Almost half my lifetime ago, back in Ottawa, I lived around the corner from a young man named Hart Shouldice. I was in the same grade as his older sister in high school. While I don't remember much of that time long ago I can say one thing for certain, that even back then he was more articulate than I. Or should I say than "me". Not sure.
Anyway.
Hart has entered a contest to become a writer for the Globe & Mail during the Olympics in Vancouver 2010. An amazing opportunity for any writer. A position that I am confident Hart would do amazingly well.
He needs your votes to win!
Vote for Hart
(http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_article.asp?id=887)
Hart is truly fantastic with the written word. You can and should check out his blog to see for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
A Harty Meal
(http://hartymeal.blogspot.com)
JC
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
O. NOIR (In the Dark)
The Canadian Olympic short track team went out for a team supper this past week at O. NOIR. A restaurant in which your dining experience is completely, and I mean completely, in the dark. Aside from a dimly lit front lounge and fortunately the washrooms as well, the main room is completely blacked out.
The concept is extremely interesting. The servers are visually impaired. A group within our population which, according to O.NOIR's website, experiences a 70% unemployment rate.
Our team was able to experience what it would be like to be blind. The once simple act of eating a meal became an interesting challenge. To lose your sight is disorienting and initially uncomfortable, almost scary. We were led to our table by our server in congo-line style, following single file with one hand on our friends shoulder. Once sitting, we needed an explanation about the items around us. "In front of you there are 2 forks on your left, your napkin in the middle and a knife on your right." It's amazing what you take for granted when you can see!
It's true that your other senses become heightened when you lose one of them. At least you start to rely on them more when placed in a situation like the dining room at O.NOIR. As I searched for the food on my plate, I wasn't even sure what happened to get stuck on the end of my fork. I would bring the food to my mouth with my tongue hanging out in search of some mysterious surprise that was only identified by taste and smell. A truly interesting way to appreciate the subtle tastes and spices of my meal. If only I could have seen what I looked like while bringing a piece of steak to my mouth which was (unknowingly) twice the size I had imagined!
The menu at O.NOIR is presented to you in the front lounge. You're asked to place your cell phones and anything else which lights up in a locker. You place your order for an appetizer, main course and desert. One of the selections on each section of the menu is the "surprise" option. You don't know what you're going to get which is supposed to enhance your experience of taste and adventure. It certainly did. I chose the surprise dish for my appetizer and desert and I was not disappointed! The meal was fantastic.
Something I found very interesting was that everyone at the table had a different perception about where we were located within the room. At the front, back, middle? We didn't know. It was also interesting to see how, without sight, our level of speech became increasingly louder and louder. I believe we were compensating for the lack of visual cues that someone was actually listening to us speak. The room became increasingly louder and from time to time a lonely "hush" from another corner of the room brought everyone back to what seemed like a more appropriate level of noise.
As a team building event, it was fantastic. We had to rely on new ways to communicate and socialize. We spoke a lot about how we appreciated the fact that we could see and how difficult it must be for someone who is visually impaired.
If you're looking for a new experience and a fantastic meal - check out O. NOIR, you won't be disappointed!
O.NOIR
(http://www.onoir.com/MTL/en/frames.htm)
JC
The concept is extremely interesting. The servers are visually impaired. A group within our population which, according to O.NOIR's website, experiences a 70% unemployment rate.
Our team was able to experience what it would be like to be blind. The once simple act of eating a meal became an interesting challenge. To lose your sight is disorienting and initially uncomfortable, almost scary. We were led to our table by our server in congo-line style, following single file with one hand on our friends shoulder. Once sitting, we needed an explanation about the items around us. "In front of you there are 2 forks on your left, your napkin in the middle and a knife on your right." It's amazing what you take for granted when you can see!
It's true that your other senses become heightened when you lose one of them. At least you start to rely on them more when placed in a situation like the dining room at O.NOIR. As I searched for the food on my plate, I wasn't even sure what happened to get stuck on the end of my fork. I would bring the food to my mouth with my tongue hanging out in search of some mysterious surprise that was only identified by taste and smell. A truly interesting way to appreciate the subtle tastes and spices of my meal. If only I could have seen what I looked like while bringing a piece of steak to my mouth which was (unknowingly) twice the size I had imagined!
The menu at O.NOIR is presented to you in the front lounge. You're asked to place your cell phones and anything else which lights up in a locker. You place your order for an appetizer, main course and desert. One of the selections on each section of the menu is the "surprise" option. You don't know what you're going to get which is supposed to enhance your experience of taste and adventure. It certainly did. I chose the surprise dish for my appetizer and desert and I was not disappointed! The meal was fantastic.
Something I found very interesting was that everyone at the table had a different perception about where we were located within the room. At the front, back, middle? We didn't know. It was also interesting to see how, without sight, our level of speech became increasingly louder and louder. I believe we were compensating for the lack of visual cues that someone was actually listening to us speak. The room became increasingly louder and from time to time a lonely "hush" from another corner of the room brought everyone back to what seemed like a more appropriate level of noise.
As a team building event, it was fantastic. We had to rely on new ways to communicate and socialize. We spoke a lot about how we appreciated the fact that we could see and how difficult it must be for someone who is visually impaired.
If you're looking for a new experience and a fantastic meal - check out O. NOIR, you won't be disappointed!
O.NOIR
(http://www.onoir.com/MTL/en/frames.htm)
JC
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