Community

There is no sincerer love than the love of food,” said George Bernard Shaw. In Victoria, no sincerer love is expressed as passionately than at Camille’s.

When Lisa Stekelenburg became the manager of Camosun College’s Child Care Services, she had no idea her duties would include putting together the biggest public tea expo on the continent. Yet here she is, organizing the Victoria Tea Festival, happening this weekend at the Crystal Garden.

Richard Wagamese knows that telling a story isn’t just about the speaking. It’s about adhering to the five principals of traditional Native oral art: telling, listening, hearing, incorporating and sharing.

For anyone still looking for their Valentine this month, but feeling wary of internet match-ups and too weary for the five-minutes-of-fame speed dating gives you, there’s a new alternative in town: speed dating slowed down.

It only takes a quick look around to see that stigma still runs rampant on the streets of Victoria. That fact is easy enough to brush off as you say ‘No change’ to the homeless person with a hand out, or frown at the junkie sloped against a building’s brick wall. But our own biases get harder to ignore when the organizations around the city throw “Anti-Stigma Week: Drug Use, Dignity and Human Rights” from Feb.

While Western celebrations tend to involve lots of noise and partying, the Chinese New Year traditionally focuses on family and food. Ingredients have symbolic meanings, and it’s believed to be very important to eat things that will bring good fortune and harmony in the coming year. Luckily, a few of Victoria’s restaurants in and around Chinatown will be providing special menus to mark the occasion.

You want to get in shape, but the idea of a personal trainer session or spin class makes you feel as ill as when you downed five eggnogs back to back over the holidays. Luckily, Victoria has tonnes of ship-shape offerings that make exercising fun and funky.

In the winter months, we’re much more likely to curl up with some consumable media than spread out to catch some sun on a beach blanket. But as 2011 slowly marches on and the next statutory holiday is but a faint glimmer on the horizon, why not turn that favourite book, movie or TV show into a theme for a weekend getaway? Sci-Fi and fantasy nerds, rejoice! You needn’t look any further than Seattle, where exhibits featuring Battlestar Galactica and the Harry Potter series are on now.

Rachel Paish is not a doctor. In fact, she’s not even a real nurse. Yet, in or out of costume, she’s aiding women in the Victoria community on body image, sexuality, feminism and fun with Passion and Performance — a new dance studio owned and operated by Paish herself.

I love salt. Rock salt is my favourite and I would risk my life before handing it over to the salt-intake police. As this is a healthy eating report, perhaps I should be backing the Government of Canada’s mission to cut the salt in 2011. Instead, I will only suggest that you skip the processed food (the true salt bandit), pick healthy options from a range of old and new world traditions and apply all portion sizes sparingly. This to me is the picture of health.