Skipping the Country

I promised myself I was going to cut back on international travel for the rest of 2013.  But, alas, I skipped the country last weekend. Well, not really but it sure felt that way after a trying week at school.   I took a quick trip to Calgary to visit my friends Jeff and Aiofe.  Our only set plans were to watch the Flames vs. Oilers hockey game at the Saddledome but we did so much more.

I left a little later than intended and ended up happily stuck in rush hour.  I had my podcasts and waited patiently to get to the north end of town.  After I arrived, we barely said our, "Hellos" when Jeff suggested we check out a gallery opening :)

Intense art talk at Gibson Fine Art Gallery, Calgary

We visited Gibson Fine Art Gallery - an awesome space to view works from Canadian artist, Sheila Kernan's A Time.  A Place.  A Connection.  Her work, a mix of landscapes and cityscapes struck a chord.  Large scale pieces in bright, warm colors represented urban settings while cooler tones painted the landscapes.  As we wandered the gallery, I tried hard to pick a favorite.  I was torn between the urban and country pieces.  I enjoyed them all.

An example of Kernan's Cityscapes

The show was the perfect metaphor for my current state of mind:  Am I loving living alone with a view of Glacier National Park in a town with a population of less than 400 residents? Yes.  Should I consider making a move to a city in order to fulfill my art and music cravings?  Yes.  Then, I consider my family and friends in Ohio and convince myself that I must be home, family first.  But, then I think of the extraordinary group of people I've met in East Glacier and feel I wouldn't trade this community for any other in the world.  Therefore, the conflict ensues.  It's a cycle really.  Every winter I proclaim as my last in Montana and when summer rolls around, I get sucked right back in, plan a move for the fall and talk myself into "one more winter."  Sigh.

After the show, we crossed the street for sushi.  After a long day at school (yes, I took the afternoon off, but you know what I mean) and a long drive, sushi was the perfect dinner.

On Saturday, Jeff decided we would head to brunch then do some shopping.  We tried to get in to this adorable cafe, but it was packed and we were starving.  I'm sure that it was a great place but we ended up at what I'm convinced was the greatest brunch place ever to exist on the planet, Monki breakfastclub & bistro.  Breakfastclub?  Now that's a club I want to belong to.

The brunch I dream about

Why so great, you ask?  Well, it was a small, cozy space, so small we were asked to share our table with another solo brunch-goer - turns out he was a regular and gave us tips on what to order.  The stereo was blaring Arcade Fire's Reflektor and then switched to Polica's Shulamith (I can't get enough of either album) and then the food was so good that I have craved my chorizo, caramelized onion and goat cheese benedict every day since.

I also had a cappuccino which may not sound like a huge deal but it is the most extreme luxury lately if I can order a decent cappuccino and then have the time to sit, indulge and savor each and every sip.  I will not order espresso to go.  That's what black coffee is for.

Cappuccino = happiness

After brunch, we ran over to the Kensington Village area and bummed around a few shops.  I was delighted when Jeff suggested we check out the record store.  It's my dream to have a home with a room dedicated to a record player and shelves and shelves of records.  I got lost flipping through the records, admiring album art and secretly plotting my future collection.

Fun street art on Kensington

Kensington also had a lot of really great candy stores.  Jeff found his favorite candy, Green Tea Kit Kats, imported from Japan.  The shopgirl tried to tell us that the Kit Kats were discontinued.  Luckily, Jeff didn't fall for her sales tactic and he only bought one bag.

I had to buy some too - I'm hooked.

Next, we visited Jeff's photography studio that he shares with his brother, a painter.  What a talented family.  You can view Jeff's photography here:  Jeff Cruz Fine Art Photography.  I also had the privilege of upping my personal collection of Jeff's photographs by two.  Two abstractions of Lake McDonald will eventually be custom framed in Montana barn wood.  I feel spoiled.  Jeff told me I'm the first to have a print of one of the photographs.  (You can view some of the abstractions in his blog post, 35 and Alive/Glacier National Park.) As he unrolled it, I gasped.  Not only was in stunning, it was titled, "Grow Up" which was coincidentally my New Year's resolution for 2013.  "Grow Up" was chosen by Jeff as a reminder of where his photography career is heading, into the riveting world of Fine Art.  It is easy to imagine his abstraction photographs displayed on a large scale in a gallery.  I hope to be at that first show.

The weekend was centered around the Flames vs. Oilers hockey game at the Saddledome on Saturday night.  Turns out both teams are sort of in rebuilding phases so it was still a battle on the ice, Flames led the first half 2-0 and then the Oilers came back to win 4-2.  At first, we were seated behind some rowdy Oilers fans - they were hysterical and the game hadn't even started!  We realized we were in the wrong section but I feel we subconsciously made that mistake so I could have the full experience of sitting between Flames and Oilers fans.

Flames vs. Oilers at the Saddledome 11.16.13 

I enjoy watching hockey.  The sounds of the skates scraping the ice as players change direction, the crack of the stick hitting the puck, it all resonates live, you don't get the full experience while watching on television.  And, the halftime "Human Bowling" looked so fun.  Check out Jeff's video here:

After the hockey game, we headed to a friend's house for a housewarming and Coachella reunion that ended up being only 3 of us instead of 5 - we'll have to try again!

Sunday morning was lazy and it was decided that we would go for Dim Sum as my last meal before I headed back to MT.  This was my first time having Chinese food since China and I was excited.  This restaurant was legit.  We ordered a ton of food, each and every dish a flavorful winner and enjoyed a relaxing brunch.

Aiofe and I enjoying Dim Sum - YUM

I thought I was on schedule to leave when I noticed a giant Asian supermarket across the parking lot.  How could I leave without going in?  What if some of the treats I was hooked on in China were available?  I was out of cellophane noodles so I just had to check it out.

The insane spice condiment from Guiyang - hooray!!!

See, the Green Tea Kit Kats aren't discontinued!  The day is saved.

And then, we had a little too much fun at the grocery.  Jeff attempts to capture my excitement over finding all of the delights I was accustomed to while in China.

Now I wonder why I didn't buy those shrimp crackers.  Next time.  

After the grocery, I had to begin the journey back to MT.  The long drive provided me with ample time  to reflect on a weekend filled with great friends, inspiring art, delicious dishes, and hockey, of course.

Thank you, Jeff and Aiofe for a fabulous weekend.  

Natalie

p.s. Thanks, Jeff, for sharing and allowing me to share your photos and videos in this post.