Blue Man Group, Dinner at Bouchon, and the Bellagio Fountain -- I heart Vegas

We had the best day today. After getting a great night's sleep last night, I was so ready to have some fun.

We started the day with breakfast at the MGM Grand Buffet. I think that at certain times they get huge crowds, so there are actually ticket booths and velvet cord lines set up at the entrance. You pay your 'admission' and then get seated. The breakfast buffet had everything you can imagine for breakfast as well as some things you'd never consider (crab salad? Um, no.). I had one half of an Eggs Benedict (they were all set out in a steam tray, yet perfectly made), smoked salmon, watermelon, canteloupe, and strawberries. For $13, it was a very good deal.

Our CEO arrived today from Toronto to do some sales calls, so a few of us went for a drink after work. I always panic when I need to decide what to drink, so I picked the first thing that I recognized on the menu: a Manhattan. This was a pretty strong drink to have on a empty stomach, especially when everyone else had beer or wine. We only stayed for one (good thing, since I was smashed) because Cameron had sweetly gotten us free tickets to see Blue Man Group.

I had wanted to walk down the Strip a bit since I hadn't seen it at all yet. We started at our hotel and walked north in the direction of the Venetian where the show was being held. Immediately across the street from MGM Grand is New York New York, which is an enormous hotel complex built to resemble New York City. I know this sounds gaudy, but the scale of it was magnificent. There were replicas of the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building, and Empire State Building. And the craziest thing was that intertwined in between the skyscrapers was a functioning roller coaster. We walked as far as Bally's and then hopped on the monorail that goes to all the major casinos on the Strip. We just barely made it to the show on time. We were literally running to the box office to get our tickets before the show started.

Blue Man Group itself was a decent show. The crowd was so into being there and participating that it broke my heart. I was much more subdued. The physical comedy was funny and the musicians were great. I think I had my expectations set a bit too high, but nevertheless we had a good time.

By the time we got out of the show it was 9:15 and we were starving. I'd read so much about Thomas Keller (head chef at the very famous and well respected French Laundry), that I was dying to go to his Vegas restaurant, Bouchon, which was happily also in the Venetian. We had a bit of a hard time finding it at first. We wandered into a part of the hotel complex that is modelled to look like the Piazza San Marco in Venice except that instead of museums and cafes, you have restaurants and high end shopping. The ceiling is painted to look like the midday sky so it always daytime in there. There is also an actual canal that snakes in between the shops and restaurants where you can take a real gondola ride complete with gondolier. Insane.

Earlier in the afternoon, I had looked at some message boards to see what everyone thought of Bouchon. There were equal numbers of good and bad reviews, so I figured it was worth a try. And when else am I going to be able to eat at a Thomas Keller restaurant? The food was excellent and the service was friendly and attentive. Jeff had steak frites and I had slow-cooked veal breast with polenta and forest mushrooms. The veal was incredibly soft and flavourful and the mushrooms were meaty and delicious. We didn't drink at dinner tonight, so it was actually pretty affordable compared to last night.

We walked all the way back to the hotel and got to see all the famous hotels in their glittering nighttime glory. The weather here is so mild that it doesn't feel like you are outside at all. I think the air temperature is the same as body temperature. And the streets are so clean. Walking down the Strip feels like being on a movie set.

By chance, just as we were passing the Bellagio, the fountain display began. You may have seen it at the end of the movie Ocean's Eleven (the re-made version with George Clooney). They play music while the show is going on and I know it may sound cheesy, but it really was beautiful. I took two short videos of the display. The first one shows the more subtle part of the show and the second one displays the dramatic finish. We're hoping to see it again before we go, but on the right side of the street.

Jeff and I are planning on going to see the Cirque du Soleil show called 'O'. It's a show that can only been seen in Vegas because the set is a huge water tank. Apparently, the performers are world-class acrobats, synchronized swimmers, and divers and they perform in, on, and above the water. I'm so excited to see it.

Well, I'd better get to bed so that I can play hard tomorrow. I took tonnes of pictures today. If you'd like to see them, please click here.

First Day at the Las Vegas Office

After a horrible night's sleep totalling about 3 hours, bathed in the green glow of the MGM Grand, Jeff and I started our first work day in Las Vegas. Everyone here is on vacation, of course, and is dressed in tank tops, shorts, and flip flops so we seem incredibly overdressed in our business casual attire. We met for breakfast at 7:30AM at the Studio Cafe, which is one of about 20 restaurants available in this hotel. Jeff had a hearty breakfast burrito, but I was feeling a bit delicate and shaky after such little sleep, so I had vanilla yogurt and berries, which was actually delicious and filling. Even though it was 7-ish in the morning, there were plenty of people in the casino playing poker and slots and drinking alcohol. We think they were actually left over from last night.

We met Chris (VP) and took a cab to our Las Vegas office. Our Vegas branch has only four employees, so it's a modest space in one of those very open air looking low rises that you see in cities with warm climates. One entire wall is lined with windows with a view of palm trees and the distant mountain range.

The project manager, Cameron, is from Toronto, but the rest of the employees are American. So, he has taken it upon himself to inject a little Canadiana into the office. For example, the server is named 'Celine' and she has a lucky bottle of maple syrup that keeps her from crashing. A very American touch is the aerosol can of Easy Cheese (yes, it really exists) that gets moved from cubicle to cubicle depending on who deserves punishment.

Everyone at the Vegas office is very friendly and a lot of fun. They're a really good group and they're doing such a good job supporting our Vegas clients. It turns out that Jeff and I will most likely not have direct contact with any clients while we are here. We will be supporting our guys only, which takes a lot of pressure off us.

With the time change, Daylight Savings, and the sleep deprivation, this was the longest day ever for me. I hit the wall at about 1PM and it was all I could do to stay awake. At about 5 we headed back to the hotel and went for dinner at Shibuya, a very swank sushi restaurant in our hotel. Happily, Jeff likes Japanese food too. We had miso soup, edamame, dragon rolls, and something called Shibuya rolls. I felt like having some sake so I asked the waiter to choose a sweet-ish one for us, which turned out to be $49 for a small carafe! I charged the entire meal to my room. It didn't feel so expensive that way.

Jeff isn't a big drinker so I had the lion's share of the sake and I'm a little tipsy. I'm looking forward to a nice, deep, 8-hour sleep to get me back on track.

Rumour has it that Cameron can get us tickets to see Blue Man Group. Neither of us has seen it before, so hopefully it'll work out. We also want to walk up the strip and check out all the other big hotels. Jeff came here last year and he says that I haven't seen anything yet. I'm looking forward to it. Vegas is fun. Goodnight everyone.

Made it to Las Vegas

It's 3am Toronto time, but somehow I am still awake. Young Jeff and I are safe and sound in the larger-than- life MGM Grand Hotel on the Las Vegas strip.

The flight was a piece o' cake (less than 4 hours). This was my first time on WestJet and let me tell you that those commercials about how friendly the attendants are is not propaganda -- it's true. It's so disorienting after taking Air Canada for so long. I dozed through most of the flight listening to Woody Allen standup on my iPod. I find him very soothing.

I lucked out and was seated on the right (starboard) side of the plane that had a great view of the strip as we were landing. I took a short video of it and uploaded it to YouTube. Sorry I didn't zoom in further. At one point, you'll see an enormous green-lit hotel and that's where I am as we speak. The entire building is bathed in green spotlights, so when you enter your room there is an alien glow.

As soon as you step of the plane in Vegas, there are slot machines right there in the airport. In the arrivals area. I guess some people can't wait to start.

The MGM Grand, from what I have seen so far, is enormous. the check-in desk is 100 yards long and has a wall of screens behind the clerks advertising the shows that are playing. It's very weird to be travelling on business to a place where people go to have fun. Hopefully, we'll have time for fun too.

My hotel room is very modern, clean, and comfortable. There are black and white movie posters on the walls to keep me company and the room is tastefully decorated. I have a great view of the other hotels on the strip, but it's hard to see at night because of the green glow. I bet it will look smashing tomorrow morning.

Well, I have to meet Jeff in 6 hours to hunt down breakfast, so I'd better get to bed. I hope Jeff will be as patient with the incessant picture taking as Marcelo was when we were in India. So far he has been a doll. Goodnight all.

Leaving (for) Las Vegas...

Well, after all my naysaying, the trip is back on. I leave tomorrow (Sunday) at 8:45PM and come back next Saturday on the 'red eye' at 7AM. Our client made the final decision just this Thursday, so I'm rushing around trying to get ready. In that way, it feels a lot like preparing for the India trip. So, today will be full of laundry, packing, getting US cash, and rushing out to the store for last-minute things. Hopefully, tomorrow will just be going for a run with Darcy and prepping to meet the client. What we will actually be doing there is a little fuzzy, so it's hard to prepare for. I'm trying not to work myself into a frenzy.

It's still unconfirmed where we will be staying in Las Vegas. The last I heard was that it could be MGM Grand, which looks very swank and very Vegas (the hotel has 3000 rooms), or Circus Circus, which sounds just insane, doesn't it? It has an RV park and houses the 'World's Largest Permanent Circus'. I can't even fathom this.

So, I'd better get to it. I hope to have Internet access from my hotel room, so I'll try to take pictures and blog while I'm there. Have a great week everyone.

I can't believe I bought tickets to see Phantom of the Opera

Ugh, buyer's remorse. When I found out that Phantom of the Opera was going to be put on by Mirvish this year, I thought I might like to go. My dad bought the soundtrack back when I was a kid and my dreamy, teenage self listened to it constantly. I was so hyped up for actually seeing it in person that when the time came (in university, I think, although I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it or whom I went with), I was on the edge of my seat and cried through the whole thing.

My sister is coming down at the end of March, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to go since Darcy would rather die. So, I bought the only pair of tickets left (and only available to Amex cardholders -- you should get one just for this purpose) for $100/each plus service charge and they aren't even the best seats in the house. Am I going to see U2?

I thought of all the less glitzy theatre companies I could have patronized instead, like Soulpepper and CanStage, and saw something more interesting for a fraction of the price. Soulpepper is now located in the charming Distillery District, which is a lovely place to spend an evening (although don't eat there. It's totally overpriced and underwhelming).

Alas, tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. I kind of thought that going to see it would be sort of like visiting Montreal in the summer -- it would make me feel 21 again. I know. I know. Well, I'm going to go and enjoy. I'm going to positively wallow in the cheesiness. It'll be the equivalent of eating icing right out of the jar.

Skate while you can! Rinks close on March 18th.

So, I found out this afternoon that most outdoor skating rinks, including Nathan Philips Square, will be closing for the season on March 18. So, -19°C or not, we had to go tonight.

The great thing about skating in -19°C weather is that the rink is practically deserted. Even the skating 'lifeguard' guy was huddled next to the changeroom building. But, it was beautiful and sunny, and skating is a great way to catch up with a friend without spending a penny.

Pretty much anyone you talk to in Toronto hates winter, but I love it. When we were in India, I fantasized about clean, cold winter air. Even though spring is around the corner, we've been getting some pretty crazy weather over the past week. Last Thursday, we had a great blizzard that bad enough for my company to send us home at 3pm. I stayed until 5 anyways to avoid the congestion (everyone leaves at 3PM on a snow day), and took some videos of the storm downtown, in Bloor West Village, and in our neighbourhood. To see them, click the links.

In the dead of winter (late Jan-early Feb), Toronto holds a winter festival. This year, as part of the festival, they had an exhibit called Paintings Below Zero, which was housed outside in a tent next to the rink at Nathan Philips Square. While the exhibit was on, Diane and I had our first skating date of the season, so I took some pictures, which I hadn't posted yet. The pieces were all basically coloured ice, which was pretty but not as spectacular as ice sculptures. Nevertheless, the pictures came out great, so I thought you all might like to see them.

Winter is officially over on March 21, so enjoy while you can. I know that sounds obnoxious, but I mean it! Drink in that fresh air.

Coming to you not from Las Vegas

Well, our client in Vegas is having a hard time deciding if and when they want us to visit. So, I'm currently waiting for their decision. I was supposed to be there this week, but it got changed to the week after, then perhaps midweek to midweek, etc. So, I'm not holding my breath. Either way it is fine because work has been quite busy since the new year, and I could use a little down time.

On the bright side, it forced me to go out and buy new clothes, which I hardly ever do. I usually wear things to death and then all of a sudden notice that the jacket I have on is from 1999.

I'm supposed to go skating tonight with Diane at Nathan Philips Square, but the temperature is dropping, it's snowing, and the wind is gusting at 63km/h. We're going to do an assessment at 4:30PM and decide then, but Diane is a brave girl so I think we'll probably nut up and go. I love skating outside in the winter. And skating on the rink at Nathan Philips Square surrounded on all sides by the glittering office towers is as close to Rockefeller Centre as I'm going to get. And it's free.