iLike: Beard Papa's

 So this is a box o'love. Seriously. I discovered Beard Papa's on the lower half of Robson Street while I was at the Olympics. Being on foot in a neighbourhood that's somewhat unfamiliar has its perks and this was one of them.

For the uninitiated, Beard Papa's is an little hole-in-the-wall Asian bakery that makes cream puffs, eclairs and cheesecake. The cream puffs and eclairs are filled with a wonderful custard instead of whip cream. They bake them fresh every day and the custard filling for the cream puffs comes in different flavours. (The original vanilla is my fav.) When you order, they fill the cream puffs right in front of you, so everything is as tasty as it comes.

 Doesn't this look yummy?

What I love about them is they are not very sweet, which is the beauty of Asian baked goods for me. (I'm not a sweet tooth.) The thing is, it's almost impossible to eat just one-they are that good!

I actually snuck these through security during the Olympics because I was burnt out on the snacks we were given every day. (Oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies got old real fast!) My guys and I were nibbling on cream puffs at the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies too. I think the people sitting around us were wondering where we got them because clearly we had the better treats!

Anyway, these are one of my all time favourite things and we had them for dessert on Sunday night. It's a good thing the bakery is downtown or I'd be eating them more often...though I just discovered there's a location closer to home. Maybe I need to check it out...

2010 Paralympic Opening Ceremonies

I've finally had time to upload the pics from the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies! YAY! *mouse over the images to get the captions* It was a really wonderful opening, with the theme of the day being about movement and ability and how one person can inspire many. The whole thing felt like a huge celebration-it was very joyful. It was such a different flavour from the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

One of the things that I liked alot was that everyone was on their feet cheering the entire time the athletes were coming into the stadium. Every single team was give the warmest of welcomes. We had these white pom poms that had mini lights inside them and everyone was waving them madly. Whoever came up with that had a great idea! Honestly, if the athletes didn't feel totally embraced, loved and supported after that, then there's nothing more we could do to convince them. We are thrilled to be hosting them!

For our family, the most touching part of the ceremonies was when they paid a special tribute to Canadian hero Terry Fox. They played a video clip of Terry speaking about his quest to raise funds for cancer research and when I looked over at my husband, I could see he was tearing up. He went to school with Terry and he knows the family. We were so excited when Terry's mum and dad, Rolly and Betty came out onto the stadium floor carrying a torch between them. It was very touching and so fitting that they help light the Paralympic flame.

I think the ceremonies organizers did a fantastic job showcasing the ability of people with disabilities. I don't think anyone could walk away not feeling inspired by what they saw. It was a beautiful celebration of the realms of possibility that lie within each of us.

Now I am glued to the TV watching the sledge hockey and hoping that Canada will be able to claim another gold medal. The games have been fabulous so far!