Geneva Park

Homesick for a Certain Park


So far I think I have been pretty good with the whole homesickness thing. At the beginning it was tough, but having Dan here has helped a lot. We’ve been here in Korean for almost 10 months now and it finally started to hit me this week.

It is now August and it is one of my most favorite times of the year since I was old enough to remember. On reason is because this is the month of my birthday, of coarse and who doesn’t love a good party? However, why I love this month more than any other is because for two weeks of this summer my family spends at Geneva Park.

When someone asks me, “what is so special about this place”… it is hard to describe. Yes, it may be a little rustic. Having a cottage with no bathroom or shower, that you have to walk a couple of minutes to walk to instead may be a turn off for some. Also, no TV or inerenet (though some of us have cheated and brought it up anyways) has really never mattered to me in any sense.

Feeling homesick this week for Geneva Park and being surrounded by kiddies for 8 hours of the day, I started to describe this place to them. None of them really have cottages, so it was hard for them to understand, but when I described the shire, swim dock and craft shop- they though it was pretty cool. I wish they could experience something like Geneva park one day.

I think the main reason why I love it so much and have this homesick feeling in my stomach at this moment in time is that I have so many memories with friends and families that will last more than a lifetime. I think I have a memory for every inch of that park. What I always loved about and still love about Geneva Park is that even though you see these friends and families for about 2 weeks out of every summer, when you go back, everyone is still the same. Not meaning the exact same, but the relationship you have are the same. You can go a year without really keeping in touch- life gets busy, you say you will stay in touch and you don’t. I always find though, as soon as I return to the park, the friendship is the same as it was left the year before. People, get older, kids get older, but the relationship stays the same.

When I was a teenager, I knew my mother thought that I might get bored, but I really didn’t. It was definitely my friends up there that kept it fun and interesting. It was also a place that was very safe and one of the first places where my parents let me go out and about througout the park on my own or with some friends.

It was also a place where there was a lot of firsts. First place I learned how to swim, first place O learned how to ride a bike, first place a stayed out later that 1am-(as long as I was with a friend), first place I ever drank screwdrivers (vodka supplied by a certain family member and orange juice supplied by the court!), first place I learned how to water ski, first place a I learned how to canoe, first place I skinny dipped (technically not on GP property) first place I got my drivers lisense and could drive and the list goes on….
As I mentioned before, I have so many memories at this park. Here are a few of my favourites. I tried to list then on chronological order:

When I was little..

1) Playing My Little Poney with Katie Burfield behind her cottage. I think we were both under 7 at this time.
2) When lightning hit a huge tree beside our cottage and split a tree in half- my parent were still together at this point and said I slept through the whole thing. My dad kept a chunk of the tree and we still have it today
3) Swimming at the swim dock in freezing cold water on pouring rain days. My swim teacher always dreaded when I came on these days because she would have to get in the freezing cold water with me. It didn’t effect me at all!
4) The Shire: So many memories by themselves in here, but playing on the “vomit commit” was the best! It is sadly not there anymore, but it was the best thing there!
5) Tennis lessons at tennis court was fun- especially when your friends keep their helmets on through the whole thing!
6) When Andrew Westbrook went on a bike ride with me and my dad, hit a pot hole and went head first over his bike, knocking his two front teeth out. Not funny at the time, but I can laugh about now how when I think of his parents walking around with a flashlight at night trying to find the teeth he knocked out.
7) The ski show/learning how to water ski- besides having an awesome instructor to learn how to water ski (and good looking- though I was too young to care at the time) was so much fun and I even got to be in the ski show one year.
8) The Tuck Shop- So many yummy treats- our family use to go almost every night for ice cream, candy and other goodies!
9) Exploring the park with the Netters- these girls were so much fun and we would have great adventures together!
10) Variety night- The princess bride was a fun play I did with my friends and the numerous songs I did onstage with my cousin- sorry to put you all through that!
11) Fishing with my dad. We usually only caught only very small fish, but still fun.

Getting Older…

12) Lying about my age so I could be in “Group” with my cousin and friends who were all older than me. As well as playing pranks on the youngins’. If you are from gp you will know 
13) Jetskiing with my family. Throwing friends off the back of them was fun too!
14) Island swim- though it was early and very cold, I loved swimming it and having my mom cheer me on was the best!
15) Being anywhere with my group of friends and staying out late. This memory is more general, but it was always a good time.
16) Pancake Breakfast-I put it here because even though as I got older, I still loved it, but it was more painful to wake up this early to the yelling of Mr.Westbrook and Mr. Hissa! Oh and thanks for using megaphones and bagpipes now guys!
17) Drinking Slooshies with my most favourite cousin Katie!

My most favourite memories now…

18) Lying on the swim dock. It is the perfect place to tan and relax because there is a breeze and you can easily hop into the water whenever you want.
19) Eating dinner and being with my family. We have the best meals and junk fodd at this time of year, its also nice to spend time with my cousins during this time of year.
20) Go karting- we did not do this a GP, but we would drive down to Barrie and have fun trying not to kill each other in these cars.
21) My Birthday! My birthday was great this year too, but am so use to having it up at Geneva Park, that it felt weird. Also- nothing compares to a Maripoza Score cake! I am craving one so badly right now!
22) Sunset Rock- Love watching the sun set from here.
23) Fallen rock- Also another great place to watch the sun set and swim here too.

The Shawarma Guide 2008

As originally appeared in The Fulcrum. Reprinted without permission, but who cares. Screw them.


Shawarma is like sex; sometimes it’s a little sloppy, sometimes you are a little too drunk, and sometimes you wake up the next morning and can’t help but wonder what the hell you were thinking. On the other hand everyone has had shawarma that’s a little dry or leaves a bad taste in your mouth afterwards; but despite any bad experiences you may have, you still want more. Whatever the case may be, you build up experiences that shape your life and when you look back you can't help but smile. Welcome to the Shawarma Guide.

Shawarma is right on top of the list of Ottawa staples, right next to Beaver Tales and angry French people. The garlic is potent, the turnip is pink, the meat is delicious, and they are everywhere! Ottawa boasts an impressive 217 establishments that serve Shawarma sandwiches, and we went on a mission to find the best. Just a reminder as well, if your breath stinks from eating too much garlic; eat some fresh parsley, brush your damn teeth, or get your girlfriend to eat Shawarma with you.

There are a few things to take into account before we get into the results of the study.

Money:
I’m a poor student, and cannot afford to eat Shawarma’s every night for over half the year, therefore we did not sample every place on every street.

Location:
We only visited locations that were within a reasonable walking distance from Campus and the Market. There are many Shawarma joints in Orleans and Kanata, and all other parts of the city but that is for another time. None of the locations require a bus ride, which is helpful since your breathe will stink so bad no one will want to sit next to you.

Ordering:
We stuck with the generic sandwich. In order to maintain consistency we ordered the chicken sandwich with everything on it, and of course, Garlic Sauce!! We do make mention of specials and delicacies at some locations but there is way too much out there to try everything on the menu. Each of the locations do serve Falafel for all the vegetarians out there, but my partners and I love meat, so we stuck with what we know.

Scoring:
We began with a breakdown of each element of the experience; Location, Bang for Buck, Atmosphere, Overall tastiness and freshness of Ingredients. There were a possible 50 points up for grabs, but because of the breakdown of the numbers some of the results were skewed. For example one place would have a terrific location but poor product and end up scoring the same as somewhere that was a little out of the way but had great food. Once we decided the focus should be on taste, we decided to adopt a Five-Star rating, and use the points system simply as a guide to help compiling our descriptions.

My colleagues:
We never entered an establishment without at least 3 participants present. I was there for each visit,

Caitlin Heggie: 4th year communication major
Lindsay Hughes: 4th year communication major
Matt Pilley: 4th year Psychology major

The Shawarma Guide

Close but No Cigar

Sandrella
124 Osgoode St.

This newcomer to the Sandy Hill area doesn’t make a mark as far as good Shawarma goes. They are within a stone’s throw of the university but their product is sub-par. The sparse amount of chicken that was provided was dry, and the sauce selection didn’t provide enough of cover. The pita wasn’t heated so the chicken quickly looses heat as well. The overall taste isn’t terrible, but it was all over much too quickly. Sandrella is a chain, and the other location is much more reputable, serving great meat pies and pockets. This is a new location so hopefully they are planning to grow their selection. Overall, not a bad snack between classes.

2.5/5


Support the little-man

Johnny’s Pizza/Shawarma
233 Laurier Avenue East.

Johnny’s is a Sandy Hill classic. Just a block away from campus sits this small but great take-out joint. Johnny’s has only been offering Shawarma for a couple years, but they have made a mark on the neighbourhood. The Shawarma is good, though for a carnivore more meat would be welcomed. The sandwich is grilled after being wrapped, and the size is adequate, but the garlic sauce is brilliantly potent. The restaurant itself is all about the food; with little seating and no bathrooms takeout is encouraged. The menu as a whole is full of great food, the pizza is $2.50 a slice and there aren’t many places where you can compliment your sandwich with a poutine. The staff are always friendly and engaging, and the food gets better as the night goes on. Unfortunately not open Sundays.

4/5

Bigger is Better

Marroush International Shawarma
Corner of Rideau and Dalhousie

In my world, Marroush is Arabic for big freaking sandwich. This small corner joint is all about size. The restaurant may appear to be a little sketch; there’s no sign to say how much things cost, the music is blasting, but all you need to know is that a small (5 bucks) is big, and a large (8 bucks) is nicknamed a bazooka. Marroush is the ultimate in after-bar munchies. Marroush is by far the biggest sandwich you can get; most meat, most toppings, most sauce, it’s awesome. Be careful what you wish for- if you ask for more sauce, it will be swimming in garlic. Marroush is minimalist in decor and seating, so best to take it outside. The Fallafel sandwich is decent but unless you really truly can’t eat meat, man up and get the full service!

Elgin Street Location
380-C Elgin St.

The Elgin street location is the original and better of the two locations. The owner is a little eccentric, daunting the famous stolen line “No Shawarma for you” and carrying the title Marroush the Shawarma Nutsy. The walls are plastered with press clippings and polaroids of drunken women dancing on the countertops. It’s not very big inside and the weekend after-bar scene can get crazy, but it’s definitely a must-have shawarma experience.

4.5/5


Even the King and Queen Need a ‘Palace’

Palace
464 Rideau St. -Just past Chapel

Shawarma has never tasted better! Unlike many of the Shawarma joints around the school, Place encourages you to sit down and enjoy yourself. The sandwiches are served on ceramic plates and stainless steel cutlery is provided. Palace is clean, which is re-assuring at the least, and the staff is friendly and funny, joking around with their customers and best of all they make you feel like a regular even on your first visit. The chicken is always juicy and the vegetables are always fresh and crispy. They offer a variety of sauces including humus and tatziki, and the garlic sauce is the best around. The Shawarma is capped off by being grilled on a real fire grill, which gives the pita a crispiness that doesn’t get stale if you get it to go. Palace offers a full variety of Lebanese dishes, including fresh and properly kept Fallafel and baklava that melts in your mouth. If you are feeling adventurous give the Yogurt drinks a chance, they perfectly compliment the harsh garlic. Palace is a little further away than the other places, but it is worth every step.

5/5

A ‘Diamond’ is not always a girl’s best friend

Diamond Shawarma
354 ½ Rideau St. –Across from Lowblaws

Diamond is a mediocre Shawarma place. The Location isn’t terrible, but there isn’t a whole lot of reason to go there when you are surrounded with several places that may be cheaper and taste better. The amount of chicken wasn’t bad, but the veggies didn’t look very fresh and the restaurant as a whole didn’t look very clean. The service was friendly though a little slow, so if you are getting take-out before heading across the road to the Bytowne Cinema, allow yourself a couple extra minutes. They also carry a wide variety of Lebanese treats and candy, and if you are feeling a little stressed out, they also offer $3.50 tall-boys and have wine on the menu.

3/5

Shawarma Pastry and Pies oh my!

Best Pies and Shawarma
180 Lees Avenue

‘Best’ is a little gem located in the bottom of Lees Towers. There are only about 2 seats in the whole place, but the food is cheap and great. The sandwiches aren’t incredible, but its location makes it a perfect stop off on your way to or from class. The sandwiches are average size with a good amount of chicken and veggies. Best Pies also offers a wide selection of meat, cheese, and veggie pies and pockets, all of which are top notch. My favourites are the chicken pocket and the meat and cheese pies, and if you ask for the extra spices it gets that much better. The pies and pockets are made in a full blown pizza oven, so ask to get your shawarma heated up in the oven and it gives it a unique flavour that none of the big places offer.

4/5

The ‘Deluxe’ Market Treatment

Shawarma Deluxe
347 Dalhousie Street

Shawarma Deluxe is a great good place to grab a sandwich after the bar or any time you find yourself in the market with an itch for garlic. Deluxe is on Dalhousie a little out of the way from the bars, but with its bright neon sign it’s hard to miss. The sandwiches are a good size for only 4 bucks and they have green peppers as toppings, which despite not being a typical shawarma topping does add a unique flavour twist. The sandwich was heated up before the vegetables went on, which kept them fresh tasting and contrasted well with the hot juicy chicken. The after bar scene is always a good time; the staff is engaging and the night-timers all wear chef hats with various signatures on them, not to mention the owner looks as though he used to cook in the army. Deluxe is fully licensed, and if you are looking to try something new (with unknown meat) try the 2 donairs for $5.50.

4/5

Not so worthy of his throne

Shawarma’s King
395 Bank Street

The King has been dethroned, or so it seems. Located on the Bank Street Promenade, King was once a great Shawarma place, but its steady decline now includes a building that is falling apart. Plastered all over the windows and walls are Consumer Choice awards for 11 running, but my experience did not match theirs. The garlic sauce was good, but there wasn’t enough to counter the dry chicken. Bank Street is a rough looking part of the downtown area, which doesn’t bode well for King, since its only real draw for students is if they’re coming home from Barrymores. The dining area was not tidy and there was a gap in the floor where tiles had broken but were never fixed. The surroundings of a restaurant shouldn’t make you question why you are there. Luckily they do offer free delivery on orders over $10, so you don’t have to worry so much about the decor.

2.5/5

Shawarma with class; an oxymoron or just a moron?

Garlic Corner-Best Shawarma
321 Dalhousie Street

The Garlic Corner is more about style than substance. New to the market, and backed by what looks to be some serious cash, is the slickest looking Shawarma place I’ve ever been to. Garlic Corner is like the Jurassic Park of Shawarma places; instead of coming from the bottom and working their way to the top, they’ve spent money to look the best, get the best equipment, but the quality of the end product just isn’t as great. The sandwich had all the properties of a typical shawarma, but instead of being toasted it was burnt not to mention it was so awkwardly wrapped that more ended up on the floor than in my mouth. There are several flat-screen plasmas on the walls but the choice of decorum doesn’t add up to much. They do offer beer and for ten bucks you can get some Hookah (with 6 or so different flavours to choose from) delivered right to your table.

2/5



After several weeks and a lot of shawarma, I can’t help but think of this as a great experience. I’ve had a lot of great food and some not so great. Shawarma is an important part of student life. We all want cheap, fast, great tasting food, and I hope this guide will help you choose the most fitting shawarma for your lifestyle. The consensus favourite among the panel was without a doubt Shawarma Palace. The taste and quality is in a league of their own. If size is what you are looking for then Marroush is the place for you. The quality of food is a little inconsistent but the size is enough to keep you going back. After all is said and done, of the nine places reviewed there are several that I’ll be returning to; Shawarma Palace, Marroush, Best Pies and Shawarma, Johnny’s and Shawarma Deluxe. There are so many Shawarma places to choose from, and we could only get to a small handful. Our guide is a good place to start but don’t be afraid to try any and every shawarma place around. The majority are locally owned and it always feels good to know you are helping out local business, even if your money is only coming from OSAP.

John Legend and The Roots perform

John Legend and The Roots performed a couple tracks from their upcoming album "Wake Up", which it set to drop September 21st.

The first track is "Shine", followed by the very funky "Hard Times"

New Vid from Exile

New Video from Exile's new LP AM/FM. Makes you want to drive with the windows down on an Sunday afternoon in August. Just not in Seoul.

Exile - Your Summer Song (Remix Ft. J. Mitchell) from Dirty Science on Vimeo.

Aloe Black Interview

Aloe has been playing some shows gearing up for the release of his next album, Good Things which will drop September 28th. September is looking to be a huge month with John Legend and The Roots and Aloe Blacc both dropping new LPs. Good Things is going to be a pure soul album.

Aloe also eludes to a new Emanon album, Bird's Eye View which will be coming out very soon. The new album will be very political in nature. Check out the first track after the interview

Aloe talking with LA Stereo TV

New Emanon track Death is Fair

More Wake Up News

The new John Legend/The Roots collabo will drop on September 21st. They just released the album art and track listing. Just makes me more pumped to hear the whole LP.

1. “Compared to What”
2. “Hard Times”
3. “Little Ghetto Boy”
4. “Wake Up Everybody” feat. Common and Melanie Fiona
5. “Our Generation”
6. “Love the Way It Should Be”
7. “Hang On in There”
8. “I Can’t Write Left Handed”
9. “Wholy Holy”
10. “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”
11. “Shine”

Big Boi--Follow Us and Behind the Scenes Vid