Through the Pane Actress Pauline Egan Builds Wells in Africa to Help End Pain

PAULINE EGAN AND LOUIS FERREIRA - THROUGH THE PANE FILM from Pauline Egan on Vimeo.
3 MINUTE EXCERPT FROM AWARD WINNING SHORT FILM 'THROUGH THE PANE'.


It's my birthday and on my special day I get to write about things that make me happy or in this case people that make me happy and great give me joy.

Quiz time.....can you name me brunette actress that does amazing work on screen but also spends time doing humanitarian work? If you guessed Angelina Jolie you are WRONG.  The amazing actress I'm making reference to may not have won an Oscar but won my heart, Pauline Egan. 

I met Pauline at the after party of an indie film premiere called "Focus". As you know at a party there are people that you talk to and you know you'll never see again and you had nothing more than a nice chat. Then there are the people that you get a feeling about and you ask to take their number because you never know that that one connection may lead to. Pauline was the latter. After a brief conversation with he where we bonded over talk about Argentine tango, I knew we had to exchange numbers.

There was something about this actress that left an impression on my mind. Long story short through the magic of social media I found out that not only is she an actress she's a registered nurse who during the summer of 2015 took a break from auditions, shoots, and casting directors to build wells in Africa.  On her first 4 month trip they built 6 wells.




As of this writing there are still 74 communities in need of access to fresh water. So if you weren't around the first time for her adventure to Mozambique, fear not....for every good movie there is a sequel and it won't be long before Pauline will be grabbing her passport again and heading back with Water Underground. And what's even better is that you can be part of her next adventure abroad by clicking this link and donating to Water Underground.  I don't know about you but I really want to one day hear the joyous announcement that all 80 communities now have access to fresh clean water.





Every great movie has interesting plot points, things the characters don't know that are about to happen or things about each other. The nite I met Pauline I had no idea that she was scheduled to go to Africa. That never came up in our conversation. And what she didn't know about me was that I'm abit of a travel guru. I help people who are travelling, going abroad, or thinking about going abroad giving them advice and support.  We didn't learn these things about each other until much later on. So there you had two people laughing and chatting together, one of them about to travel to africa and the other whos gifted in helping travellers. Neither of them had any clue that a match made in heaven was about to happen. The plot thickens.....

Out of all the amazing creatures that inhabit our beautiful planet, if there was one animal I would compare Pauline to it would be to a lionness.  A lionness doesn't have to sit on a hill all day long roaring to prove who she is. She's just calm, solid and dependable, fiercely loyal and protective. Every animal on the african plain would never dare touch her cubs or anything that is dear to her if they want to live to see another gorgeous african sunset.

The spirit of a lionness roars within Pauline. She's one who has a calm solid energy, is dependable, watchful, nurturing, and protective to the ones that she feels are meant to be in her life. In the same way a lionness roams through the plains emanating beauty, power, and majesty, Pauline roams through her life with a deep lionness strength that flows through her veins and an ethereal presence.

I'll never forget when Pauline made an unbreakable vow to me that if I ever go down during the zombie apocalypse, as any true friend would she'll smash my skull to keep me from reanimating as a walker.

"I love you so much I would crush your skull" her exact words to me on twitter. In that moment I knew I had a lifelong friend. I don't know about you but when the zombie virus hits I'm 100% on team Egan all the way. After all,  we know that true friends are the ones that don't let the people that they love roam the earth undead :P



http://www.paulineegan.com



Pauline Egan Blue Mountain State - Trapgame from Pauline Egan on Vimeo.

Nelson the Seagull: Avocado on Toast, House-made Almond Milk Lattes and Suspended Coffee

If I were to hand out a prize for having the most unusual name for a cafe, Nelson the Seagull would be a clear winner. If I were to hand out another prize for being situated in the most unlikely spot, Nelson the Seagull would be taking another award. Located at 315 Carrall St (almost at the border of the drug and prostitution area near east hastings), is tucked away this hidden gem. Although its name may be interesting but what's even more interesting is the history behind the name and the cafes beginnings.

Nelson the Seagull was started by two siblings from South Africa. They wanted to create a cafe that paid hommage to Mandela without cashing in on his name. During the era of apartheid any song about Mandela was banned while he was in prison. However there was one song that secretly was an ode to Mandela but wasn't banned because it never referred to him.  The name of the song was called "The Seagulls name was Nelson" The south african siblings used this as inspiration for the name of their cafe.

Behind the counter is a pic of Nelson Mandela boxing. And there are various subtle hints of homage being paid to this great man. Like the wifi password containing the word MANDIBA. This hippie/hipster joint is very clever indeed. After one bite and one sip I'm utterly convinced that the avocado on toast and house made almond milk latte should go at the top of every persons bucket list.

As delicious as those were, there is only one more thing in that cafe that rivals the deliciousness of avocado on toast and an almond milk latte.....suspended coffee. Suspended coffee? Never heard of it you say? Suspended coffee is the most delicious of all because it contains the taste of kindness. It is a system the cafe has that you can pay in advance for a free cup of coffee for a homeless people downtown. So they can stumble into the cafe, ask for a suspended coffee and get just a little taste of respite from this painful cruel world.

On my visit there, I added a suspended coffee to my bill for $2.60. The girl looked at me with utter gratitude and said that they had only one suspended coffee left for one more person so when I paid for another it was a huge help because alot of people come into the cafe at the end of the day for a coffee.

But my visit to the cafe gets even better than that and I got to witness firsthand how their suspended coffee system truly makes a difference. I was digging into my heavenly avocado and toast and savoring my latte when a homeless person stumbled in and asked for a suspended coffee. Within a few minutes they cafe set them up with a coffee in a to-go cup and they went merrily on their way.

And I realized that if I hadn't given anything, that person would be the last person they would have been able to help. But because of the $2.60 I added to my bill they'll be able to help out at least one more person. I don't know why but there was something about witnessing that whole scene that suddenly made my avocado on toast taste more rich and delicious and my almond milk latte all the more sweeter....


http://www.nelsontheseagull.com

Daring to be Different at Deafined

Tucked away on an inconspicious location on a sidewalk full of pretentious restaurants in Kitsilano is one of Vancouver's best hidden gems....Deafined.  Deafined is dining experience for those who dare to be different and open their hearts to the world of the hearing impaired. The restaurant is set up to make communication as smooth as possible between customers and staff.  The menus have the item, price, and symbol you'll need to sign with your hand to indicate what you want to order.

In addition to that there are placards giving you basic lessons in sign language on how to say "please" "thank you" "eat" "drink" or ask for your bill. At each table there is a pen and paper in case the customers need to communicate and write down special dietary requests to the waiter. And the waiters themselves are trained to communicate with the customers. Our waitress was actually able to communicate with her hands to us asking us if we wanted seperate bills or put on one bill just like any other staff at a regular restaurant. Impressive....

There were also some elements of the restaurant that were touching. In the main foyer there is a huge vase with a pen and paper so that happy customers can write kudos, thanks, and encouragment to the staff. At Deafined being hearing impaired certainly doesn't stop love and positivity from spreading.

As for the food, I took one bite and spent all nite debating which was more beautiful....the food or the spirit of the people that made the food and are serving it? The debate still rages on inside of me and I don't think I'll ever really be able to decide.  All I know is that every time I look back on this experience, gratitude wells up within my soul and I find the tips of my fingers touching my lips as my hand moves away from my mouth.....sign language for THANK YOU.


www.deafined.ca

Ruling and Reigning on the Iron Throne

 

The moment that we've been waiting for is almost here. In anticipation of the 5 season of GOT I thought it appropriate to post pics of my visit to the GOT exhibit that came to the PNE in Vancouver last August. This indeed is the famous exhibition that had been touring the world and came to Vancouver for the very 1st time last summer. I gotta say that in terms of summer memories, nothing quite beats having the bragging rights that you got to sit on the iron throne (even if it's just a plastic replica of there real one that would be impossible to tour around the world with due to the fact that it is metal and weighs tons and tons).  This exhibit definitely whet my appetite for all things GOT.  One day soon the travel bug might hit me again and I might find myself on a plane to Ireland to visit "Winterfell"

  

 

 

 

 

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."

―The Night's Watch oath

 

 

Food Truck Feeding Frenzy

 

It's summer time again which means that high season hits Vancouver BC and people from all around the world descend on the west coast to enjoy the best of food, arts and culture. Don't forget to indulge  yourself in the street food scene. Vancouver's food trucks are world famous and it only takes one bite to see why.  When it comes to the street food variety, the skies the limit. You can get anything from tacos, chinese food, indian curry, homemade grilled cheese sandwiches and so much more....

 

 

 

VOILA!!!!! Unveiling Vancouver's Not So Secret Location for Fatty Frissants....

What do you get when a donut and a croissant have a one night stand together? The answer is......the CRONUT.  This hybrid is heaven for your tastebuds and hell for calories and weightloss. I first heard of these when I was lazily lying on my couch wondering what to put in my mouth next when the episode of Two Broke Girls featured Cronuts. The savy traveller is still alive in me so while the episode was playing I googled "Cronuts" to find out indeed and it was a very real thing going on in NYC and thus subject to mockery on Two Broke Girls

 

Where things got really dangerous for my arteries was when I googled the words "Cronuts" and "Vancouver" together. Unbeknownst to me when I hit the "ENTER" button, the search results would lead me to a hole in the wall called the Swiss Bakery  on 143rd East Avenue.  Inspired by the Cronut craze in NYC, the geniuses at the Swiss Bakery decided to create a frenzy with the birth of the Frissant. A Frissant is a sinfully delicious Cronut under a different name so that it can be enjoyed without fear of getting hit by a lawsuit due to patent infringement.

I took the advice that came to me on multiple articles about the Frissant with the recommendation that I arrive at 9 am  and nab one while they were fresh. Every part of me felt like an animal on the wild savannah getting up early to make the first kill of day. But as soon as I bit into the Frissant (featured in the pic above), the hunter became the hunted and the question begged to be asked, was I the predator or the prey?  As I sat in the sunshine and munched away I could almost hear an evil laugh coming from the Frissant.  I was in fact the prey to the spell of this pastry to which I would be from this moment on regularly coughing up $4 until the day I shed my mortal coil and there is nothing left but a gravemarker shaped oddly enough like a Frissant..... 

Chicken, Waffles and First Class Hospitality at Yolks Commissionary

My blogpost today is my way of saying a big THANKS to the amazing people at Yolks Commissionary. Because I was so blown away at the world class customer service, I decided to put a post immediately for today and bump whatever post I had planned for another day. There are two times my mouth can't shut, firstly when its full of good food and secondly when the service has been extraordinary. And at Yolks Commissionary at 1298 East Hastings, I ended up with both.

The day began like any other day, with me waking up early to explore some of Vancouver's hidden gems. Hole in the wall places with glorious food tucked far away from the touristy downtown core. For months and months I had been hearing about Yolks Commissionary out on east hastings. I had already tried some of their food from their food truck and was completely sold. Now it was time to visit the mothership.

On a Sunday morning the restaurant opens at 9am. I arrived around 8:55 and within 3 mins a good sized crowd had already built up. When the doors open the restaurant was flooded and at 9:15 a waiting line had formed of eager beavers who had arrived 2-3 mins later than the others. The scenery at East Hastings may not be as romantic as the touristy restaurants downtown but when you see lineups like this at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere you know that you're in the right place.

Becoming an Actor in Vancouver British Columbia

Unless one intends on becoming a nomad without a home wandering all over the earth, every traveller has his or her day when they know that it;s time to settle down and have roots and stability and have a sense of a routine. There is no shame or dishonor in doing that, it can actually be a beautiful thing that can produce tremendously good fruit in your own life as well as in the lives of others.

In Jan 2014,  I felt that the season living abroad was coming to an end and it was time to go back to Canada. I made a decision to try and put down roots in Vancouver Canada. From the moment I landed in Canada, it was as if the country rolled out the red carpet for me to come home. I landed in the evening but the very next day the weather was crystal clear.  All my friends in Canada that until the moment I came back there had been nothing but cloudy weather. It was as if the Canadian skies decided to burst open for me....

In addition to that, I managed to get an apt. Within a wk of my landing I had my name on a tenants lease. This may not sound all that exciting but there is a little fact you should know that makes this special: Vancouver has one of the lowest vacancy rates in all of canada.  Locals, foreigners, students alike coming to Vancouver have to fight to be able to rent a space. As I did my research I found out that the vacancy rate of the city is at about 1%. So for me to have an apt for a decent price in the heart of downtown is nothing short of divine intervention..



Things continued to get better here.  I found myself feasting on food trucks and gorging out on the street food scene that Vancouver is famous for.  Also from my travels I felt like I had so many stories within me to tell and I needed another medium from my blogsite as a way of telling them. Vancouver is a hotspot for film, theatre, and acting. So I decided to take advantage of all that this great city had to offer and take acting lessons.

My first day in the acting studio, one of those rare moments in life happen when you are struck with an epiphany about who you are and why you were put on this earth. And I realized that I was born to be an actor.  This is a huge revelation in my life and there is so much to tell. I promise I will take all of you with me on my adventures in Vancouver as they unfold.

But for now I decided to share a tremendous video of Sir Ian Mckellan.  A true actor is one that can take something menial and mundane and make a dramatic scene out of it. In this hilarious video, Ian Mckellan was asked my a late night talk show host to read a set of instructions on how to change a car tire in a Shakespearean voice. What follows is nothing short of side splitting funny and hard core evidence of his capacity as an actor.....

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