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This month I have chosen to profile a book entitled “Retard is a Four-Letter Word” written by Janet Fehr.

 This book reveals the frailties of the human existence.  Not necessarily by profiling the people the author came into contact with who have disabilities, but by profiling the failure of the world around them  to treat them as viable members of the human race.

Take the example of a certain young woman who had her life laid out on the table like food at a banquet, only to have her accomplishments ripped apart and dissected until her spirit was rigidly held in check by the blatant non-support of even her family members.  How many of us would be able to hold our emotions in check like this without exploding at those around us who had treated us so callously?  Who should have too?

 The author also expresses the blatant disrespect people working in the field of rehab had for the people they worked for.  The majority of the book was written in an institutional setting, but that still does not make it right for anyone being treated the way “these people” have been historically treated. The author’s words should teach us that we are all the same.  All people have their frailties and idiosyncrasies.  This is what makes us all human.

 

This is just on person’s opinion of a must read book.

 

 

   

 

Culinary Conversations -

Getting TropiKal at TropiKa

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to my premiere column “Culinary Conversations” in the premiere issue of Wheels About Magazine! A review of Calgary restaurants, their food, their service, and their accessibility.

 

I must admit, when I was approached by Shawna Mattinson (editor of Wheels About) if I could contribute a restaurant review for her up and coming magazine, I absolutely relished (pardon the pun) the idea of doing so. You see, this is not just my premiere column for the premiere issue of Wheels About…this is my first restaurant review…ever…and it is truly a dream come true!

I am not a professional writer, nor am I an experienced 

food critic…so why did Shawna ask me! I suppose because she knows me well enough to know that I am a self-professed food fanatic (freak!?) I may be prone to forgetting names but I never forget a meal! Best turkey dinner – Christmas 2001 when Dad splurged and bought fresh instead of frozen (even the leftovers were juicy), freshest sushi I’ve ever had – a quaint little sushi bar on Marine Drive in White Rock British Columbia in the early 1990’s (I may not remember the name of the restaurant but I do remember the food!) I’ve read every edition of John Gilchrest’s “Where to eat in Calgary” (an even own a personally signed copy!), I peruse the latest issue of “Bon 

Appetit” magazine before bed, and I am an experimental (but usually successful) wannabe chef in my own home. Further, I have worked for several years in the food and beverage industry so I have gained a level of expectation as to service standards, presentation, and of course taste!

 

So these are the qualifications I bring to the table (the pun was intended this time!) in my critique of “Tropika Malaysian Cuisine” located in the Madison Condo complex on Centre Street and 15th Ave NE Calgary. It can be a little difficult to find as the restaurant is tucked behind several storefronts (bring extra $$$ for shopping) but, once you arrive, your efforts will be rewarded!

 

Diner’s are greeted with a brilliant water feature, seductive mood lighting, and exotic spices immediately setting a tropiKal tone at TropiKa. Guests are further seduced by an extensive beverage list and dinner menu with tempting colour photographs and tantalizing descriptions.

 

We started with a tasty libation of fresh bananas, cream, rum, and ice…smooth and frothy with a kick! Only a few sips later, we had forgotten about the frigid Calgary winter and were ready to indulge our taste buds with the unique blend of spices and textures of Malaysian cuisine.

 

We bypassed appetizers (to save room for dessert) and headed straight to the entrees. The selection at Tropika is absolutely incredible and somewhat daunting as the menu is about 15+ pages long…especially for someone like me who likes to try as many of the items on a menu as possible! To save my sanity, I opted for the Daulat Tuanku Special – a dinner combination including Malaysian style fried chicken, Kari Lembu, Jumbo Sambal Prawns and Yellow Ginger Rice (all combination plates come with your choice of rice: Coconut, Yellow Ginger, Hainese Chicken,  or Steamed.) I thought the fried chicken would be the most typical item on my plate; however, it was surprisingly tasty with subtly sweet undertones adding depth to its savory flavour. The Kari Lembu (beef curry) added heat to the arrangement and provided a nice sauce to accompany the rice. Most appealing were the Sambal Prawns – they were real jumbo prawns – not the jumbo shrimp that many restaurants try to pass of on us in their prawn dishes – and these were delightfully tasteful and juicy with a fiery crispy coating that added texture to the plate.

Luckily for me, my companions chose dinner combinations of their own – the Putera-Puteri Facourite: satay paired with sweet and sour pork and Sayur Lemak (a blend of vegetables and prawns in a spicy coconut sauce) and the Rasa Sayand Seafood Bonanza – a medley of Spicy Malay Halibut Steak, Jumbo Sambal Prawns and Sayur Lemak. I was successful in sampling a taste of the sweet and sour pork that was a tender reprieve from the heat of some of the other dishes, for fear of receiving a fork in the back of my hand, I was unable to try anything from the seafood dish, but was assured that it was a lovely combination of texture and flavour.

The portions at Tropika are enough to almost dissuade you from ordering dessert…I said almost! Unfortunately, one of the guests had to leave before dessert (handi-bus had arrived). The rest of us shared 3 dessert selections: Jack fruit with Ice Cream, Goreng Pisang, and Pulut Hitam. The Jack Fruit was refreshingly sweet with a mango-y, citrus-y flavour and was a first for all of us. The Goreng Pisang came highly recommended by the server and was a larger portion of battered, fried banana also served with ice-cream, finally, the Pulut Hitam (sweetened black sticky rice with coconut milk) was perhaps the most unusual but also delightful, served warm, with a rice pudding type texture, it was a nice finish before returning to the bitterness of a good Calgary winter.

 

In addition the enjoyable drink, food, and dessert, the service staff at Tropika were reasonably efficient and were extremely respectful towards a guest who uses a wheelchair and who may be difficult to understand clearly when she speaks. Staff discretely, yet effectively, cleared a path between close fitting tables and chairs for easier accessibility and spoke directly too this guest, as opposed to talking over her, when taking food and drink orders, etc. Much to our delight – one server, who began to “talk over” our guest, quickly corrected himself and redirected his questions appropriately.

 

Tropika staff were also very helpful in giving accurate descriptions of food items and the colour photos presented in the menus are also beneficial to those who may not be able to read the fine print.

 

So, go TropiKal at TropiKa – enjoy fine drinks, exotic food, and elegant ambience in a welcoming and accommodating locale available to all guests!