Inner Punk

I don't know if it was the cancer or the vegan food or this fierce hairstyle but I feel like I'm finally getting in touch with my inner punk. Watch out cancer! I'm going to kick some ass.

(I don't want to dis' the punk community and I realize that it is quite diverse. There are "straight edges", Afropunks, Brit Punks, original skinheads, ska punks, and others. When I think of punk, I think of fierce independence, expressiveness, style, and not taking 'guff from anyone.)

I post these pictures as a testament to a growing acceptance of my look, my scar, my personality, and my body. Through this whole thyroid cancer experience, I have experienced change-- physical (weight gain and my scar), spiritual, emotional, and psychological. I am learning to accept the many facets for what they are-- parts of my journey.

I've never been the popular or the cool kid in elementary and high school. I was always sort of a nerd from the very beginning who walked to the own beat of my drum. I had the glasses, the braces, the acne, and the retainer. For most of my high school years, I didn't shave my legs and stopped relaxing (chemically straightening) my hair, both by choice. It seemed like I was the last one to have a real boyfriend (I was 20!). Yet I was in the band, choir, and student council, wrote for the newspaper, and studied classical piano and jazz saxophone. Even though I wasn't quite scoring in the social department, I threw myself into the academic (and I think it paid off-- 3 degrees. Holla! PhD is down the road... I can almost see it now.) I so identify with those characters on Glee. I used to feel like something was wrong with me since the whole high school thing didn't happen in the formulaic/tv Hollywood way. Now I fully accept myself for who I am and I'm okay with my different-ness. I embrace my uniquenesses and quirks.

My sister's experience with an eating disorder reminded me of how important it is for girls and teenagers to see alternative definitions of beauty and images of diverse women who embrace and love themselves. By diverse, I mean different body heights and shapes, skin colours, abilities, religions, and orientations. Not just the typically all-American pretty girl/super model-types. I was never the skinny girl either. I was put on a diet at the age of eight and was teased for being chubby, too. "However I have realized that within society there is still a major issue that is affecting young women, and that is finding love and satisfaction within themselves. This lack of self-esteem has contributed to the oppression that many of us young women have subjected ourselves to and this has been going on for too long!" Thanks for your inspiring words Tierra. You can learn more about her journey by visiting her website Untouched Beauty.

I'm ready to embrace my curves and step out into this world with these thick black wedge heels, a strong stride, and a badass attitude. I'm ready to lead a full and healthy life.









My friend Denise has found her inner punk too.


The punk hairstyle is all gone but...



I still got that attitude (with less screw face).

Vex in the City: Part 6 Aux Vivres

>< >< >< >< Taste of the food My first tempeh bacon was slightly sweet and slightly salty and scrumptious. The tofu scramble was none like I had before and slightly curried. I loved the crispy sweet potato chips.
>< >< >< >< Look of the food The presentation of the food was so delicately displayed.
>< >< >< >< Environmentally-Responsibility Reusable utensils, plates, and bowls a plus
>< >< >< Health Savvy Organic food. A variety of teas available on menu that were freshly brewed "out of bag" (with their leaves). Each tea had a description for their health benefits. For example, yerba mate helps to promote positive mood and energy.
>< >< >< >< Hospitality/Warmth I did not get into any long discussions with any staff their or owners but our waitress was very friendly and helpful and responsive.
>< >< >< Décor/Vibe Okay. The decor was fairly simple with wood floors and big bright windows. The paintings on the wall were colourful. The music, I don't remember exactly what it was.
Added Perks I choose not to add a rating here since I was not looking out for it while I was there. Plus, the owners were unaware that I was rating their restaurant.
Ethical and Community-Minded I also did not rate this one since I was not looking for these details while I was there.

Price
$20-$29 I think this is very reasonable for what I ordered. I ordered orange juice and an appetizer of my very first Gazpacho (Spanish cold soup). I had Le Complet which came with a beverage (I chose chai tea). If you include my tip, it all came to about $ 24.

While in Montreal, Quebec, I visited Aux Vivres with a group of friends. You can visit their bilingual website here. The restaurant was highly recommended by Lena as a vegan haven. I love the French word for vegan-- végétalien. It sounds almost like the French word for vegetarian- végétarien. What difference one letter makes. Okay, I'll focus on the food here. Whenever I come to a restaurant like Aux Vivres, one with a wide variety of dishes and that is in a different town, I feel like selecting a dish to try is a delicate, calculated process since I am not sure when will be the next time that I return to this location. (I felt it in St. John's, Newfoundland with The Sprout and Burlington, Ontario with Kindfood. You can read my posts on those experiences.) So since it was already 4pm in the afternoon and I still had not had breakfast (no hunger pangs since my appetite still has not fully returned since my radiation), I decided on what appeared to be the most well-rounded meal, Le Complet. Because I love any excuse to use my French (and plus it sounds tastier in this language), let me describe Le Complet for you:
Tofu brouillé, bacon de tempeh, pain de maïs, fruits frais, salade, et patates douces
Priced at $ 10.95, this meal also came with a drink. I chose chai tea. Doesn't that sound delicious? Well, it tasted great and opened up my appetite more. Before I delved into Le Complet, I had a small orange juice (freshly squeezed) and a gazpacho (the soup of the day). I've never had gazpacho before but I know it's an amazingly cold Spanish-style soup. This one was "tomatoe-y", mildly herbed, and refreshingly cold for the hot summer Montreal day. (Montreal is a beautifully old city of extreme temperatures-- frigid arctic-like winters and then there are the broiling days in which you think you are about to wilt, but who cares? You're in Montreal.) My overall food experience at Aux Vivres was great. My friends liked their meals too (especially the huge slice of carrot cake which had coconut milk frosting, I love coconut milk frosting).







Le menu bilingue. (The bilingual menu)


Soupe du jour: Le gazpacho (une soupe éspagnole)


Une tasse du thé chai (a cup of chai tea)


Le Complet (which means literally The Full or The Complete, a breakfast of scrambled tofu, seitan bacon, sweet potatoes, fruit, salad, and a slice of cornbread toast)


Denise a commandé une tranche du gâteau aux carottes mais il semble qu'elle ait besoin de l'aide pour le manger. Donc, j'ai mangé un petit morceau. C'étais le moins que je pouvais faire.
(Denise ordered a slice of carrot cake but it seemed like she needed help to finish eating it. So I had a little bite. It's the least I could do.)