As I sit in W308 (my second home) I ponder the path Eman The Wingman has travelled in the past three months... and wow, have I learned a lot!!
A single blog will not hold the amount of information I've learned so I will not post it here. All I know is that I've changed a lot since sitting in that orientation room downstairs on our first day as CreComm students. Sitting here now, I could say that I had no clue how much invaluable things I'd be learning from that day: from PR to Ad to journalism to broadcasting to my grammar and writing - wowzers!
January 4th is when we come back. I heard semester two was supposed to be harder than semester one so I'm excited about that :( - Well, I guess at least I know what to expect!
Semester two here we go!!!
Thursday, December 10
Wednesday, December 9
I was allowed to live.
Today was pretty much the hardest day of the week and, probably, of the entire semester.
We wrote our PR and Ad exams today. It was highly anticipated. We studied until blood flowed from our eyes, ears, and noses. Team Ampersand was there til the end.
It was awesome studying with the team. We all got together and quizzed each other PR questions on life cycle of public opinion, principles of persuasion, theoretical models of PR, and Steve Dunkletooth's favouritest: 9 ways PR contributes to the bottom line. It was worth every drop of blood.
At the end of the day, all i can say is :) - the hard part is done.
Monday, December 7
Teriyaki Chicken Maki
In addition to my love for chicken wings, I also have an-almost-addiction to sushi. I mean, who doesn't? Sushi is awesome. But I must admit, when I started eating sushi, I wasn't all 'gung ho' about it. I started with the cooked kind of sushi - teriyaki chicken which was basically a piece of breaded chicken breast in a sushi roll with teriyaki sauce; dynamite roll which was cooked shrimp with mayo and some fish roe.
I was super influenced by a Japanese friend who I was roommates with in dorm at Prov College in 2005. He taught me a lot about his culture and in turn, I taught him the difference between the words 'light' and 'right' because the Japanese language does not have 'l' sounds.
I chose Tomohito Ogasawara as the subject of my personality profile assignment for my journalism course. I thought Tom was particularly interesting to write about because of the challenges he had to overcome in order to fully integrate himself into North American living. His sense of humour was something that everyone remembered about him on top of his humility and determination.
I wish to honour him on my blog my posting his story here :) He is living proof that hard work and determination will get you where you want to be.
(photo taken from Access Winnipeg accesswinnipeg.com)
---
Tomohito Ogasawara
He sleeps in a t-shirt, a sweater, and jeans over his sweat pants. He also sets the room’s baseboard heater thermostat to the maximum 30 degrees Celsius before encasing himself in a cocoon of blanket. That is how Tom feels about Winnipeg weather. Few know him by his real name, Tomohito Ogasawara, as a lot of people are intimidated by its pronunciation and spelling, but the opposite can be said about Tom’s personality.
“He is friendly and good to everybody,” says Nikki Sung, one of the owners of Sushi Train At The Forks where Tom has worked as a Sushi Chef for the last three and a half years.
Tom moved from Nagoya City, Japan in January 2005 to pursue Biblical and Theological Studies at Providence College and Seminary in Otterburne, Manitoba to become a pastor. After a year and a half of college, Tom realizes the good life Canada has to offer and puts his studies on hold. He wants to get Canadian Immigration but first needs to work for a minimum of two years according to the standard requirements for his specific condition.
For Tom, hard work and dedication is engrained in his life. At 41 years old, he still likes to be challenged and to try different things. Learning english has been one of the toughest things he ever had to do.
“I hardly used English when I lived in Japan. Still, it takes time what I really want to say,” says Tom, correcting himself twice in mid-sentence before finishing.
Tom admits that not being able to put into words what he wants to say can be stressful at times. He keeps a pocket-sized, electronic translator that gives him word definitions, synonyms, and even their pronunciations.
Tom’s current challenge is undertaking piano lessons. He walks 20 blocks one way to get to his lessons every Tuesday because his bike was stolen.
He smiles as he says, “Most people take piano lessons when they’re kids. I want to try everything.”
When asked about Tom as a beginner piano student, piano teacher Don Kissick says, “He’s a very intense person. He likes to know exactly how things work in and out.” Kissick says he has to be careful how he words his sentences as Tom takes what he says very seriously.
Kissick continues, “Having worked for a Japanese company in the past, I know that his personality is unique for us, but it’s not that unique for Japanese people. When they do something, they do it, and Tom is like that.”
Tom left early October to visit Japan and said he would pick up on his lessons after one month of being gone. Kissick thought he would never see Tom again. Shortly after he arrives in Winnipeg, Tom calls Kissick and says he is ready to start again.
Jenny La is a waitress at Sushi Train At The Forks. She has known Tom for a year and a half. “He is a loyal friend,” says La. “Every time his friends come in, he always makes a special dish for them.”
When asked to describe Tom in one sentence, his roommate Aaron Griffiths says “Tom is a fastidious Christian gentleman of the Orient.” The two men met through a mutual friend and have shared a Roslyn Road apartment for the last two years.
Since moving to Canada, Tom has made numerous friendships. He never married and has had no children. During Christmas last year, Tom met his now girlfriend Miyako when she visited Winnipeg for the first time. 36-year-old Miyako Inoue is Tom’s first girlfriend. Since Inoue lives in Japan, they keep in contact through e-mail and internet chat.
“She’s not hot at all,” chuckles Tom with the revelation. “But I like her personality.” He has plans to bring Inoue to Canada if they marry.
Eventually, Tom would like to get his Canadian Citizenship, buy a car, and open a restaurant business in Winnipeg. For now, he will continue to walk to his piano lessons and finish the beginner level while staying warm the best he can.
Tom’s piano teacher summarizes him the best: “What you see is what you get.”
Sunday, December 6
These Wings Were Made For Flying
I have a semi-fictional story to tell you. Fictional in the sense that I changed the proper names but most of it is pretty factual :) So without further adieu, I give you: "Warrior"
Hope you enjoy this... I'm going to try to get it published and maybe have a read at McNally Robinson Polo Park wearing a red smoking jacket and a monocle by the fireplace.
---
The altimeter read 2,300 feet and climbing at 500 feet per minute. In that brief moment of time, on that clear sunny day, everything was in its place and things could not have been better. For Max, getting the Warrior safely off the ground was just one of the things on his agenda. Today, he would be climbing at an altitude of 8,000 feet over the small town of Vita, 25 miles northeast of Budapest to practice his upper air work, in preparation for his first cross country solo flight.
…
Max Paluzski was enrolled in one of Hungary’s top flight schools, András Aviation Academy, accredited for its safety record and noted for its world class pilots who were able to find jobs internationally. A select number of students were chosen each year to attend its specialized program. Selection was based on rigorous aptitude testing, behaviourial testing, stress management testing, and a final interview. Successful candidates went through a final test where they were put in an aviation simulator that recorded their reactions to potentially dangerous situations while flying at a speed of 170 knots – the equivalent groundspeed of 311 km/h.
Max was one of the lucky ones. Every year, the academy accepted 150 new students to their highly advanced training program. Thousands apply each year and only those who displayed the exemplary skills and potentials were accepted. Max had been dreaming of getting into the academy since graduating high school. His parents’ death from a tragic accident when he was 16 years old had made an indelible impact in his life that he needed to prove to himself he could do anything he set out for himself to accomplish. And completing the flight program at András Aviation Academy is one of them.
Growing up, Max Paluzski never once thought he’d be enjoying the sun’s warmth inside the cockpit of a Cessna Piper Warrior cruising at 100 knots. As a child, Max dreamed a lot. He dreamed of being a doctor curing diseases; a fireman putting out flames; a businessman owning one of the biggest franchises on earth; and amongst these boyhood dreams was to become an airline pilot, touring and exploring the world. Max was sheltered from the outside world; was raised in Bulacan, a small town in the countryside, 45 miles southeast of Riga, Latvia. His parents, both teachers in the local elementary school, taught him the values of hard work, perseverance, and humility. Max only saw the outside world through pictures and heard about other townsfolk’s experiences through their stories. His dreams and ambition were his only connection to the world outside Bulacan. It was something that, at the end of the day, he could escape to; without having rules or boundaries.
…
As the vertical speed indicator reached his desired climb speed of 900 feet per minute, Max opened the throttle to 2500 rpm, leveling off the Warrior at its ideal cruise setting. As he checked the cockpit’s gauges, he looked out the window caught a glimpse of the ground below him. Straight lines outlined perfect squares and rectangles of land that stretched as far as the eyes could see. The roads that lined the plots of land ran perfectly along the four cardinal points as if designed by Mother Nature. There were no two sections of earth that were alike. Each one had its own distinct colour and topography. The lighter ones in shade were farmlands inhabited by families and their livestock. The sections darker in shade were coloured by the trees and bushes that occupied the space. Max knew that in the unfortunate event of an emergency, landing staying away from the darker shaded land increased his chances of landing the plane safely and surviving an emergency situation.
As Max turned his attention back to the dials inside the plane, he was reminded of an experience he had a month ago that could have ended his training at the academy. As a prerequisite before being able to fly solo in the Warrior, students had to perform and get out of dangerous situations airplanes could fall into. One of them was called the spiral. When a plane’s nose was slightly pointed down, and its wing banked on one side, the plane could easily slip into a spiral maneuver. This was experienced as the plane spiraled in a circular motion, still upright, gaining speed as it got closer to the ground. If an unwary pilot did not realize the situation he was in, the control stick eventually gets too hard to pull, too difficult to correct and would cause the plane to crash crushing its passengers instantly due to the great speed upon impact. To get out of the spiral, the pilot must act quickly. Closing the throttle would put the engine on idle then he must straighten the wings to its neutral position while pulling the nose of the plane back up to level with the horizon. Max barely got out of the last spiral he put himself in and realized after that quick reflexes was a pilot’s best quality. After landing the Warrior, he took a second to pray and thank God for keeping him safe. It was another experience to learn from nonetheless.
The altimeter reading was now at 8,400 feet above sea level. The vertical speed indicator showed a climb rate of 50 feet per minute. Max overshot his target altitude by 400 feet. He closed the throttle and pointed the nose down to lose the extra height. As he descended, he quickly scanned the outside surrounding for traffic including other aircraft and birds flying into his path. His instructor warned him about birds. At that speed and altitude, the damage of a bird hitting the plane was equivalent to the damage of a wrecking ball smashing into a brick wall. Once clear, he set the throttle back to cruise speed of 2500 rpm. Max did another cockpit scan for his gauges. He checked the airspeed. He checked the altimeter; now at 8,000 feet. He checked the rpms and the vsi again. Then, he did a quick scan outside the window before his radio call.
“Budapest control, this is Cessna Piper Delta Tango Alpha. Current position is two miles south of Vita at 8,000 feet doing upper air work. Delta Tango Alpha.”
Within half a second of Max’s radio call to dispatch, he began his final maneuver into the spin. He grabbed the throttle, cutting engine power. He pulled the knob out for carburetor heat to keep the engine warm. As he pulled the control stick back as far as it could go, the buzz of the stall horn came on indicating a nose dive was imminent. Perfect entry he thought. As the nose pointed toward the ground below him, he threw in full right aileron bank putting the Warrior in a full, perpendicular downward spin headed straight to the ground. With a half-smile, Max loudly recited the maneuvers to correct the situation he imposed on himself:
“Full right rudder. Straighten wings. Pull up!”
As the Warrior stabilized to straight flight, he slowly added engine power and turned off the carburetor heat. He executed the commands flawlessly. The only way to survive an airplane in a spin was to do all the commands in the right order, in the right timing. Max ended the exercise with another radio call. He announced his altitude at 6,500 feet flying westbound with a location two miles of south of Vita. After getting his bearings, he headed back to base just in time for lunch.
…
Upon entering the room, the immediate aroma of ketchup filled the air. For any lunch time, the smell of ketchup meant two things: French fries and grilled cheese. The lineup for food was long, as Max had expected. At twelve thirty, the cafeteria was the only place any student should be. As Max jumped in line, he spotted Rikard Penner and Andreas Campbell at the condiment station. Rikard and Andreas was busy talking about their morning flight as they ladled ketchup on their French fries. Max yelled out their names and swiped two grilled cheese sandwiches and some fries onto his plate and caught up with the boys at the table.
Sitting at the table were the three student pilots who had been friends since the first day of school. As they enjoyed the greasy lunch, Max recalled meeting Andreas in dorm. Andreas and Max met in the dormitories where they were assigned roommates. Rikard shared a room at the end of the hall with a quiet fellow from China named John Lau. While in Jansen Hall, in the east wing of the Bergen Hall dormitory, Max made a few friendships that he didn’t know would cultivate into something more meaningful. The three were all enrolled in the advance program of aeronautical acrobatics and together found a commonality amongst them; a sense of community, a brotherhood. Yet, it was at the cafeteria table, that same corner table by the far wall where the three had the chance to catch up and talk about their day. As loud chatter from the other students at the other tables filled the room, Rikard, Andreas, and Max talked about their morning by discussing the difficulties of the exercises and the requirements that need to be fulfilled before finally being permitted to go on a cross-country solo flight in the Warrior. Rikard admitted he needed more practice with spins while Andreas, being the more advance of the three said the slow flight exercise was really easy. Max found his skill level between Rikard and Andreas. He found some of the exercises as difficult as Rikard described but was also quick to learn like Andreas. Being all 24 years old, the three were inseparable; when one ate, all three ate. When one slept, all three slept. All of them even shared the same love for Halo 3, as a past time when they were not flying. After lunch, the trio walked back to Bergen Hall. Tuesday was a short day; flight training in the morning and flight planning in the afternoon. It was an easy day for them.
…
Back in the Hansen wing, the dorm came alive. Each wing has 16 rooms. Each room boarded two students. When thirty two guys were kept in the same confines, nothing got done. Dorm was a place for rest, relaxation, brotherhood, and a place where the boys could just be boys. The afternoon between lunch and dinner was known as Halo o’clock when the wing’s IT network was put to good use. Thirty two combatants clog the virtual space as they shot, sliced, and blew each other up through the video game carnage that was Halo 3. As you walked through the halls of Jansen, all you saw was the glare that emanated from the TV screens in the rooms and the sound of loud kablams and kabooms as bombs and rockets blew bodies up into mangled pieces tossed up in the air. Nothing unified the dorm like a good round of Halo 3. As the game unfolded, Max and Andreas had ganged up on Rikard and his quiet roommate from China. This was where Max’s abilities limited him. Video games were not something he was good at. Though he played a lot when he was a boy, video games were something that Max quickly grew out of. When his parents died in a horrific plane crash, Max had to grow up even faster. He no longer enjoyed doing the simple things that boys his age enjoyed like going out with friends, watching movies, and even riding his bike. Accepting his parents’ death was difficult for Max to deal with and was constantly thinking why it had to happen to him. Their death could have been avoided had the airline pilot choose not to drink before climbing into the cockpit. The grisly sounds of the video games made Max realize he was losing at Halo 3. He put the game controller down because the sheer violence reminded him of the loss of the two most important people in his life. It was a good time for him to grab his backpack and study. He politely excused himself from the room and headed out for the library.
It was close to six o’clock. The sun was about to set on the clear September evening and the skies were filled with beautiful hues of red-orange, purple, and yellow, as the light of the sun slowly retreated in the distant horizon. The wind was calm and the gentle rustle of leaves could be heard on the field across the academy’s main building. As he approached the entrance, he saw a crowd of guys huddled around the TV screens mounted on the walls set to televise news from around the world. As he entered, all he could hear was a news reporter stating the situation of the war had been escalated to a state of emergency. The Americans had declared war over Germany. Living in Hungary, its government was loyal to that of Germany, as part of its commonwealth. The Germans were in desperate need for pilots. According to the chief flight commander of the András Aviation Academy, all qualified students would be assigned on a mission to aid in the war. All those who had completed their upper air work exercises would be assigned to a fly with a flight instructor to aid in humanitarian purposes. They would be flying into the warzone to drop supplies.
Max could not believe his ears as the announcement sent the students in the academy’s main lobby in a frenzy of confusion. Suddenly, everyone erupted in a barrage of questions only to be shut down by the chief flight commander as he stated only those who qualified would have their names appear on the TV screens. As Max desperately tried to process and digest the information he just received, it crossed his mind that Rikard and Andreas were still in the dorm, playing Halo 3, engrossed in their virtual world while real people were about to be sent out to experience the real thing, out in the real world just a few hundred kilometers outside the safety of the academy.
Max, filled with determination, was reminded by a flash of a recent picture of his parents and found the courage to walk up to the TV monitor to check for his name. He knew exactly where he was in his training and expected his name to be on that list. He waited a few seconds as the list got to the section of the alphabet where his last name should be. The monitor read: Paluzski, Max: qualified specialist, acrobatics major, solo flight ready.
In that brief moment of time, everything was in its place. For Max, this was the break he was looking for; a moment to prove that he could do what he set out for himself to do. As he stood in the lobby, he clenched his fists as if to muster the strength from his feet as the chief looked at him. Without the exchange of words, he gave Max the affirmation he needed.
For Max, getting the Warrior safely off the ground was just one of the things on his agenda that evening.
Hope you enjoy this... I'm going to try to get it published and maybe have a read at McNally Robinson Polo Park wearing a red smoking jacket and a monocle by the fireplace.
---
The altimeter read 2,300 feet and climbing at 500 feet per minute. In that brief moment of time, on that clear sunny day, everything was in its place and things could not have been better. For Max, getting the Warrior safely off the ground was just one of the things on his agenda. Today, he would be climbing at an altitude of 8,000 feet over the small town of Vita, 25 miles northeast of Budapest to practice his upper air work, in preparation for his first cross country solo flight.
…
Max Paluzski was enrolled in one of Hungary’s top flight schools, András Aviation Academy, accredited for its safety record and noted for its world class pilots who were able to find jobs internationally. A select number of students were chosen each year to attend its specialized program. Selection was based on rigorous aptitude testing, behaviourial testing, stress management testing, and a final interview. Successful candidates went through a final test where they were put in an aviation simulator that recorded their reactions to potentially dangerous situations while flying at a speed of 170 knots – the equivalent groundspeed of 311 km/h.
Max was one of the lucky ones. Every year, the academy accepted 150 new students to their highly advanced training program. Thousands apply each year and only those who displayed the exemplary skills and potentials were accepted. Max had been dreaming of getting into the academy since graduating high school. His parents’ death from a tragic accident when he was 16 years old had made an indelible impact in his life that he needed to prove to himself he could do anything he set out for himself to accomplish. And completing the flight program at András Aviation Academy is one of them.
Growing up, Max Paluzski never once thought he’d be enjoying the sun’s warmth inside the cockpit of a Cessna Piper Warrior cruising at 100 knots. As a child, Max dreamed a lot. He dreamed of being a doctor curing diseases; a fireman putting out flames; a businessman owning one of the biggest franchises on earth; and amongst these boyhood dreams was to become an airline pilot, touring and exploring the world. Max was sheltered from the outside world; was raised in Bulacan, a small town in the countryside, 45 miles southeast of Riga, Latvia. His parents, both teachers in the local elementary school, taught him the values of hard work, perseverance, and humility. Max only saw the outside world through pictures and heard about other townsfolk’s experiences through their stories. His dreams and ambition were his only connection to the world outside Bulacan. It was something that, at the end of the day, he could escape to; without having rules or boundaries.
…
As the vertical speed indicator reached his desired climb speed of 900 feet per minute, Max opened the throttle to 2500 rpm, leveling off the Warrior at its ideal cruise setting. As he checked the cockpit’s gauges, he looked out the window caught a glimpse of the ground below him. Straight lines outlined perfect squares and rectangles of land that stretched as far as the eyes could see. The roads that lined the plots of land ran perfectly along the four cardinal points as if designed by Mother Nature. There were no two sections of earth that were alike. Each one had its own distinct colour and topography. The lighter ones in shade were farmlands inhabited by families and their livestock. The sections darker in shade were coloured by the trees and bushes that occupied the space. Max knew that in the unfortunate event of an emergency, landing staying away from the darker shaded land increased his chances of landing the plane safely and surviving an emergency situation.
As Max turned his attention back to the dials inside the plane, he was reminded of an experience he had a month ago that could have ended his training at the academy. As a prerequisite before being able to fly solo in the Warrior, students had to perform and get out of dangerous situations airplanes could fall into. One of them was called the spiral. When a plane’s nose was slightly pointed down, and its wing banked on one side, the plane could easily slip into a spiral maneuver. This was experienced as the plane spiraled in a circular motion, still upright, gaining speed as it got closer to the ground. If an unwary pilot did not realize the situation he was in, the control stick eventually gets too hard to pull, too difficult to correct and would cause the plane to crash crushing its passengers instantly due to the great speed upon impact. To get out of the spiral, the pilot must act quickly. Closing the throttle would put the engine on idle then he must straighten the wings to its neutral position while pulling the nose of the plane back up to level with the horizon. Max barely got out of the last spiral he put himself in and realized after that quick reflexes was a pilot’s best quality. After landing the Warrior, he took a second to pray and thank God for keeping him safe. It was another experience to learn from nonetheless.
The altimeter reading was now at 8,400 feet above sea level. The vertical speed indicator showed a climb rate of 50 feet per minute. Max overshot his target altitude by 400 feet. He closed the throttle and pointed the nose down to lose the extra height. As he descended, he quickly scanned the outside surrounding for traffic including other aircraft and birds flying into his path. His instructor warned him about birds. At that speed and altitude, the damage of a bird hitting the plane was equivalent to the damage of a wrecking ball smashing into a brick wall. Once clear, he set the throttle back to cruise speed of 2500 rpm. Max did another cockpit scan for his gauges. He checked the airspeed. He checked the altimeter; now at 8,000 feet. He checked the rpms and the vsi again. Then, he did a quick scan outside the window before his radio call.
“Budapest control, this is Cessna Piper Delta Tango Alpha. Current position is two miles south of Vita at 8,000 feet doing upper air work. Delta Tango Alpha.”
Within half a second of Max’s radio call to dispatch, he began his final maneuver into the spin. He grabbed the throttle, cutting engine power. He pulled the knob out for carburetor heat to keep the engine warm. As he pulled the control stick back as far as it could go, the buzz of the stall horn came on indicating a nose dive was imminent. Perfect entry he thought. As the nose pointed toward the ground below him, he threw in full right aileron bank putting the Warrior in a full, perpendicular downward spin headed straight to the ground. With a half-smile, Max loudly recited the maneuvers to correct the situation he imposed on himself:
“Full right rudder. Straighten wings. Pull up!”
As the Warrior stabilized to straight flight, he slowly added engine power and turned off the carburetor heat. He executed the commands flawlessly. The only way to survive an airplane in a spin was to do all the commands in the right order, in the right timing. Max ended the exercise with another radio call. He announced his altitude at 6,500 feet flying westbound with a location two miles of south of Vita. After getting his bearings, he headed back to base just in time for lunch.
…
Upon entering the room, the immediate aroma of ketchup filled the air. For any lunch time, the smell of ketchup meant two things: French fries and grilled cheese. The lineup for food was long, as Max had expected. At twelve thirty, the cafeteria was the only place any student should be. As Max jumped in line, he spotted Rikard Penner and Andreas Campbell at the condiment station. Rikard and Andreas was busy talking about their morning flight as they ladled ketchup on their French fries. Max yelled out their names and swiped two grilled cheese sandwiches and some fries onto his plate and caught up with the boys at the table.
Sitting at the table were the three student pilots who had been friends since the first day of school. As they enjoyed the greasy lunch, Max recalled meeting Andreas in dorm. Andreas and Max met in the dormitories where they were assigned roommates. Rikard shared a room at the end of the hall with a quiet fellow from China named John Lau. While in Jansen Hall, in the east wing of the Bergen Hall dormitory, Max made a few friendships that he didn’t know would cultivate into something more meaningful. The three were all enrolled in the advance program of aeronautical acrobatics and together found a commonality amongst them; a sense of community, a brotherhood. Yet, it was at the cafeteria table, that same corner table by the far wall where the three had the chance to catch up and talk about their day. As loud chatter from the other students at the other tables filled the room, Rikard, Andreas, and Max talked about their morning by discussing the difficulties of the exercises and the requirements that need to be fulfilled before finally being permitted to go on a cross-country solo flight in the Warrior. Rikard admitted he needed more practice with spins while Andreas, being the more advance of the three said the slow flight exercise was really easy. Max found his skill level between Rikard and Andreas. He found some of the exercises as difficult as Rikard described but was also quick to learn like Andreas. Being all 24 years old, the three were inseparable; when one ate, all three ate. When one slept, all three slept. All of them even shared the same love for Halo 3, as a past time when they were not flying. After lunch, the trio walked back to Bergen Hall. Tuesday was a short day; flight training in the morning and flight planning in the afternoon. It was an easy day for them.
…
Back in the Hansen wing, the dorm came alive. Each wing has 16 rooms. Each room boarded two students. When thirty two guys were kept in the same confines, nothing got done. Dorm was a place for rest, relaxation, brotherhood, and a place where the boys could just be boys. The afternoon between lunch and dinner was known as Halo o’clock when the wing’s IT network was put to good use. Thirty two combatants clog the virtual space as they shot, sliced, and blew each other up through the video game carnage that was Halo 3. As you walked through the halls of Jansen, all you saw was the glare that emanated from the TV screens in the rooms and the sound of loud kablams and kabooms as bombs and rockets blew bodies up into mangled pieces tossed up in the air. Nothing unified the dorm like a good round of Halo 3. As the game unfolded, Max and Andreas had ganged up on Rikard and his quiet roommate from China. This was where Max’s abilities limited him. Video games were not something he was good at. Though he played a lot when he was a boy, video games were something that Max quickly grew out of. When his parents died in a horrific plane crash, Max had to grow up even faster. He no longer enjoyed doing the simple things that boys his age enjoyed like going out with friends, watching movies, and even riding his bike. Accepting his parents’ death was difficult for Max to deal with and was constantly thinking why it had to happen to him. Their death could have been avoided had the airline pilot choose not to drink before climbing into the cockpit. The grisly sounds of the video games made Max realize he was losing at Halo 3. He put the game controller down because the sheer violence reminded him of the loss of the two most important people in his life. It was a good time for him to grab his backpack and study. He politely excused himself from the room and headed out for the library.
It was close to six o’clock. The sun was about to set on the clear September evening and the skies were filled with beautiful hues of red-orange, purple, and yellow, as the light of the sun slowly retreated in the distant horizon. The wind was calm and the gentle rustle of leaves could be heard on the field across the academy’s main building. As he approached the entrance, he saw a crowd of guys huddled around the TV screens mounted on the walls set to televise news from around the world. As he entered, all he could hear was a news reporter stating the situation of the war had been escalated to a state of emergency. The Americans had declared war over Germany. Living in Hungary, its government was loyal to that of Germany, as part of its commonwealth. The Germans were in desperate need for pilots. According to the chief flight commander of the András Aviation Academy, all qualified students would be assigned on a mission to aid in the war. All those who had completed their upper air work exercises would be assigned to a fly with a flight instructor to aid in humanitarian purposes. They would be flying into the warzone to drop supplies.
Max could not believe his ears as the announcement sent the students in the academy’s main lobby in a frenzy of confusion. Suddenly, everyone erupted in a barrage of questions only to be shut down by the chief flight commander as he stated only those who qualified would have their names appear on the TV screens. As Max desperately tried to process and digest the information he just received, it crossed his mind that Rikard and Andreas were still in the dorm, playing Halo 3, engrossed in their virtual world while real people were about to be sent out to experience the real thing, out in the real world just a few hundred kilometers outside the safety of the academy.
Max, filled with determination, was reminded by a flash of a recent picture of his parents and found the courage to walk up to the TV monitor to check for his name. He knew exactly where he was in his training and expected his name to be on that list. He waited a few seconds as the list got to the section of the alphabet where his last name should be. The monitor read: Paluzski, Max: qualified specialist, acrobatics major, solo flight ready.
In that brief moment of time, everything was in its place. For Max, this was the break he was looking for; a moment to prove that he could do what he set out for himself to do. As he stood in the lobby, he clenched his fists as if to muster the strength from his feet as the chief looked at him. Without the exchange of words, he gave Max the affirmation he needed.
For Max, getting the Warrior safely off the ground was just one of the things on his agenda that evening.
Friday, December 4
Try this: Crack-Stuffed Chicken
If you thought I was talking about crack - as in cocaine - you were right!
A man Guatemala was arrested in a Virginia airport dec.4 for carrying a cooked chicken stuffed with more than four thousand dollars worth of cocaine.
I originally found the news on Canadian Press' newswire but here is the article from a web URL:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34273476/ns/local_news-washington_dc/
Customs officials say the 32-year-old Guatemalan citizen was detained at Dulles International Airport in McLean, Va., last Saturday after authorities found 60.4 grams of cocaine inside a fully-cooked chicken he was carrying on a flight coming from El Salvador.
When inspectors examined the cooked poultry, they found a white powdery substance inside two small plastic bags stored inside the chicken's cavity.
The drugs have a street value of about $4,300, officials said.
While unusual, last weekend's episode is certainly not rare. In fact, one may be surprised at the lengths people continue to go to conceal narcotics.
---
Haha, what a guy!...
I guess he was thinking the idea wasn't going to be suspicious but that's more of something people do when travelling on a bus. I mean, who brings a whole chicken to a flight? Haha, what a guy!
A man Guatemala was arrested in a Virginia airport dec.4 for carrying a cooked chicken stuffed with more than four thousand dollars worth of cocaine.
I originally found the news on Canadian Press' newswire but here is the article from a web URL:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34273476/ns/local_news-washington_dc/
Customs officials say the 32-year-old Guatemalan citizen was detained at Dulles International Airport in McLean, Va., last Saturday after authorities found 60.4 grams of cocaine inside a fully-cooked chicken he was carrying on a flight coming from El Salvador.
When inspectors examined the cooked poultry, they found a white powdery substance inside two small plastic bags stored inside the chicken's cavity.
The drugs have a street value of about $4,300, officials said.
While unusual, last weekend's episode is certainly not rare. In fact, one may be surprised at the lengths people continue to go to conceal narcotics.
---
Haha, what a guy!...
I guess he was thinking the idea wasn't going to be suspicious but that's more of something people do when travelling on a bus. I mean, who brings a whole chicken to a flight? Haha, what a guy!
Bottom of the priority list and taking the shot
I took the H1N1 shot today. It took 2 minutes.
(but i didn't administer it on myself like this roidmonkey did) photo taken from:http://s3.images.com
What bothered me was that students didn't really take full advantage of the free shot that was offered on campus today!
"OTTAWA — If every Canadian heeds the advice of public health officials to get the H1N1 shot, there will not be enough vaccine available by Christmas as the federal government has been promising, the chief public health officer acknowledged Tuesday."
- http://www.canada.com/health/Feds+promise+H1N1+shot+Canadians+Christmas/2233699/story.html
I know people have a lot of concerns when taking needles/shots and how it would react with their bodies but the general consensus is: eveyone should take the flu shot.
Given that health officials were saying there weren't enough shots to give out to every Canadian if they opted for it was a concern in its self. But students not taking it when it was offered to us, on our own convenience, was kinda ridiculous. I do understand that people, of course, have the choice of whether or not they wanted the flu vaccine, but considering the demand for it was similar to throwing out food when other people were starving around the world.
Tell me if I was wrong to think this way, but perhaps like me being on the bottom of the list, people felt the need to reserve the shot for someone else that needed it.
Does this make me feel selfish? A little bit. But I also want to make sure I don't catch the flu and spread it. If the doctors and health officials say we need to take the shot to protect ourselves, I just don't understand why people wouldn't do it. There's no catch here, it's not like their gonna send you telemarketing promos cuz you entered your name and phone no. on the application form! It's to improve your immune system and protect yourself!!! So take it!
(but i didn't administer it on myself like this roidmonkey did) photo taken from:http://s3.images.com
What bothered me was that students didn't really take full advantage of the free shot that was offered on campus today!
"OTTAWA — If every Canadian heeds the advice of public health officials to get the H1N1 shot, there will not be enough vaccine available by Christmas as the federal government has been promising, the chief public health officer acknowledged Tuesday."
- http://www.canada.com/health/Feds+promise+H1N1+shot+Canadians+Christmas/2233699/story.html
I know people have a lot of concerns when taking needles/shots and how it would react with their bodies but the general consensus is: eveyone should take the flu shot.
Given that health officials were saying there weren't enough shots to give out to every Canadian if they opted for it was a concern in its self. But students not taking it when it was offered to us, on our own convenience, was kinda ridiculous. I do understand that people, of course, have the choice of whether or not they wanted the flu vaccine, but considering the demand for it was similar to throwing out food when other people were starving around the world.
Tell me if I was wrong to think this way, but perhaps like me being on the bottom of the list, people felt the need to reserve the shot for someone else that needed it.
Does this make me feel selfish? A little bit. But I also want to make sure I don't catch the flu and spread it. If the doctors and health officials say we need to take the shot to protect ourselves, I just don't understand why people wouldn't do it. There's no catch here, it's not like their gonna send you telemarketing promos cuz you entered your name and phone no. on the application form! It's to improve your immune system and protect yourself!!! So take it!
Lack of Wings In My Life
I've said it and it sucks....
There has been, in fact, a lack of chicken wings in my life. This event could be blamed on school and its many insanities :)
Lately, we've been pounded with many assignments and exams to study for. It's insane the amount of stuff we need to juggle in the past couple of weeks and now it's exam time - it's final crunch time!
I know a lot of people are freaking out because of all the stuff we need to accomplish. I think there's a word they use when you're feeling this way. Oh yeah, "overwhelmed"... or is it "suicidal"? I'm sure they're direct synonyms... (by the way, I was joking about the suicidal bit. Please don't report me to a helpline for this).
But going back to talking about my emotions, I definitely feel the pinch (in my brain). And because I also got the flu shot, my arm is starting to hurt.
Thanks for listening :)
There has been, in fact, a lack of chicken wings in my life. This event could be blamed on school and its many insanities :)
Lately, we've been pounded with many assignments and exams to study for. It's insane the amount of stuff we need to juggle in the past couple of weeks and now it's exam time - it's final crunch time!
I know a lot of people are freaking out because of all the stuff we need to accomplish. I think there's a word they use when you're feeling this way. Oh yeah, "overwhelmed"... or is it "suicidal"? I'm sure they're direct synonyms... (by the way, I was joking about the suicidal bit. Please don't report me to a helpline for this).
But going back to talking about my emotions, I definitely feel the pinch (in my brain). And because I also got the flu shot, my arm is starting to hurt.
Thanks for listening :)
Wednesday, November 25
It's no chicken tweet!
Ahhh! It's funny how I told myself I wouldn't get a Twitter account cuz I thought it was silly. The main reason really is that I wouldn't have to check Facebook, Hotmail, GMail, and now Twitter. Great :) But I guess in the world I live in, this is expected of me.
I come on board Twitter with high hopes and great enthusiasm. Watch out folks, Eman is making his way in full force.
One thing I'd like Twitter to change though is their platform for mobile tweets. I'm one of those guys who has yet to sign up for a data phone. As much as possible, I'll try to keep my life simple with a regular PCS cell. I'm afraid that if I jump onto a data device, I'd stop using speech to communicate. I mean I'd be glued to my data phone and send messages through it to communicate. I figure I'd save it after school when I'm actually working.
I'll try to be 'old school' if I may say so cuz I know once I cross over, I'll never go back!
Another concern I have about all this technoplanet we live in is this article:
Winnipeg Free Press - http://shar.es/aKC7P
Scary man!
I come on board Twitter with high hopes and great enthusiasm. Watch out folks, Eman is making his way in full force.
One thing I'd like Twitter to change though is their platform for mobile tweets. I'm one of those guys who has yet to sign up for a data phone. As much as possible, I'll try to keep my life simple with a regular PCS cell. I'm afraid that if I jump onto a data device, I'd stop using speech to communicate. I mean I'd be glued to my data phone and send messages through it to communicate. I figure I'd save it after school when I'm actually working.
I'll try to be 'old school' if I may say so cuz I know once I cross over, I'll never go back!
Another concern I have about all this technoplanet we live in is this article:
Winnipeg Free Press - http://shar.es/aKC7P
Scary man!
Friday, November 6
Earls' Taser Wings
Last week, a buddy (Steve D) and I stopped by Earls Restaurant in St. Vital for a quick bite after being exhausted from a city hall meeting and doing interviews at St. Vital mall for our journalism assignment.
We ordered a pound of Thai chicken wings while discussing our angle on the presence of Tasers in our Winnipeg Police Service. We sat in the lounge and enjoyed the ambiance that is distinctively Earls; nice, comfortable furniture, open space, plasma screen TVs, and friendly waitresses.
When the wings came, they looked a deep glossy brown. The wings were smaller than I have imagined them to be. I guess it had been a long time since I've had wings at Earls. Nevertheless, I wanted to see how they'd measure up to the other places I've gone for wings.
Unfortunately, at first bite at a wing portion (the one with two bone pieces) I noticed the bones were cracked. Considering the size of the wings was small, I concluded that Earls simply does not measure up. The flavour wasn't all that bad. I expected the Thai flavour to be sweeter and spicier like the Thai chili sauce you buy from oriental stores.
My wing experience wasn't all that great because of the broken bones and lack of flavour in the wings. No one wants to see bone marrow. I think Earls, being the classy restaurant that they try to be, can spend a bit more on higher quality wings. I'm sure I can find a few people that would agree.
Nevertheless, half of the reason I go for wings is to also enjoy the company I am with. I'm reminded of a saying one of my best friends always say: "It's never the activity, always the company." Steve and I discussed good angles to write our journalism story on Tasers and issues and concerns people have about them and more importantly, why people should care.
The fact that a Polish immigrant died in Vancouver in 2007 showed how Tasers can easily be misused. Our Winnipeg Police Service has had these devices since 2008. The issue regarding Tasers right now is for police officers to have access to defibrillators when using Tasers. This recommendation comes from the actual company that makes these devices (Taser International) and should not be ignored.
So really, the bigger issue is if Winnipeg Police should really be using these devices since we all know not all police officers have immediate access to defibrillators since only paramedics and emergency vehicles have them. In the event that a police officer chases a guy armed with a knife down the alley and not have access to a defibrillator, should he then rule out using the Taser altogether?
The topic of Tasers was a really good topic and through my interviews I found out that most people are against it. Maybe because this technology is new and most people don't really know how they work. In the event of the Vancouver airport tradegy, could have definitely been avoided if RCMP officers where more trained and knowledgeable of these devices.
Nevertheless, wings and Tasers were a good combination. I should suggest to Earls having a flavour called "Taser" on their wing menu would probably bring a good variety to my bland, yet classy, wing experience.
Wednesday, October 14
Chicken and Text Short Codes
...Have nothing to do with each other.
Unless KFC starts using text short codes on the side of a 20-piece bucket to promote a contest.
For those of you that don't have a clue what I'm talking about then read on.
The Skinney: My Adverstising class chose this topic based on the fact that short codes are everywhere right now and it is a growing product in the mobile electronics industry. Text short codes affect every one who owns a cell phone device. It doesn't matter what country or region you're in, text short codes are rampant everywhere and could easily end up on your next cell phone bill.
Text short codes are text messages that come into your cell phone inbox because you have recently participated in a contest or signed up for those personality quizzes you see online using your mobile device.
Our group conducted primary research by interviewing Marc Choma, Director of Communications at Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA); an association that regulates text short codes in Canada. In addition to this, we subscribed to actual text short code services currently being offered in the market as promotions. After this, we conducted a survey to the target market (13-15yr olds) to confirm our findings.
Secondary research included finding other examples of text short code "scams" and examples of advertisements that purposely mislead consumers from the fine print.
Well, if you haven't figure it out, there is a charge for using this service and you won't see the charges until your monthly cell phone bill is printed and sent to you in the mail. If that is the case, unsubscribing is as easy as how you participated in the first place.
How to Opt Out: All you need to do is get the 5-digit short code number from your inbox (this is the number that appears in the "From" section of the text message) and reply the word STOP (just type in S-T-O-P without any punctuations or anything else) and you will be automatically unsubscribed. If you did it correctly, a final text message will be sent to your inbox confirming you successfully opted out of the service.
At this point, rejoice. The hard part is done. Now, all you have to do is pay your cell phone bill. If you think you're a good (and loyal) customer with your cell phone service provider, then go ahead and call them and explain the situation to them. Most of the time, they will give you some money back especially if it is your first offense. Remember, it is not your cell phone provider's fault this happened. They did not sign you up nor give out your cell number out. Only you can stop this and must be done from the cell phone.
Avoid! What everyone needs to take away from this is BE AWARE of what you're doing or signing up for when it comes to your cell phone number. Remember, your cell phone number is still private and personal so you shouldn't easily share it. You have the right as a consumer to ask or question the purpose of a retail cashier for asking your information. Some stores just use your cell phone number to identify you as a customer and pull up your account based on that number. My opinion is only give out your cell number to friends and family and for everything else: give out your landline number. If your cell phone is your primary number then you would just have to be careful who you give it to. Worst case scenario, you can see your service provider for a number change. There might be a fee to change your number but will be money well spent in the end. Of course you will have to contact all the peeps in your address book but that's kinda the point of the exercise... only contact the people you want to give your new number to.
To summarize: Stay away from text short codes and any promotion that require you giving out your cell phone number or having to text in an answer using sms (short message service). So again, short codes = bad. Chicken = good.
Tuesday, October 13
Five Days of Fowl Feast
Yup, 5 days. Let's just get to the nitty gritty of the story cuz I've rated all 5 experiences right here... After all, I'm not Eman The Wingman if I didn't talk about the wings!
Wednesday, Oct. 07
Location: Shannon's Irish Pub & Eatery
The Deal: $10 will get you one pound of wings and a glass of Mooesehead, no substitutes with the beer -- I know...
The Verdict: I would rate these almost-warm, near tasteless wings a 2 out of 5 *'s. This was my first time at Shannon's and my rule is always never judge a place on the first try. Allow them room for error. It's kinda like the principle "Never judge a book by its cover." But since this was my first time and they must be rated, then I'll give them a ** out ***** for now and leave it at that until next time. For now, I haven't closed the book on Shannon's. Actually, this was also probably because the local talent, J. Williamez, kept me entertained during my stay.
Thursday, Oct. 08
Location: Movado Sports Bar & Grill
The Deal: 39cents per wing with minimum 10 wings per order per flavour
The Verdict: **** out of 5. Movado wings could always be depended on to be hot and fresh and rarely do the girls mess up on your order. The flavour is exactly as it's stated, no surprises. They lose a * for service as it usually takes flagging your waitress (which they hate) to get their attention. Sorry, next time I won't use my shirt as a flag to get you to refill my Diet Coke. Hehe, jk, I didn't take my shirt off nor do I drink Diet Coke.
Friday, Oct. 09
Location: Mitzi's Chicken Finger Restaurant
The Deal: $8.99 will get you the 5-piece chicken finger meal with fries, coleslaw, and spectacular mayo-dill sauce. And yes, consommé to start.
The Verdict: Don't judge me! I realize I was just here 8 days ago... For me, it's not a treat; it's a way of life. Haha, plus 8 days later is like 6 mos in the restaurant industry since we always have to eat.
Ok, so the verdict... Remember how we say always give a restaurant room for error? Room to screw up? Well, this place always produces the best chicken fingers. I could care less about the fries and the coleslaw. The place is called Mitzi's Chicken Finger Restaurant, not Mitzi's Fry (or Coleslaw) Restaurant! Haha.
I'll give em **** and a half out of 5 :)
Saturday, Oct. 10
Location: 792 Garfield St.
The Deal: Ok, this is one of two turkey dinners... My buddy cooked a 20-lbs. turkey for me and 11 other people. Cooked with salt, pepper, and butter, the product was turkey perfection! Not bad for a first time for my buddy! The meat was flavourful though the breast and other white meat were in the verge of drying out. Still good.
The Verdict: I'd give it *** and a half out of 5. The half was only because my buddy has three (unsharpened) Samurai swords hanging on his wall and is not afraid to use em -- we made him cut his cake with one on his birthday. That was hilarious!
Sunday, Oct. 11
Location: 18 Cutler Bay
The Deal: Family, food, and fun. Enough said.
The Verdict: I always kinda get sentimental when my family gets together. I'm not sure if it's because of seeing all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my 91 year-old grandma all get together under one roof or because there's so much food. I can never tell. My uncle makes all the difference I think. He is English and married my Filipina aunt so in our family, he is turkey king. I appreciate him regardless.
So that said, I give this fowl experience ***** out of 5. Highly likable because I didn't overdose on the tryptophan in the turkey this year! Hehe.
(Tryptophan is the amino acid found in turkey that causes you to feel sleepy.)
Thanksgiving Day wasn't really one of my favourite holidays but this year proved that overeating wasn't as scary as I thought! Haha, jk... maybe next blog I could talk about ice cream cuz I had 3 types of ice cream on apple pie this weekend. Yup, pies and ice cream... next blog topic fo sho!
Wednesday, Oct. 07
Location: Shannon's Irish Pub & Eatery
The Deal: $10 will get you one pound of wings and a glass of Mooesehead, no substitutes with the beer -- I know...
The Verdict: I would rate these almost-warm, near tasteless wings a 2 out of 5 *'s. This was my first time at Shannon's and my rule is always never judge a place on the first try. Allow them room for error. It's kinda like the principle "Never judge a book by its cover." But since this was my first time and they must be rated, then I'll give them a ** out ***** for now and leave it at that until next time. For now, I haven't closed the book on Shannon's. Actually, this was also probably because the local talent, J. Williamez, kept me entertained during my stay.
Thursday, Oct. 08
Location: Movado Sports Bar & Grill
The Deal: 39cents per wing with minimum 10 wings per order per flavour
The Verdict: **** out of 5. Movado wings could always be depended on to be hot and fresh and rarely do the girls mess up on your order. The flavour is exactly as it's stated, no surprises. They lose a * for service as it usually takes flagging your waitress (which they hate) to get their attention. Sorry, next time I won't use my shirt as a flag to get you to refill my Diet Coke. Hehe, jk, I didn't take my shirt off nor do I drink Diet Coke.
Friday, Oct. 09
Location: Mitzi's Chicken Finger Restaurant
The Deal: $8.99 will get you the 5-piece chicken finger meal with fries, coleslaw, and spectacular mayo-dill sauce. And yes, consommé to start.
The Verdict: Don't judge me! I realize I was just here 8 days ago... For me, it's not a treat; it's a way of life. Haha, plus 8 days later is like 6 mos in the restaurant industry since we always have to eat.
Ok, so the verdict... Remember how we say always give a restaurant room for error? Room to screw up? Well, this place always produces the best chicken fingers. I could care less about the fries and the coleslaw. The place is called Mitzi's Chicken Finger Restaurant, not Mitzi's Fry (or Coleslaw) Restaurant! Haha.
I'll give em **** and a half out of 5 :)
Saturday, Oct. 10
Location: 792 Garfield St.
The Deal: Ok, this is one of two turkey dinners... My buddy cooked a 20-lbs. turkey for me and 11 other people. Cooked with salt, pepper, and butter, the product was turkey perfection! Not bad for a first time for my buddy! The meat was flavourful though the breast and other white meat were in the verge of drying out. Still good.
The Verdict: I'd give it *** and a half out of 5. The half was only because my buddy has three (unsharpened) Samurai swords hanging on his wall and is not afraid to use em -- we made him cut his cake with one on his birthday. That was hilarious!
Sunday, Oct. 11
Location: 18 Cutler Bay
The Deal: Family, food, and fun. Enough said.
The Verdict: I always kinda get sentimental when my family gets together. I'm not sure if it's because of seeing all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my 91 year-old grandma all get together under one roof or because there's so much food. I can never tell. My uncle makes all the difference I think. He is English and married my Filipina aunt so in our family, he is turkey king. I appreciate him regardless.
So that said, I give this fowl experience ***** out of 5. Highly likable because I didn't overdose on the tryptophan in the turkey this year! Hehe.
(Tryptophan is the amino acid found in turkey that causes you to feel sleepy.)
Thanksgiving Day wasn't really one of my favourite holidays but this year proved that overeating wasn't as scary as I thought! Haha, jk... maybe next blog I could talk about ice cream cuz I had 3 types of ice cream on apple pie this weekend. Yup, pies and ice cream... next blog topic fo sho!
Tuesday, September 29
The World's Best Chicken Fingers... In The World!
Let me talk about another passion of mine... it belongs to the same genus: chickenus friedisha and was almost the focus of my blog :)
Upon entering the restaurant my buddy and I are greeted by same waitress that serve us on countless occasion we eat at Mitzi's... and yet I do not know her name.
This was our favourite place to go for chicken fingers. The fingers were handmade (go figure!) in-house apparently by the owner, Shirley Eng herself! (More info at: http://www.downtownwinnipegbiz.com/home/business/business_profiles/mitzis/)
For those who haven't been, let me just go on to say Mitzi's chicken fingers are the best in town. Not only are the fingers marinated in a 'super secret' recipe made by Shirley, they are also made fresh. The fingers are tender and unlike most fingers you get elsewhere, Mitzi's fingers aren't flat!
If you order any finger platter combo (choose between fries, rice, or salad) you are started off with rice consommé which is a type of soup made up of rice, soy sauce, and fresh green onions. Don't let the description fool you... the soup itself is delicious as it is interesting to look at (the green onions contrast with the dark-coloured broth).
Shortly after enjoying the soup, our unnamed waitress brings out our identical order of '5-piece with fries.' The other good thing about eating at Mitzi's is the speed of service. Because they are located downtown (St. Mary at Garry), lunchtime is their craziest time. Unfortunately, they do not accept reservations during lunch as it gets really busy so avoiding the rush between 11:30am to 1pm would be a smart idea.
As I look at my mouth-watering platter, I quickly check and make sure I got the mayo-dill sauce and coleslaw. I call it mayo-dill because unlike honeydill, Mitzi's dipping sauce is not clear. It looks like a mayo-like concoction with the little dill herbs swimming in it. The viscosity of their mayo-dill is also different from traditional honeydill so the experience is bound to be different! lol.
The coleslaw, however, is left to be debated. To me it's kinda hit or miss. I really like fresh coleslaw, unlike the green stuff you get from KFC. But the coleslaw at Mitzi's, to my experience, is sometimes not enjoyable because of its lack in the freshness department. Sometimes it just doesn't have that 'zing' coleslaw brings in your mouth.
Nevertheless, the fries, fingers, and mayo-dill are the elements that make my Mitzi's experience satisfying. As long as all three elements are okay then my mouth is smiling and another tick under Mitzi's is added for the best chicken fingers in the whole wide world.
Sunday, September 20
poultry quality
hot, fresh, and prepared to order -- what else do you want?
I was amazed by the wings I got. I had to wait a few minutes before diving into the basket cuz the wings were fresh and steaming hot! And when I say fresh I don't mean dripping with oil it was cooked in; I mean the wings must have been cooked and seasoned just moments before they were served to me. Whenever this happens, I get really excited. It makes any wing-lovers dining experience extra special and I'm sure a lot of people would agree. For me, the feeling is more of as if they knew I was coming and the cooks stood by; waiting for me to put my order through and prepared my wings as soon as they got the order. Sounds cheesy I know but what can I say? I'm a sentimental kinda guy lol.
Try the teriyaki... you won't regret it. I normally stay away from teriyaki wings unless I know the teriyaki was hand-prepared by an old woman in her Japanese house making the sauce with authentic ingredients from her backyard. I'm kinda picky. Nevertheless, Tony Romas' teriyaki sauce is a good substitute. They don't use the regular gooey stuff you get from Superstore. Instead, they have a special teriyaki sauce they apparently make in-house. I thought that was cool but the wings will speak for itself -- the sauce is not sticky and it doesn't overcoat the wings (or your face for that matter!) when you nibble on them. The flavour is very oriental; with the touch of soy and subtlety of what I think is ginger. Who knows?! All I know is that this is the only place I'd go for teriyaki wings.
Bottom line is that their wings are top-notch quality (and the service too) that I'd ask them to cater my wedding! Soup, salad, or chicken wings ma'am???
I was amazed by the wings I got. I had to wait a few minutes before diving into the basket cuz the wings were fresh and steaming hot! And when I say fresh I don't mean dripping with oil it was cooked in; I mean the wings must have been cooked and seasoned just moments before they were served to me. Whenever this happens, I get really excited. It makes any wing-lovers dining experience extra special and I'm sure a lot of people would agree. For me, the feeling is more of as if they knew I was coming and the cooks stood by; waiting for me to put my order through and prepared my wings as soon as they got the order. Sounds cheesy I know but what can I say? I'm a sentimental kinda guy lol.
Try the teriyaki... you won't regret it. I normally stay away from teriyaki wings unless I know the teriyaki was hand-prepared by an old woman in her Japanese house making the sauce with authentic ingredients from her backyard. I'm kinda picky. Nevertheless, Tony Romas' teriyaki sauce is a good substitute. They don't use the regular gooey stuff you get from Superstore. Instead, they have a special teriyaki sauce they apparently make in-house. I thought that was cool but the wings will speak for itself -- the sauce is not sticky and it doesn't overcoat the wings (or your face for that matter!) when you nibble on them. The flavour is very oriental; with the touch of soy and subtlety of what I think is ginger. Who knows?! All I know is that this is the only place I'd go for teriyaki wings.
Bottom line is that their wings are top-notch quality (and the service too) that I'd ask them to cater my wedding! Soup, salad, or chicken wings ma'am???
Sunday, September 13
Wing Etiquette.
Once you get past the point that approx. 5 chickens had to die just so you can enjoy a pound of your favourite wings then you're off to a good start! Actually, I'm more after the idea that I didn't the good pieces of the chicken that I feel I'm in such a loss...
Anyhow, for those of you holding back on chicken wings because, well, they're just messy little buggers! Here's a tip on how to eat them with the least number of fingers involved. Even the queen would approve! Ha! Don't quote me on that.
Actually, I don't recommend that technique to the ladies because it doesn't look lady-like to pummel a wing with their fingers. Besides, aren't you worried you'd get wing bits in your nails???
Instead, grab a wing portion (the one with two bones) and you can apply the same principle of "The Plunger" technique except push the meat from one side to the other while holding the wing portion at both ends.
Eventually, I'll post a video of me demonstrating the technique here. Or better yet, go out and do it yourself!!! Should be fun... so fun, you'll want to strip the meat off other people's wings too! Good luck!
Anyhow, for those of you holding back on chicken wings because, well, they're just messy little buggers! Here's a tip on how to eat them with the least number of fingers involved. Even the queen would approve! Ha! Don't quote me on that.
Actually, I don't recommend that technique to the ladies because it doesn't look lady-like to pummel a wing with their fingers. Besides, aren't you worried you'd get wing bits in your nails???
Instead, grab a wing portion (the one with two bones) and you can apply the same principle of "The Plunger" technique except push the meat from one side to the other while holding the wing portion at both ends.
Eventually, I'll post a video of me demonstrating the technique here. Or better yet, go out and do it yourself!!! Should be fun... so fun, you'll want to strip the meat off other people's wings too! Good luck!
Thursday, September 10
Kicker
A mix of lemon pepper and cajun. That's the feature tonight.
It's been a while since we last went to Smitty's on Ellice for wings. I forget about the wing features and how clever the guys in the kitchen could be by mixing ready-made flavours with spices and call it the feature of the day. Awesome! Haha.
So tonight, I ordered the feature and my same choice of electric honey. The order got to us quick - same time as we got our drinks. Normally, of course, I'd order beer with it but since we all went out last night to Shannon's with all of Section 1, I ordered a Diet Coke instead.
The wings got to us quick - same time as our drinks. That's what's good about Smitty's... you can expect the service to be quick. There had been some nights when service had been slow and poor altogether but tonight was a good experience.
We were served by some girl named Faye. I've never seen her before, then again it had been a while since we went there. It's funny though how goin for wings at Smitty's Ellice has never changed. I still see the same Smitty's regulars who frequent the place for some late night snacking. It's sad really and even worse, I'm part of that crowd. Haha.
Anyway, the feature was good and the electric honey was extra slimey tonight -- too much honey... or too much electric??? I don't know, it was good nevertheless.
It's been a while since we last went to Smitty's on Ellice for wings. I forget about the wing features and how clever the guys in the kitchen could be by mixing ready-made flavours with spices and call it the feature of the day. Awesome! Haha.
So tonight, I ordered the feature and my same choice of electric honey. The order got to us quick - same time as we got our drinks. Normally, of course, I'd order beer with it but since we all went out last night to Shannon's with all of Section 1, I ordered a Diet Coke instead.
The wings got to us quick - same time as our drinks. That's what's good about Smitty's... you can expect the service to be quick. There had been some nights when service had been slow and poor altogether but tonight was a good experience.
We were served by some girl named Faye. I've never seen her before, then again it had been a while since we went there. It's funny though how goin for wings at Smitty's Ellice has never changed. I still see the same Smitty's regulars who frequent the place for some late night snacking. It's sad really and even worse, I'm part of that crowd. Haha.
Anyway, the feature was good and the electric honey was extra slimey tonight -- too much honey... or too much electric??? I don't know, it was good nevertheless.
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