Written and performed by NDG resident Chantria Tram, a young Cambodian-Canadian, the story is basically one woman’s journey to come to terms with who she is and where she belongs.
I immediately latched on to the story and wanted to know more, for two basic reasons; I have travelled to and fallen in love with Cambodia and love that the theatre company was named after the elegant Apsara dancers that can be found by the thousands all over Angkor Wat and its breathtaking temples.
Also, as a Greek-Canadian I have experienced, first-hand, what it feels like to be someone caught between two cultures. When one considers how multicultural this city and the CDN-NDG borough are, it’s inevitable that many of you reading this column also know exactly what it feels like.
Identity crises – where you fit and where you feel you belong- are as Canadian as maple syrup and Mounties. This country encourages multiculturism, and as such, encourages and breeds stories of immigrants –recent and not so recent- who willingly plunge into the Canadian mosaic and still try desperately to retain a sense of where they come from and what their parents expect them to be. This pull and push makes for evocative searches and I have seen a number of compelling stories emerge from such soul-searching.
The Monitor will soon have an interview with Concordia University theatre graduate and NDG resident Chantria Tram on her upcoming one-woman show, which takes place at Monument National (1182 St. Laurent Boulevard), from May 15 to May 17.
Barbara Ford emailed me to tell me about all the local events taking place on May 8-10 to celebrate World Fair Trade Week. The complete article can be found in “Community News”, but Barbara wanted to tell me about the artist line-up for the Coffee House event, taking place Friday, May 8. Among them, Anna Fuerstenberg, a well-known Montreal theatre director & dramaturge will be telling a Nicaraguan story. Choromondo, an 8-voice female a-capella choir coming in from the Eastern Townships, a singing accordionist, Irish music with drum, guitar, fiddle and whistle, poets and folk singers, including James Finnerty, who is making quite a name for himself.
“We’ll be like The Yellow Door – the West End version!” Barbara told me enthusiastically, and really, how can one not promote an event that is almost entirely run by volunteers and provides vital, fair income to developing world people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America?
For those who don’t know, Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or under-employed. This income helps pay for food, education, healthcare and housing.
So, drop by and help support a great cause and celebrate a good thing. As they like to say: “Everything is better when it’s fair” and I tend to agree.
I love sushi with a passion. I love wine even more. So when I find a BYOB sushi restaurant that can provide great quality, reasonably priced sushi, I become an instant fan and loyal customer!
Over the years I’ve seen a number of restaurants come and go without much success at the corner of Sherbrooke and Marcil, right across from NDG Park, so when a new establishment recently appeared I admit to not paying much heed. Besides, when I needed to get my sushi fix, I always had Sushi Mou-shi on Decarie (near the Snowdon Theatre) to take care of my cravings.
But then I heard from one of my sushi-loving friends that they had dropped by for some take-out sushi and it was really good, so I figured it was worth a shot. I’ve now found a new favourite!
5 Saisons Sushi is a beautiful, refined place and at first glance one might worry that the prices might reflect that, but not to fear. Prices are reasonable and the service is excellent. The presentation is also a cut above. Since I did not go there with the intent of reviewing the restaurant, I really don’t have any specifics for you, other than to tell you it offers a wide range of maki rolls and sashimi, as well as cooked meals for those who don’t care for raw fish. The ample Chef’s Specialties sushi menu kept us ordering more!
I did notice that there was some maki ice cream, but by that time I was too full to even contemplate trying it. My friends and I stayed there sampling, debating and drinking pretty late into the evening, and our waiter was nothing but courteous and polite, despite the late hours.
If you’ve checked it out, tell me what you think, but as far as I’m concerned it’s safe to say that NDG has a new sushi spot and this one’s a winner!
<@Ri>5594 A Sherbrooke St. W. (corner Marcil)
514-489-4555<@$p>
