Today’s the first day of the six-week summer session at MUN. My first history class was about to begin (about half an hour ago) when the Arts and Administration Building’s fire alarm — a mid-pitch droning sound, very futuristic — began to sound. 

Instead of chaos and anarchy, people in the Arts and Admin evacuated sedately, expressions of polite bewilderment on the faces of the academic types the building houses. 

Campus Enforcement showed up and started sweeping the building, followed by the fire department. Judging by the atmosphere of less-than-urgency, I think it’s a safe assumption that the offices of the president et. al. are safe. 

According to an email from MUN Communications, it appears to be a false alarm and those are known to happen from time to time. The whole thing probably amounts to a walk from history class and an unplanned fire drill. 

Local filmmaking wunderkind Stephen Dunn, director of the Cannes-approved 48-Hour Film Project winner The Hall, is in the running for another big award. 

This past September Dunn was invited to participate in the Toronto International Film Festival Talent Lab, a workshop that threw talented young filmmakers and Hollywood legends into the same cage. Dunn’s mentors for the lab included the likes of Danny Boyle, Miranda July, and — this jealous blogger’s personal favourite — Tilda Swinton. 

Participants of the lab were given a camera and a shoestring budget and were sent forth to make a short film based on the theme of water. 

Dunn’s creation Swallowed, starring Meghan Greeley of Crackie fame, has been selected as one of the five finalists. It’s in the running for $50,000 in prizes: First place will carry off $15,000; second will get $10,000; and third will receive $5,000. 

Who decides which film will win top honours and be screened as a fan favourite at the 2010 TIFF? YOU do. 

Just follow this link, watch the five finalists, and vote for your favourite. Dunn’s is a haunting, beautiful film that highlights Newfoundland’s austere splendor, and I absolutely love it. I think you probably will too. 

The TIFF understands it’s hard to get anybody to do anything for nothing, so there’s a chance to snag a prize of your own, worth $5,000. 

As an extra bonus, Dunn has promised a treat of his own on his vlog, Friend in a Box. Check it out. 

For some reason, Korean food hasn’t ever seemed to get a foothold in Canada. In more major conurbations, you’ll obviously find a few places specializing in Korean cuisine, but it’s nowhere near as iconic or ubiquitous as its neighbours Japanese or Chinese.

Which is a shame, because Korean food is delicious, exotic, and very healthy.

A fresh addition to the growing number of international restaurants on east Duckworth Street, J Korean Restaurant opened its doors on May 21. I went to check it out for lunch today and was thrilled: The place has all the makings of a classic.

The dining room has been beautifully decorated with bold, dark colours and tasteful furniture, with a much-nicer-than-average bar (though as of press time they hadn’t gotten their liquor license).

I decided on a dumpling soup and tempura-style shrimp for a starter. The soup was delicious: it was light and flavorful, with delicious dumplings, glass noodles, seaweed, and other vegetables floating in a rich broth. My shrimp was a perfect combination of crispy and fluffy, served with a compelling dipping sauce.

Midway through my appetizers, the owner Julia (for whom, one assumes, the restaurant is named) came over to my table and thanked me for coming. She asked if I’d be interested in trying some kimchi, the spicy fermented cabbage Koreans use as a condiment for virtually everything. J’s version of kimchi was near perfect; it had the earthy, spicy flavour of quality kimchi and was rounded out with the addition of fresh cucumbers. I had to get several refills.

My main arrived beautifully presented in a compartmentalized tray. It consisted of rice, a vegetable salad, cold glass noodles, a delicious pickled something (a radish, maybe), and some truly sublime bulgogi. Bulgogi is barbequed marinated beef, a classic Korean dish, and J’s was fabulous. Combined with sticky rice and kimchi, it was the most satisfying lunch I’ve had in ages.

The prices are comparable with other Asian restos around town, and they also do takeout. J Korean Restaurant is a very welcome addition to the culinary scene in St. John’s, and it should do very well if the ever-more-adventurous public in town have anything to do with it.

Photos: Liam Kavanagh

Last week I went into a café on Water Street and had rabbit and mushroom soup, roasted quail, and caesar salad: It ran me less that $20. Based on a hard-learned lesson at the Toronto airport involving discount veal, I usually avoid reasonably-priced exotic meat. But the rabbit soup was rich, hearty, and delicious, and my quail was cooked to succulent perfection by an obviously expert hand.

So where did I have this maxim-busting, budget-optimizing dining experience?

It was at Bistro Sofia, a relatively new addition to the St. John’s culinary landscape, helmed by Gregory Bersinsky — erstwhile chef at the now-legendary Vault.

Bistro Sofia occupies the space the short-lived Coffee Matters Too once did, but there’s [almost] no sign of the garish decor — complete with one-quarter-size reproduction of Michelangelo’s David — the former boasted.

Not pictured: the vibe-killing Coke cooler

The Euro-styled bistro seems much more suited to the cavernous Water Street location. On offer are daily specials, a wide variety of panini, and a surfeit of remarkable pastry selections, and it’s all quite modestly priced.

Gourmet-calibre food [remember, in their former restaurant, Sofia's chefs served such decadences as butter-poached veal tenderloin] at wallet-friendly prices is just one example of the cultural revolution I’ve observed in St. John’s over the past decade.

When I first moved here, the international food scene featured a couple of Indian restaurants and a few Chinese places serving the ever-authentic standbys of chicken balls and fried rice. Now, Duckworth Street is a veritable International Avenue. Delicious Pan-Asian fare is available at nearly a dozen places. My favourite is a bowl of Seoul dumpling soup, a remarkably accurate take on urban Korean comfort food, available cheaply at Asian Taste.

Not to be outdone by the international joints, places like Aqua specialize in innovative dishes featuring fresh local ingredients.

In the summer months, the St. John’s Farmers’ Market is filled to capacity every Saturday, with vendors selling local produce, Afro-Carib food, arts and crafts, and baked goods. Hell, there’s even one vendor serving up authentic Turkmenistani cuisine.

Food aside, the arts scene in the city seems to be flourishing more than ever. Local film and television productions like Crackie and the ever-present Republic of Doyle seem to showcase the finest in local talent, all the while presenting the city and province spectacularly.

Cultural events like the Nickel Film Festival, the RPM Challenge, the 24HAM, and innumerable others speak to the ever-increasing cultural vibrance and livability of the capital city.

The huge outpouring of dissent toward the proposed downtown Fortis developments shows a sense of pride among the city’s citizens and a possessiveness of its historical and esthetic value.

Perhaps as a result of the province’s inexorable march towards prosperity, the air seems to vibrate with an atmosphere of hope and confidence that I couldn’t really detect when I first moved here.

Whatever it is, I think more than ever we’re seeing the new St. John’s, a cosmopolitan capital with a distinct cultural identity. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of Canada sees it that way too.

If you’re driving in the university area this morning, heads up: The lights at the intersection of Elizabeth and Westerland are out.

It’s probably got something to do with the ridiculous winds out there (which I guess is the price we St. Johnsites pay for a sunny day in late November).

I’m pleased to report that, at least when I was walking by, drivers were handling the situation in an orderly fashion.

Be careful out there!

In November, Prince Charles and his buxom bride Camilla will be visiting Newfoundland’s shores, VOCM reports.

Anyone expecting us St. John’s-ites to be excited about the royal family’s umpteenth visit to Canada is likely going to be sorely disappointed.

Or maybe that’s just me. For almost my whole life I’ve questioned the relevance of the Windsors to modern-day Canada. In 2009, what viable role do they serve, save representing an unearned, decadent pseudo-plutocracy in a nation not our own?

I imagine the man who will one day be Supreme Governor of the Anglican Church and his devoted wife will tour all the hotspots in town: Cape Spear, Cabot Tower, The Rooms. Hell, they’ll probably hit Velma’s.

And, in truth, I imagine they’ll be warmly received by cheering crowds and smiling politicians. But what will these people be cheering for?

While the Windsors may grease the cogs of a parliamentary system which admittedly works pretty well in Canada, they also represent British classism and colonialism. In short, the whole thing seems archaic, undemocratic, and ultimately obsolete.

What have the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall done for me lately?

.[Image via]

Brigitte Bardot, France’s first lady of shrill shit-disturbing, is calling for a boycott of Canadian maple syrup, the CBC reports.

I hope I’m not the only one who sees a glaring disconnect in her logic. I mean, surely she’s not sitting there, furrowing her haggard old brow, thinking “yes, the best way to show those barbaric Canadians we won’t stand for their seal slaughter is to put their maple syrup producers out of business.”

It’s beyond bullshit. Having lent her (inexplicably existent) clout to this divisive issue for years, one would think Bardot’s desire to drive the salt of the earth Canadian hunters into insolvency would have been sated with the EU ban on seal products.

Of course, it would be a lot easier to take her seriously if she weren’t a huge racist.

At this point, though, hasn’t Canada (and particularly Newfoundland) taken enough flack for the seal hunt? I mean, we don’t hear Bardot calling for a boycott on tapas, crappy techno, or cava, yet Spain’s bullfighting and the running of the bulls during the feast of San Fermin are arguably far more barbarous AND pointless.

If the seal hunt ever needed to be abolished, it’d be because of the astonishing amount of bad press Canada gets as a direct result. I’m not blaming the seal hunt for the manias of this washed-out harpy, but seriously, the maple syrup industry is an innocent bystander here. How could anyone have a problem with maple syrup?

Located directly across Allendale Road from Burton’s Pond, Taste East, Inc. at first glance resembles one of a seemingly countless number of hole-in-the-wall superettes scattered around St. John’s.

Its blue brick exterior and the ubiquitous Labatt’s ads on the awning give the store an unassuming, neighbourly appearance.

Once inside, however, you can be sure it’s a very different kind of store than somewhere like Breen’s or Hallidays.

Immediately, the aroma of exotic spices and curried food will hit you as you walk through the door.

Taste East, which opened its doors last July in the location of the old Allandale Mini Mart, is a testament to the growing international population in the city.

It specializes in Middle-Eastern and South Asian grocery products, including spices you won’t be able to find elsewhere in the city — I found fenugreek and some exotic looking curry blends from Pakistan and Baltistan — and intriguing sweets, juices and snacks.

The grocery also has a take-out section, and I get the feeling that what’s cooking changes day by day. Today’s offerings were samosas — veggie, chicken, or beef — which were served with a fresh, very spicy cilantro chutney, chicken biryani, a spicy beef curry, and beef kebabs.

I’ve always judged a town by the quality of its takeout, and it looks like the international population is representing itself well in Taste East: This was the best Indian food I’ve had in town, prepared simply and unpretentiously, and it was totally authentic. The best part was, my meal came to less than $15, including a drink, and there was more of it than I could possibly have eaten.

They also sell fresh beef, goat, and lamb, which comes from local sources. Freshness is virtually assured, since it is butchered according to halal requirements.

Taste East has a local source for halal chicken as well.

If you’re a fan of preparing your own curries, this would be a great place to stock up on some fresh, authentic ingredients. It’s also a great alternative to the usual takeout standbys.

[Pepper image via]