Spaceship Umbra

Last night I had a bit of time to kill before the Brian Auger show at Jeff Healey's Roadhouse so I decided to take a walk up to the new Umbra concept store on John Street.



I was lucky enough to stumble into a special event they were having, with wine and snacks and notable locals including councillor Adam Vaughn. Also on hand was architect Will Alsop, who designed the store and, more famously, the Sharp Centre for Design just up the street. Cameras were flashing, improptu interviews were being given, and I was just walking around sipping my wine and minding my own business.

The building is quite stricking. Its outside is clad in vertical pink panels which are backlit and apparently produce an impressive effect at night. One employee I talked to called it "Spaceship Umbra". The interior is very open and modern, reminiscent of a gallery space but still very functional for retail. The products were mostly the usual Umbra stuff, bathroom accessories and the like, though they did have some specialty items by Karim Rashid, available on special order.

London, Japan

So I spent this past week in London, the grand metropole of this distant dominion. As expected, I had a great time and was blown away by a great many things in the departments of architecture, urban infrastructure, cultural amenities and so on. More apropos for this blog, I also brought back a few impressions pertaining to London's retail scene and how it relates to Toronto's. Of course, those impressions should by no means be taken as an objective evaluation. They are merely the subjective views of one man, received through the prism of his own interests and experiences.

Firstly, I was somewhat struck by the overwhelming domination of chain stores in the main mid-market shopping districts. Regent Street, Oxford Street and Covent Garden are completely saturated with Gaps, Zaras, H&Ms, Aldos and the like. I felt like it would actually be quite a challenge to accomplish any substantial shopping with a strong local flavour - most of the same stuff can be found right here on Queen Street, and usually for less money. I know, complaining about this effect of globalization is a bit tired, but there it is.

On the flip side, one thing I was impressed with was the strong presence of some Japanese chains and department stores that we don't have here. Muji and Uniqlo are well represented and wonderful. Also, as New York has Takashimaya, London has a Mitsukoshi department store. It seems to me that the world of Japan-based global retail may be a good indication of a city's global credentials. By this metric, clearly, and not surprisingly, Toronto is not yet in the same league with the likes of NYC and London. I hope that changes soon. Muji has so many great little things to offer!

Continuing with the Japanese theme (bizarrely, I know), I also discovered a great okonomiyaki place in London. Abeno has two locations: one on Museum Street, just south of the British Museum and another, much more meticulously designed, near Cambridge Circus. Great food! In Toronto we have Okonomi House on Charles Street to satisfy our regular cravings, and it does its job well, but we could certainly use a bit more choice.

Sayonara, and cheers!

Wii!

So I was lucky enough to stumble upon a Nintendo Wii console at the small Microplay on Queen St. just west of Bathurst. After some time trying to find one online and following various wiintelligence boards, I was ready to give up until Nintendo got their supply chain in order. Then, during a random stroll, I happen to find one last one in a store, just like that! No early-morning line-ups, no inside scoops, no connections, no voodoo. I was pretty happy and surprised about that. Hopefully I didn't spend all my good karma on a gaming console, but the thing is so much fun that it would possibly be worth it.

The controller and bundled games are really fun to use. I've also rented a few games since I got the console. The Blockbuster near my place doesn't have much of a selection, but I did manage to find a few decent Wii games.

What impressed me the most about this little device are actually the non-gaming features. The news and forecast channels, constantly updating via wireless, are pretty useful and well thought-out, but the free Opera-based "Internet Channel" really blew my mind. The browser is fully functional and can even play movies off YouTube! Who needs cable? Who needs a computer?! With a $250 Nintendo Wii (and free wireless that we downtowners still enjoy courtesy of Toronto Hydro) you get everything you need to function online! When Nintendo releases the rumoured Wii keyboard, making things like Gmail more usable, we'll really be set to roll.

Yay! These kinds of more-than-you-expected gizmos really make me smile.

Shochu

So my girl and I went for dinner to Ki tonight. It was my first time there, but she had gone there for lunch before and raved about their sashimi. Indeed, I was impressed by the quality and selection of the fish, and the vibe was decent as well. The crowd is mostly standard Bay street types, but the place is nicely designed and generally pleasant.

On the drink menu, I immediately noticed a modest selection of shochu, which I don't remember encountering here in Toronto before. I had tried it in Tokyo some time ago, and it didn't really leave an impression - it was flavourless, like vodka. I must admit though that I'm not a connoisseur of vodka or hard liquour in general, so these are words of a layman. Tonight they had three different kinds and I tried two of them. I rather enjoyed the mild and fragrant Tanaka Moonlight. Makes me wish it was easier to come by around these parts.

Requiem

On Saturday night I went to hear the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's performance of Mozart's Requiem at the Roy Thomson Hall. It would have been Mozart's 251st birthday, but we listened to his funeral music. It was really something. The large choir's bellowing of the Latin prayers gave me shivers, and the orchestra sounded quite impressive in the grand venue. The Requiem was preceded by Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, which was a great lead-in, with its playful yet subtly dark melodies.

Hot Yoga

So I was finally convinced by my significant other to swallow my pride and put aside my misguided machismo and finally accompany her to a hot yoga class at the Moksha Yoga studio at Richmond and Strachan.


Sure, I was one of only two guys in the room of almost 30, but I must say I rather enjoyed the experience. The room was extremely hot, and I was sweating more than I ever had before. Sweat was literally pouring from my head, which I found very enjoyable in that "boy I am really pushing the envelope here" sort of way. I could only do about half the poses, because the pace that the class was keeping was too much for me, so I required frequent breathers, lest I pass out and embarass myself and my girlfriend.

So the whole thing went quite well. Afterwards, I had that glowing post-exercise feeling of accomplishment. The only discomfort stemmed from the fact that I hadn't brought a change of underwear, which were completely soaked in sweat.

After the class, we stopped by One of a Kind Pasta & Grill for some dinner. I had the shrimp curry which was quite good. Overall, a great place to eat and spend some time, just a great all-around vibe. Wearing soaking wet briefs detracts somewhat from the enjoyment, but I used my imagination.

iPod Hi-Fi

So I treated myself to an iPod Hi-Fi speaker, as a way of solving my living room's sound problem. Since I don't own a good stereo, the ultimate solution would involve investing in some nice speakers and a good amp and finding room in my tiny place to lay all that stuff out in a way conducive to good vibrations. These days I have neither the time nor the will to educate myself in this department, so after much hesitation, I decided to just do the practical thing.




Sure, it's not a high-end stereo, and my audiophile friends will make fun of me, but this thing is exactly what I needed: it's practical (just one wire, not very big, easily moved around by its handles), looks good (classic Apple minimalism) and sounds great (for my needs, and the music I listen to). It's been a non-stop dance party here since I brought this baby in.

It's a bit pricier than comparable competing products (like Bose's SoundDock and others) but I think it's worth it, since this one looks and sounds better than any of them. Picked it up at FutureShop for $375+tax which I find reasonable for what you get.

Bottom line: this thing is fun!