if you ever find yourself out West I highly suggest that you jump on a greyhound and make your way to this amazing city, i found the most tranquility and peace. If you happen to be in your thirties you will enjoy that it will take you back to the 90’s! It channels your youth!

Ok, back to my tale….

So I decided to walk down the streets of Seattle and make my way to the harbour.  The element of water has always been good to me over the years.It takes me to calming tranquil place of reflecetion. Breath, body and mind acts as one. I’ve view

water as a fundamental to life and death. It’s not bios to religion. It lives within all living things, It’s a building block for life. Water is the same in all languages. This one specific day water became mystic.  

As i was contemplating my life I realized something about home. It dawned on me that Ottawa has always been a cozy warm covering for me, similiar to a cocoon I suppose. Serving shelter and protection as I was to develop.

Everyone has a part of this earth that we can relate to most. Weather it’s majestic red bridge, bouquet of flowers and the calm of a single rock off to the side of a lake, these are the places to get to know oneself and build bonds with our love ones.

Suddenly I understood my fascination with the vessel we call the “ferry boat” it had screamed out to me “go small, go simple and go now” Those seven simple words changed my life.  

We all have our own  individual stories to tell that are all difficult and different circumstances to overcome. I realize without the struggle and the experiences it wouldn’t teach us so we can grow. So it was time to channel my story and find the inner warrior within. I was to remove myself from the cocoon I had lived in for so long and to open my mind and heart to fall to the wayside of nature’s majesticness. To than open up to all the beautiful unexpectedness that will than be called my “rebirth”..

I made my way back home and made the decision it was time to open my wings and fly away with the promise to myself I wouldn’t come back for a year regardless how difficult it may be along the way. To only embrace the good and remove anything thing that would act as an obstacle to prevent me to move forward with my plan.

It wasn’t to long after the universe would start sending me gifts to embark on my adventure.I made peace with relationships that had haunted me and opened up to ones that had built me. My life became richer my community became stronger. I realized my self worth..

We live in a society that everything as a price. What I have experienced in the last few months is something you can’t buy, it can’t be purchased. I will keep it close to my heart and remember how lucky I am to have experience it and will continue living it through dance parties in the kitchen,screaming from the top of my lungs I will Kakka to the birds on a sunny day and always embracing laughter when it comes my way!

So the stories continues….

Sera makes her way to a beach one day. Stumbles upon a naked chef swinging falafels from a stand only to find herself working there the very next day……………

Will be continued…………..