Hey y’all I’m migrating my reviews to WordPress, head on over if you want to keep following my reviews!

Cheers!

https://dokdokbing.wordpress.com/

Eddie Huang is my modern day Bruce Lee, like Bruce Lee he is a philosopher. He embraces and promotes the idea that we need to identify ourselves not by race but by our personal identity.

For those that do not know who Eddie Huang is he is a Hip Hop head, sneaker freak, pot smoking, lawyer, Video Host, Published Writer, Restaurant owner and all round bad ass mofo.

I originally discovered him through videos posted on Youtube by Vice Productions, The segment called Fresh off the Boat takes you to other countries and cities and educates you on the food AND the culture.  All of course in his unique way, he’s blunt, honest and not afraid to offend but at the end of it you can’t help but like the guy.

Reading his book Fresh off the Boat reminded me of my childhood, the physical punishment, always being told what to do for my future, who to associate with. Heck I didn’t realize the chicken feather duster* was actually used for cleaning until the age of 15.

*(Commonly used as an attitude adjuster in Chinese households)

I just never felt like anything I did was good enough, imagine what the world would be like if our culture nurtured creativity and independent thought?

In the book he talks of his early trouble with the law, racism, bullies, but mostly how through all the years of adversity food was always a staple for him. His thoughts on ethnic foods relate much to how we should feel about ourselves, our shit is good enough! Forget all this fusion and catering to peoples palettes, it’s up to people to catch up.

Hats off to Eddie for being his own man and sharing his story, hopefully it inspires the uninspired to live life trying to find what makes themselves unique and most importantly happy.

To get a better idea of his persona check out this link to his Talk at the Big Omaha Conference:

 

 

 

One of the great things about living in my neighbourhood is the selection of restaurants and cafes, I’m writing this while sitting in the cafe I’m reviewing =)

Cafes are a place I can go to be with others or be alone, a place where ideas can be discussed or conceived. It’s the comfort of a cafe that makes it appealing and Satori accomplishes that.

With a small but diverse menu Satori provides something for every appetite, from a tasty dessert to a filling meal they have it all.

Today I tried the Beef Stew and Grilled cheese sandwich.

At first I wasn’t sure if it was going to be enough but wow was I ever wrong, the beef was tender and fell apart in your mouth. You didn’t even have to bite! the stew has a wonderful sweetness to it and an excellent balance of flavors, the bread provided was perfect for soaking up every last drop of stew. 

Next up was the Fontina Grilled cheese sandwich, I was so full from the stew I could only finish half of it lol (It was the perfect snack later on) The cheese was so soft and worked well with the bread.

If you’re just up for a beverage they also offer a wide range of coffee and teas, I tried the Rose latte. Highly recommended!

 

Have a party or event you’d like to enjoy these delectable treats? have no fear cause Satori offers catering!

Here is a link to their extended catering menu Satoricatering   

 

The Macarons are a must try and come in a variety of flavors:

Sesame
Chai
Green Tea
Red Bean
Chocolate Ganache
w/ Lychee Butter Cream Filling

 

So if you’re looking for a new place to call your own I highly recommend dropping by Satori Factory, if your looking to fill a bigger appetite you can hop next door to Chau Veggie Express which is also owned and operated by Chef Maria Huynh.

Satori Factory is located on 

5054 Victoria Drive 
Vancouver, BC V5P3T8

 

 

 

 

   

I’ve officially outgrown my camera bag! as my interest and skills have improved in photography I have amassed more tools to get the job done.

Having been so well served by incase I figured I turn to them for my replacement bag, so within their camera bag series I selected the DSLR Pro Pack.

The first notable feature I like is the 2 strap design, because of the weight of my lenses the sling was not sitting properly when worn. This bag feels secure and also offers a front snap to prevent the straps from sliding off.

The bag has many compartments so storage is not a problem, they are all covered and tucked away for a minimalist look but maximize functionality. 

Like my last bag it also includes the Tripod carry strap, it does have a little more length in the straps to accommodate a larger tripod.

On the front of the bag you get a slot for a 15″ laptop, a slot for an ipad and multiple pockets for cords, pens, stylus. It is well padded to provide excellent protection.

Now comes the main attraction, the customizable multi compartment!!!! Each padded wall has velcro so it can be placed any way you want. A great added feature is a zippered access on top of the bag to get to your camera. A cool feature is that the bag opens on the back so it keeps your items safe from being stolen while you are wearing it.

Here’s a link to the incase site if you want to check it out and the others in the collection. I picked this up at a local store called Livestock, big ups to them for always having awesome products available.

Happy Holiday shopping everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my last review I spoke about a local business by the name of Headphone Bar, I was intrigued by their products and decided to return to purchase a Headphone amplifier.

After sitting down to try a few of the models I decided to go with the Fiio E11, it is a portable inline amplifier with 3 adjustable EQ settings.

These are the earphones/headphones i’ll be testing today it with:

Shure E2C

Apple Ear Pods

Apple In ear

Beats by Dre Solo HD

 

The music I’ll be using to test:

Avril Lavigne – Sk8ter Boi

The Weeknd – Rolling Stone

College – A Real Hero

Schumann – No.2 Aufschwung

Jay-Z – Dirt off your Shoulders

Tycho – Coastal Brake

The Fiio E11 box contains the E11 amp, a 3 inch 3.5mm to 3.5mm interconnect, short usb mini cable, and two silicone bands.  

The amp is made mainly of plastic and has a removable lithium ion battery, It is a BL-58 model. The battery lasts about 10-12 hours and takes 3 hours to charge.

There are 2 bass boost settings, 2 gain settings and a (low power/high power) battery saving function. A feature I particularly enjoy is that the volume is controlled by a good ol fashion knob, it gives you that tactile feel and precise control and it also powers the amp on and off.

The switch placements were well thought out as they are placed in a manner that no accidental switching can occur while in your bag or pockets. The light weight construction and size make it very portable, the two silicone bands are used to attach your amp to your audio device.

Sound impressions:

When using my Apple in ear and Ear pods this is where you find to the most dramatic change, everything is enhanced. Bass is booming mids become in existence and the high end is crisp. You start hearing things that you didn’t originally hear in the song.

When using the Shure EC2 and Beats by Dre Solo HD’s the sound is fuller and rich, it envelops you with sound. Normally with my EC2′s I don’t heavy bass response but with the bass setting on 1 it is quite booming with bass, on the Solo’s the headphones shake on my head the bass is so heavy.

Here are some setting combinations for various audio preferences.

1) Full Rich Sound – High Power / Low Gain / 2 EQ

2) Clear Mids and Highs and low Bass – Low Power / High gain / 1 EQ 

3) Max Power – High Power / High gain / 2 EQ

I purchased the E11 for $64.99 + taxes and it is worth every dollar, it is very portable easy to use and has a great battery life. The sound it produces is unreal and it can make almost any pair of headphones sounds incredible.

Special thanks to Travis at Headphone Bar for his assistance in my purchase.

Oh and I almost forgot about my techie readers, here are the specs:

Specs: 

Power Source (Adapter)：DC 5V, 500mA  ●Frequency Response：10~100KHz

●Signal to Noise Ratio：≥98dB  ●Crosstalk：60dB

●Gain：≥12dB(High); ≥6dB(Low)  ●Total Harmonic Distortion：

●Maximum Output Power：Voltage=H  300mW(16Ω)  Voltage=L  120mW(16Ω)

●Battery charge time：200M  ●Battery play hours: >10H

●Recommended Headphone Impedance：16~300Ω  ●Input Impedance：>5KΩ

●Size：92.5x 54.2x 13.4mm   ●Weight：65g (battery included)

 

 

 

 

My original goal today was to find new lenses for my camera, I parked my car by a nearby thrift store and when I got to the meter there was 2 hours already paid.

I figured with this awesome gift of free time I’d walk around a little longer, I’m glad I did cause during the course of my stroll I found a hidden gem of a store

Inside there were a few customers with headphones on and a very helpful gentleman by the name of Travis, after helping me find replacement sleeves for my Shure EC2′s we sat down at chatted about his store and how it came to be.

When I asked him about his reasons for opening Headphone Bar, he said that he felt there were many products for audiophiles that weren’t available or easily accesible to in Vancouver.

Headphone Bar carries In-ear headphones, Over the Head headphones, Inline portable/non portable amplifiers, Bluetooth adaptors, Portable speakers and a variety of plugs.

What’s special about Headphone Bar is that it is completely dedicated to portable audio, carrying so many different brands the selection seems endless and having the ability to just sit and listen really brings about the “Bar” in Headphone Bar. It lets you carefully chose your audio experience and make better decisions about what you should purchase.

One thing I’m particularly interested in trying our the inline headphone amplifiers, these range in price from as low as $30-$800.

 

For more details please visit Headphone Bar or drop by their showroom, Travis is extremely informative and helpful.

It is a Canadian exclusive so show your support for a local business.

Happy shopping everybody 

 

 

It’sssssss REVIEWWW TIMEEEEE!!!!!, with my budding interest in photography taking over my life I will be reviewing a lens I purchased for my camera.

Recently there has been a very popular mobile app called instagram which allows you to add filters and effects to your photos, what I’ve found is a lens that recreates those effects.

Here’s a little background on Holga, Beginning in Hong Kong in the early 80′s Holga introduced inexpensive plastic cameras for the working class Chinese. What makes this company interesting is that it’s praise was earned for it’s in inaccuracy and light leaks, it made the photographer have to be more creative and focus on more innovative ways to shoot photos.

I visited the website holgadirect.com to place my order, they offer a variety of packages which include additional filters. I decided to go with the basic lens for my Sony NEX 5, Holga makes lenses for most brands including Canon, Olympus, Nikon, Pentax, Panasonic and more.

The price point on this is super low, my lens including shipping came to $23.24….. really?? really?? 

The lens is a 25mm Fixed aperture F/8 with Manual focus, it attaches smoothly to the body of the NEX as the build quality is quite good for a plastic lens.  It includes a lens cap for both front and back.

Here are some sample shots:

The Vignetting adjusts based on the focal point, it comes in handy cause its one less thing to edit in lol.

Because of the fixed aperture light input is adjusted using your shutter speed and ISO settings, Indoor shooting is a little tricky but outdoors is where it really shines.

Final thoughts: It’s a fun inexpensive lens totally worth a try, it’s kind of a gamble using it as you get unexpected results.

I have a few more lenses on the way and will post reviews of those later, until then Live long and prosper!

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago at a Bday party I had the pleasure of meeting someone that has taken their passion and skills and turned it into a business, a tasty business at that.

Her name is Elaine Cheng owner and operator of Cookies By E, she had made some cookies for the Birthday girl and I must say it was love at first bite.

We talked about the creation and motivation behind her business and after loving what I had just sampled I decided to place an order. 

Here’s a link to the website cookiesbye.ca here you’ll find a selection of over 40 recipes to choose from. They range from cookies, bars and cakes, I decided to go with the

Cherry Chocolate chunks and Hidden Gems.

Cherry Chocolate Chunks

Taste impressions:

The dough is cooked perfectly, it’s soft but not as soft as the chocolate that melts once you take a bite. The cherry is not overpowering and complements the other flavours.

 

Hidden Gems

Taste impression:

A variety of textures is experienced when first biting into these, the soft chocolate shell the moist chewy base and the marshmallow center. One word people……MOUTHGASM

If you’re looking for a gift or just some sweet indulgence I highly recommend placing an order, Elaine is quick and concise with her responses and very good with timelines.  

Ordering is easy through the website, please note that due to the fact she is the sole owner and chef to place your orders with time to spare…….Believe me it’s worth the wait.

Happy eating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the aluminum finish on my Macbook Air but man do I ever get paranoid about damaging it, it’s like it’s to pretty to use or something.

One of my recent purchases was an awesomesauce bag made by Incase so I looked to them for options, and this is what I found.

 

Much that is out there is quite pricey so I thought I’d try to find the most unique and functional.

The case is a snap on design which allows it to be non intrusive, It is also very thin so I can still fit it in my bag with no problems. The case is also perforated to allow for heat release, this is quite unique as most I’ve seen do not offer this. It also comes in multiple colours I chose to go with the White as it has a high gloss finish.

The other colours can be viewed here :http://goincase.com/products/detail/perforated-hardshell-case-cl57892 #Incase

Here are some pics with the case on

 

Great fit and finish, I was able to find this at a local mac store called #Simply Computing www.simply.ca

I ended up paying $49.99 + taxes which is average for these type of cases. 

See you on my next review where I’ll be checking out the new Ipad Smart Case

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve recently taken up an interest in photography and noticed that most camera bags on the market either make you look like a tourist, or don’t offer carrying options for laptops and Ipads.

So a quick surf of the net brought me to the item we are reviewing today, I picked this up at a local shop called Livestock (www.deadstock.ca) for $110.00+taxes.

Here are some of the key features of this bag:

Adjustable camera and lens compartment dividers

Multiple internal pockets for small devices and accessories

Adjustable tripod carry straps

External zipper pocket with Iphone slip pocket

AND dun dun dun a padded notebook compartment that fits an 11″ macbook air or Ipad.

The bag is extremely comfortable to wear and the sling format allows you to access items without having to remove it, in the event you have to the quick release located on the front makes it easy as well.  The padding is soft and thick to ensure the safety of your items and the back has a mesh panel for improved breathability.

 

The adjustable dividers allow you to fit DSLR size cameras and multiple lenses, I’m currently using a Sony NEX 5 so there is plenty of room.

 

The Ipad/Macbook Air pocket is a plus for me cause I like to review photos on the retina display of my Ipad rather than the tiny screen of my camera, the tripod carrying strap is easy to operate and is great for those late night gorilla photoshoots (not that I’ve ever trespassed on private property……)

So if you’re looking to consolidate I highly recommend this bag, it’s lightweight and feature packed. If you need something with more room I’d check out the incase website www.goincase.com, they offer the pro series of the sling and backpack version.

Till my next review, until then happy shopping.