So can you recall the last time you had a dainty wine from Barossa? Those wines are known for their power and depth.
Peter Lehmann’s Layers from Adelaide has a very traditional GSM blend (Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre) but it adds to that Tempranillo.
It has a black cherry colour. On the nose it has a great density of blackberry, cassis, black cherry and cocoa. The tannins are veering toward moderate. On the palate there is brackishness with some bitterness. This bitterness takes one by surprise and is distracting. Just when you think you are picking up some fruit on the palate the bitterness kicks in. Trying to race against the bitterness one can pick up some black cherry and Texas ruby grapefruit. Overall, I’d also say there is a bit of rawness in what I can call an uncouth wine. I can finesse the bitterness by saying the wine has a bit of almond extract to it. No amount of decanting seems to remove this strange bitterness. Leave this one on the shelf.
(Peter Lehman Layers 2020, Adelaide, Peter Lehmann Wines, Tanuda, South Australia, $16.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 138883, 750 mL, 14.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 77/100).
June 13-16, 1970, Athens: Our Three Day Stay in Athens
Upon arriving at our hotel called Omiros we both had a shower. Very strange shower with a handheld nozzle. I have never seen something that before. Is this common in Greece? We found a nearby restaurant and Mom had a souvlaki which is meat on a skewer which I think they call “souvlaki” and it was very tasty. I had fish. After paying the bill we headed back to our hotel and just in time as I was so exhausted I began to have flashbacks to some of the questions on my examinations I had just completed. I rather thought I was in Egypt instead of Greece. I think we were so tired we felt like crawling somewhere in the street and sleep. Unfortunately we got lost. Two exhausted travellers and being unable to understand the Greek alphabet compounded the feeling of being lost. After three horrible hours we found a taxi and ended up at the Omiros and collapsed in sheer exhaustion. I have never seen a place like Athens. When flying over here I knew we were in for an adventure but already the pieces of what that adventure are fitting in.
The next morning we were awoken by some arguing Athenians down on the street below and the noisy three wheeled mini trucks called Zanussi’s. We went downstairs for a breakfast. What no bacon, eggs and toast! Bread and jam and something called yogurt? Speaking of yogurt there is a yogurt bar in front of the hotel and fresh yogurt is delivered every morning. The customers eat it on tables outside. These Greeks must be hungry to start the day. Hopefully we’ll encounter a real breakfast soon. I am going to starve! We discovered a flea market where I bought a letter opener for 35 drachmas which is a little over a Canadian dollar and Mom bought a belt which she bargained down the vendor to half price. We found a restaurant and ate some grilled meat. Is this a Greek hamburger? But there is no bun? The French fries were delicious but no ketchup. Everything here is so different than in Canada.
We returned home and had a siesta after lunch for a few hours. Greeks have siestas just like Mexicans! All shops and businesses are closed and open up late in the afternoon. It gets so hot in the afternoon I can see why! This time it was supper down the street and we did not get lost!
The next day after breakfast we headed to a beach called Astir which was near the airport and you could see the planes overhead coming in to land. We took the bus to the beach and what a rude mob pushing and shoving to get on the bus except if there is a priest they let him go in first and they also give up their seats in a standing room only bus to a priest. I find it strange Greek grandmothers can be so aggressive!
The next day it was to the beach again and a bit of a sunburn. Mom believes in the healing power of the sun and salt water and she warned me about this hot Greek sun. As a former nurse I think she knows what she is talking about. This was my first time in the ocean and when I opened my eyes they stung and if you get water in your mouth it tastes awful. I am used to swimming in lakes and it is going to take time to get used to! Yes and don’t worry we saw the Acropolis.
We packed up and went to Piraeus which is Athens’s port and boarded the TMVK Knossos for our next destination being Rhodes!
“The Fabulous Filipino Brothers” concludes with the narrator welcoming us to the Abasta Filipino American family. The Basco clan has succeeded in welcoming us viewers as part of their family right at the onset of the film. It is a warm film that brings you into the heart of a Filipino American family as if you are part of the family. It has the effect of tearing down the walls to leapfrog over ethnic stereotypes and telegraph that in North America while Filipinos aren’t exactly completely assimilated melting pot Americans we viewers can enjoy the story in a welcoming way. Its theme of love, family and culture are something all audiences should be able to identify with.
It is a story that delves into the relationship four brothers have with each other and despite big differences in character they love and support each other.
Right from the start the narrator says Filipino Americans are Americans but they retain a Filipino identity cemented by the narrator remarking is a tribal mentality. The narrator refers to this as a “jungle mentality” which sounds racist but as the narrator is Filipino it is depreciating more than racist and in fact there may be some subtle humour involved. The narrator remarks that Filipinos are Asian but they are also not quite Asian.
The publicist for the film refers to the film as a “rousing comedy” but I see it being slightly comedic and mostly in a low key way except for the hilarious and sensual food scene involving cherished Filipino lumpia, sausages, grapes and food molds. The rooster fight scene is also notably funny.
The film is more of a probe into the mentality of the four Abasta brothers with differing characteristics yet the brothers stick together. There are stretches of the movie that are completely serious discovering the nature of love, lust, guilt, depression and familial piety and love. The excuse of this interaction and exploration is the wedding of one of the brothers. I see elements of “Lumpia with a Vengeance” a classic series of films about Filipino Americans, “Parasite” and “Crazy Rich Asians”.
While the HBO series “Succession” is about a highly dysfunctional family ripping each other apart “The Fabulous Filipino Brothers” is more a celebration of family.
The film stars the four Basco brothers who are well experienced in the entertainment industry in the United States. This is Dante Basco’s directorial debut. It was co-written by Dante and his brother Darion.
It opened in several US theatres on January 7th assuming of course such theatres are actually open considering Omicron. It is available on Netflix now and is scheduled for wider VOD release on February 8th.
June 12, 1970, New York City, Frankfurt and Athens: Onboard to Athens
Mom and I were the last passengers aboard our New York to Athens on our Overseas National Airways flight. We found the last two seats together but the stewardess said later that the seats were occupied so we split up with Mom sitting in the back and me in the middle. Unfortunately, I had the bad luck to be sitting next to (initially) a sleeping baby. My sister Barbara had said these Athens flights were full of happy Greeks many with wailing babies returning home for a long vacation. Yes they were so happy to be returning to the land of their birth!
The stewardesses explained the safety equipment and the location emergency exits and life rafts. New York City looked beautiful as we passed over it on our way to the Atlantic Ocean. Drinks were served about an hour after takeoff. I had a Coke. I looked out the window a few times but all I could see was the black Atlantic Ocean. Three hours after takeoff the baby next to me started crying in an out-of-control way. The cry increased to a hysterical scream! Breakfast was served and the contorted baby spilt 7 Up all over my pants. Finally after 7 hours we stopped to refuel in Frankfurt but unfortunately we could not leave the airplane. The baby was getting out of control and grabbed my glasses and almost broke them! The Greeks all seemed to know each other and were jamming the aisles talking to each other. We finally arrived in Athens and took a taxi to our Hotel Omiros. So tired but very happy.
June 10, 1971, Montreal and New York City: All this adventure started on June 10th, 1971. I finished writing my last examination which was in science and rushed home on my bicycle. I arrived home at 11:30 and my mom and I finished our last bit of packing which at this point was looking as if our destination would be Athens. But we aren’t sure as my sister Barbara is a stewardess for Overseas National Airways and although family travels for free we are considered as “non-revenue” passengers and can only board the airplane if there are empty seats. A neighbour took us to Dorval Airport for our 1:30 flight to New York City where we would be staying with my sister Barbara. We took off some 15 minutes late and starved as an announcement on the PA system said they forgot to load the food. No lunch!
It was 70 degrees when we arrived at LaGuardia Airport. We took a cab to Barbara’s apartment and had trouble with the lock so her weird neighbour, a doctor, helped us get into her apartment. My mom always concerned that her children need more food to avoid starvation had us go out shopping where we loaded up on chicken. My Mom always said that meat prices in the United States were far cheaper than they were in Montreal.
We had a massive chicken dinner that night with my sister and her fellow stewardess friend Marx. We slept soundly that night very tired and very happy.
June 11 and 12, 1971 New York, Frankfurt and Athens: We were up bright and early but well rested. We went to a nearby store to buy the bathing suit I forgot to pack! Mom went to get her hair cut and Barb and I went to Blimpy’s to have a sandwich and root beer. Mom went to buy yet more chicken which were chicken wings. We had yet another chicken feast. Barb and I cleaned the dishes.
Our flight to Athens was scheduled to leave at midnight from Kennedy Airport on a DC-8. We went out to Kennedy with two of Barb’s friends who were “stewing” on the flight. We went to the Overseas National Airway’s office at Kennedy to wait for the other stewardesses working on our flight. They arrived and we headed to the terminal. There are 250 passengers booked so that is a full plane which means there is no room for us. However as of 10:30 three passengers from Baltimore had not shown. It was nail biting time and I hoped these three passengers would not show up. The agonizing minutes dragged on made all the worse as the airline decided to wait for the no shows. Great they never showed up so off we go to Athens at 3:30 in the morning. I have never been out of North America so this is going to be a real adventure. I feel like an ignorant 12 year old suburban kid about to discover the world!
I travelled extensively in the 1970’s to countries behind the “Iron Curtain” namely the USSR and the countries in its captive communist orbit. I have experienced the lack of political freedom, lack of food and consumer goods and of the repression. I also had some political background as the Iron Curtain was the focus of my political science studies at university. So when I had the opportunity to review “The Jump” I was drawn to it as a bee is dawn to a flower or as the hammer is attracted to the sickle!
There are many take aways possible from the Lithuanian documentary but what they are may depend upon your interpretation which is one the strong points of the documentary. You are free of course to enjoy the story and take away nothing more than an inspiring story of a man’s drive to escape the political bullying of the communist regime. One can’t ignore the stupidity of a United States Rear Admiral’s order that took a segment of the American population years to clean up.
Simas Kurdika was a Lithuanian citizen working as a radio operator on a Lithuanian ship of course under the control of both the Communist Party commissar on board and the captain of the ship. The American government had arranged for a meeting with Soviet government officials about Soviet overfishing off the coast of Massachusetts. A meeting took take place on a United States Coastguard ship off Martha’s Vineyard on November 23, 1970. The Coast Guard vessel, “The Vigilant” anchored next to Kurdika’s vessel so Soviet officials could board it for the meeting. Kurdika saw his chance and jumped onto The Vigilant. The captain of The Vigilant reported to his superiors about Kurdika’s jump and his request for asylum and was ordered by United States Rear Admiral Ellis to return Kurdika to the Soviets thinking no harm would come to him and that the failure to return him would jeopardize the fishery negotiations between the Soviets and the United States. Ellis clearly made an inept decision which blew up in the United States government’s face as Kurdika was chased around the Vigilant and was badly beaten on the decks of The Vigilant by the Soviets before being dragged back onto the Soviet ship. Kurdika was tried and convicted of treason and sentenced to 10 years in a prison camp.
On the political side of the incident President Nixon was furious about the order to return Kurdika to the Soviet ship claiming he received no briefing on the issue. President Ford then took the matter up with USSR’s leader Brezhnev to release Kurdika to the United States. This was after 4 years of American protests about the handing over of Kurdika. Kurdika and his mother, wife and two children were released by the Soviets and arrived in the United States in November of 1974.Wanting to die in his Lithuania he retuned there in 2007 with his wife. His children decided to remain in the United States.
The story is told through rare archival footage and a dramatic first-person re-enactment by would be defector 86-year-old Kurdika.
So what are some of the takeaways?
Americans fail to recognize how fortunate they are to live in a democratic society
Poor military decisions by the United States were corrected by widespread protests and political lobbying to rectify an inept military decision
The Eastern European and Baltic refugees in the United Sates were a crucial part of securing the release of Kurdika
How much of this story is applicable to thousands of Mexican, Central Americans, Libyans, Syrians, Afghanis and other “refugees” and migrants attempting to enter the United States as a perceived land of milk and honey? Is the story of these people based on political repression or simply a cover to enter America to better improve their economic conditions?
You are free to take away as much as you want but hopefully there is more to this documentary than a story with a happy ending but kudos to the writers and director for not spoon-feeding you with take aways. I will say there is more than a complicated story to this documentary.
The documentary has been submitted as Lithuania’s entry to the 94th Academy Awards. It is a Lithuanian, Latvian and French production.
The documentary will start its virtual run in Canada on January 14th in Montreal, Sudbury, London and Victoria with more dates to be added soon.
My original intention was to prepare a children’s book about my time in Cairo as a street dog and my traumatic journey to Canada as a “rescue dog”.
However that intent I had was formed at a younger point in my life. My life was much simpler then than it is today. As time passed matters moved quickly and I was converted from a mangy flea infested dog to a superstar because of two animated Disney films made about me. The fact I was a Muslim dog made me popular in many countries where Islam is the main religion. Both Christians and Muslims realized a degree of common ground through me. Political commentators suggested I brought healing between good hearted Christians and Muslims. I was revered by children in Iran as I was in Toronto. I acted as an intermediary between the United States and Iran and quite frankly isn’t this amazing as I am a dog and cannot speak the language of you humans. I prayed with the big Ayatollah guy there and sat on his lap as a Muslim brother although he knew I was living and loved in a Christian world. Do you have any idea how that photo of me on his lap did to advance world peace and stability!
You humans are not as complex as you think. Your hostilities and hatreds show how simplistic and crude you can be but rip the facade of politics and perverted religions aside you share more in common that you would care to admit. That is my hope for you and if I have had a small part in that so be it.
I have mingled with stars in the entertainment industry, politicians and religious leaders. I have won the Nobel Peace Prize and a Presidential Medal of Honour which I am delighted to have done so but my biggest joy is meeting with the children of The United States, Iran, North Korea and many other countries. These children all recognize the wonder of Reggie and Dylan the Westie and unite as one whilst the leaders of their nations stomp their feet, squabble and threaten so that the world is perpetually on the path to self destruction. Politicians listen to the children of your nation.
As you read I nearly died from a strange Douro Duck Virus and I did technically die and go to heaven. It was my late master Anwar and my deceased doggie pal Karim that shoved me back to the bed of an animal hospital saying it was not my time? As I recuperate from that nasty virus I am giving a great deal of thought of why Anwar said this to me. How can I bring the world closer together? Is it simply telling my story so that all humans can identify with my struggles, ambitions and dreams? Can I show the world that dogs and humans from all nations are remarkably similar when you strip out politics and extremist religions?
I am uncertain about what my next steps are but I need some time to get healthy. Bob had told me we would take a year off from travel and public appearances. We would go back to a simpler point in our lives where long walks, chicken kibble and clean water were so awesome for me.
I think I would like another Egyptian rescue dog in my life so Dylan the Westie and I can be THE RATPACK like Bosco/Karim/Dylan the Westie and I were! Yes I have the Reggie’s Dog Foundation to help rescue dogs but I think I have a personal duty to train a Cairo brother or sister to be a leader and example for rescue dogs throughout the world.
When I am back to 100% I look forward to long walks in Sherwood Park where I first met Bob and Fay. Dylan and I have many canine and human friends there and most people have no idea I am Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog. I enjoy hobnobbing with the elite but there is much to be said for a simple well-loved dog. Isn’t that what every dog wants to be?
If there is anything I can ask you dear human reader it is to love and care for your dog and if you do you will find that love has no limits. And I ask you to remember I was a lowly flea infested mutt and that it was Bob and Fay that made my story so well known. Perhaps you humans can give a street or abused dog a chance to thrive in a loving environment and perhaps give that dog a hance to hasten world peace. You know they say a cat has nine lives. Bob told me he was near death 5 times but survived. I have been near death twice so I figure I have a few more lives to live to make the world a better place to go to before I die. It will just take me some time to figure out my next steps.
Good-bye and thank you for sharing your time with me. After my rest I promise you REGGIE THE EYGPTIAN RESCUE DOG WILL BE BACK!
It was shortly after returning from our restaurant openings in Portugal that I began feeling a bit strange. Suddenly I lost my sense of taste and smell. My beloved chicken kibble stated to taste like sawdust. When out for a walk I had difficulty in smelling where to leave my pee mail. I started to feel exhausted. One night before bed I felt I was burning up. As I lay in my favourite Winnipeg Blue Bombers doggie bed one night I heard a gurgling. Where was that strange noise coming from? My chest! I told Dylan the Westie to keep an eye on me. From this point on things are a bit foggy and confused.
Over my bed I saw a pale light filtering in as daylight greeted the kitchen but Dylan the Westie was barking furiously. What is the matter with him? I remember seeing Bob run into the kitchen to see what the commotion was. I was having trouble breathing and my chest hurt. All I could see was a blur. I remember Bob saying, “Holy Moses. Reggie is having difficulty breathing! We have to get him to the Vet!” Although my taste and smell may have dissipated, I could detect fear in his voice. A blood chilling fear. I was bundled up and sat with Dylan the Westie and Fay in the car on the way on the animal hospital but I really only remember having difficulty breathing.
Bob drove like a bat out of hell going through red lights and we arrived in 15 minutes at the animal hospital. My doctor Dr. Murray took one look at me and shouted, “Oxygen NOW!!!!” I heard Bob and Fay crying and Dylan the Westie whining. I was taken to a room in the back and many wires were attached to me. Dr. Murray was saying, “We are losing Reggie. Quick get some adrenalin.”
Bob told me later I “flatlined” which means I was dying. I was so frightened. Then a bright white tunnel and my pain and suffering disappeared and I saw Anwar my late master! I must be in the land beyond. Kamil my deceased doggie friend was there with Anwar. I was so happy to be reunited! Anwar spoke to me sternly and said that it was not my time to go and stay with him in the land beyond as I had many things left to accomplish. I heard him praying to Allah begging him to make me return to the animal hospital and that is where I remember waking up for a moment to hear Dr. Murray say. “Reggie is back!”. Bob and Fay were jumping up and down with great joy.
Eventually I woke up in the animal hospital a few days later. Dr. Murray said that it was not COVID but a weird parasite that I might have picked up in Portugal. He sent blood samples to a special veterinarian institute in Lisbon and they confirmed it was the Regua parasite found in some Douro duck. That darn Douro duck casserole!
10 days later pumped with anti-biotics I returned home. There were many cards and many flowers and dog treats. I had gifts and well wishes from Kim Jong-Un, the King and Queen of Sweden, the big guy Iranian Ayatollah, Nicole Kidman, Snookie’s Rescue Society, President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden, the President of the Canadian Football League, Mr. Gordon Lightfoot, Mr. Keith Urban, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, Drake, Russell Crowe, The Pope, Rick Mercer and many others. CBC National News did a 10-minute story about me and David Suzuki from the CBC show “Nature of Things” wanted to produce an hour special about me.
In the meantime, Dr. Murray ordered two weeks of bed rest. Why did I not stay with Anwar? What more do I have to accomplish on Earth? I am not sure but like in Cairo after being bitten by that Rottenweiler I feel like I have more than one life. Why didn’t I die? What does Allah have planned for me? We can answer those questions later but for now REGGIE IS HAPPY TO BE BACK!
The intensity and force of a wine you are searching for may be based on strong preferences as to your style of wine. However being fair to the wine where you are drinking it, who you are drinking it with, what mood you are in and most importantly what food you may be having it with may determine the wine you open.
Gamays are usually a bit light on their feet so if you are a Barossa fanatic don’t bother with Gamay as you may call it too light and flitty.
In this case we try a Beaujolais Cru from Régnié.
Medium ruby in colour and transparent. On the nose brimming with red cherry, blackberry with somewhat of a light mocha almost chocolatey frame. On the palate the tannins are soft and the acid is very well under control. Having made jam with some small sour cherries from my daughter’s tree the taste of the wine reminds me of that sour cherry jam not all that sour due to the amount of sugar in the jam. It is lightweight indeed but can we say this is elegant or sensual like a good Pinot Noir? The wine does have the body of a French or Okanagan Pinot Noir. I would say it is not quite elegant but it is no clodhopper. It has a certain purity to it not treated with oak but has spent 8 months in cement vats so you are getting the “naked grape”. Short finish. Drink by the end of 2022.
For food it would suit a farm raised salmon but doesn’t have the power to match fresh wild caught sockeye. It does have enough oomph to pair nicely with beer can spiced chicken. You might want to marinate the chicken in beer as opposed to stuffing it with a beer can though.
(Domaine Tano Péchard, Les Bruyeres 2019, AOP Régnié, $16.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 11355, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100).
Wine drinker profile: One who appreciates a lighter red wine to sip on its own or pair with farm raised salmon lightly basted with sesame seed oil and oyster sauce.
We move to the lowest tier of French wine known as Vin de France. The grapes in this tier can be anywhere from France. This does not mean the wine is of low quality but not made according to the rules applicable to the two upper tiers of French wine This is a Gamay Noir from Henry Fessy.
It has a transparent black cherry colour. Blackberry predominates on the nose but there is some sweet black cherry, smoke and a twist of milk chocolate. On the palate it is a bit grippy with smoke, blackberry, black cherry and pomegranate. It has a short and somewhat of a dilute finish. This would go with a lamb stew, black bean veggie burgers or a simple herbed fresh tomato-based pasta sauce.
Drink in 2022.
(Henry Fessy 2019 Gamay Noir, Vin De France, $16.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 556571, 750 mL 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 87/100).
Wine drinker profile: You are not swayed by this wine being the lowest tier of French wine. You are happy to sip as is or pair with food. You are happy with a simple wine of decent quality. You are not out to wow anyone.
I have said that acceptance of the bad shot may soothe the golfer’s mind. Fight that acceptance and you may be in for a mental struggle based on negative reactions you can’t let go of.
Some psychotherapists embrace the theory of “radical acceptance”. Acceptance is acknowledging or recognizing facts that are true and not beating up yourself over unpleasant facts. Radical acceptance is a bit more cosmic because it involves accepting all the way with mind, body and soul and involves opening up yourself to fully accepting reality as it occurs.
For example with patients experiencing depression they must accept that depression and view that depression as ok. The patient can accept that depression and still decide that life is OK with depression. Just because you have depression doesn’t mean there aren’t pleasurable things in your life. Traditional psychotherapy may be looking for a “cure” to your depression instead of trying to accept it and manage it.
Psychotherapist Marsha M. Linehan in her book “Building a Life Worth Living” identifies 6 key pointers about radical acceptance:
Freedom from suffering requires acceptance from deep within of what it is. Let go of fighting reality
Acceptance is the only way out of hell
Pain creates suffering only when you refuse to accept the pain
Deciding to tolerate the moment is acceptance
Acceptance is knowledge of what it is
To accept something is not the same as judging it as being good
Linehan gives an example of being in a card game. You have to play the game with the cards dealt so In order to be in the game you have to accept the cards that you have been dealt.
Although experiencing a rough golf moment is not as serious as being in a depressive state hopefully you can realize that accepting the bad part of your game is a way of ending your suffering. Most golfers have difficulty accepting the bad which means they stew and fuss and often berate themselves. This does not create a happy golfer. Like a card player being dealt a rotten hand the golfer should move on realizing that “bad golf moments” are simply part of the game of golf.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 