Photo Friday: #amwriting

Now that Songsaengnim is in final production, I am starting to turn toward the sequel, Gyeosunim. I've been reviewing old notes, sketching out the story line, and preparing to actually sit down and write it.

For the first book, I often chose pubs as the place to sit and write. They were noisy, crowded, and full of life. And they supplied me with a pint or two, or a glass of whisky, or a bit of both, as fuel. These days, however, I've chosen a different venue to get my creative juices flowing.

The Ottawa Public Library.

Yes, it's a total contrast to my previous writing environment. But so far, I'm enjoying it. There are no distractions. It's quiet. I have space to stretch out.

I've been sitting in the same area, often in the same seat, for more than a month now, on Tuesday evenings. And as soon as I sit down and unpack my laptop, I look up and admire the artwork on the ceiling. And this week, I shot it.

As with Songsaengnim, I'll be posting rough drafts of the chapters of Gyeosunim as I finish them. Start looking sometime in January.

Together, we'll see how this setting inspires me.

Notes From My Kids: Dear Tooth Fairy

My kids are now at the age where they are starting to doubt the existence of mythical figures, such as Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Michelin Man, and God.

And the Tooth Fairy.

This week, my youngest lost yet another tooth, and she was doubting whether a little winged pixy was really toting coins and exchanging them for discarded human parts. She asked me if her mom ever put the money under her pillow. I truthfully told her: "I've never seen her do it."

I do it.

So last night, when I went to make the tooth-coin exchange, I found the following note.

It's not the first note she's left for the Tooth Fairy. But usually, she just asks for an autograph, which I have forged, using a pink marker that I usually find with the rest of L's colouring instruments. My colour preference, for the Tooth Fairy, is pink. Seems fairy-like to me. But on the day that L lost her tooth, she left a note asking the Tooth Fairy to not take her tooth, because she wanted to show it to her friend at school. She left a spot for the Tooth Fairy to initial, so that L knew that the Tooth Fairy had stopped by.

I initialled it, but in the dark I grabbed an orange marker, not the pink one. Which got L thinking that the initials were forged, not signed by the Tooth Fairy. The Tooth Fairy always signs in pink, she said.

And so, when I found last night's note, I had to be careful. And, using a pink pen, I wrote the following.

I wrote in my best cursive, which really sucks. I never use cursive when I write. This way, the handwriting matches nothing that my girls are familiar with. And so, we keep the charade.

Thankfully, she never reads my blog.

Wordless Wednesday: Festive Lights

When Monkeys Fly

True story: the whole time that I sat at my computer, tapping out this post, sipping on my pint glass, I had the tune from The Wizard of Oz in my head. You know, the one that played when the Wicked Witch of the West sent her minions out to get Dorothy and bring her and her dog back to the witch's castle?

Her minions, of course, were those winged primates.

Flying Monkeys.

I have to thank one of my Twitter buddies for pointing me towards this week's beer. When I was tasting the Ghosttown Stout and said that I liked it, he told me that if I liked Ghosttown I should try Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale. And so I did. And here are my tasting notes:

Flying Monkeys Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale

Imperial India Porter, 6% alc/vol

LCBO: $12.75, 6x355 ml

Pouring this ale into my pint glass, I noted a dark, reddish brown colour, paler than many porters I've had before but still quite dark. The head was light and creamy, but not thick. It's not a heavy head like you expect on a stout. But then again, this isn't a stout.

On the nose, I picked up hints of coffee and dark cocoa. Nothing powerful, but on the palate, the full flavour came through with licorice and coffee, and a finish of tobacco, possibly some grapefruit too. Some of you may think that tobacco is an undesirable flavour—especially if you don't smoke. But with the coffee and licorice, it's a delicious combination on the palate.

This is a wonderful witch's brew. Or at least a nice reward for those hard-working monkeys. Carrying a screaming girl in ruby shoes and her yappy mutt can't be easy work!

Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery is based in Barrie, Ontario, and seems to be run by folks with a great sense of humour as well as a passion for distinct artisan beers. Check out their creative and fun Web site, read their descriptions about their beer, and you'll see what I mean. Assuming their site is working properly: I hit a few snags on some of the links. Eventually, I went to another site to get more information, where I learned that the brewery has been in existence since 2004 and was originally known as The Robert Simpson Brewing Co. Ltd.

Good thing they changed the name. Flying Monkeys is far more memorable. And fun. Their old name seemed so... normal.

Last week, I also had an opportunity to sample their IPA, Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale (stay tuned for another review in the coming weeks). One great thing I've found with both beers that I tried: they don't shy away from flavour. And I plan to eventually try all of the Flying Monkey offerings.

If you're a dark ale kind of person, pick up a six-pack of Netherworld. You're in for a treat that's far from normal.

But as their label states: Normal is Weird.

Where In Ottawa: The December Edition

Once again, it's time for Where In Ottawa? This is the last round of 2011, and I hope that you've enjoyed playing as much as I've enjoyed exploring the city, looking for eye-catching sites, trying to stump you.

Last month, however, it seems that I didn't stump you enough. The statue at St. Andrew's Church was identified in about four minutes. This time, I'm hoping it'll take longer. At least, long enough for me to get a clue or two in!

So here goes:

Think you know where this photo was shot? Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

If you think you know where this photo was shot, leave a comment in this blog post. The first person who correctly identifies this location will receive a PDF copy of my novel, Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary.

If you've already won this contest, you can still play. I have updated the book, so I'll happily give you an updated copy. You will still, of course, win bragging rights. Which may be more valuable to you.

Good luck!