Off-topic: where to eat in New York City and Toronto.

          

Sorry for my sudden disappearance over the past month or so. As many of you know I took a little break to get married and go on honeymoon. So from now on “hubby-to-be” shall be referred to as “hubby”.

Coming back from the longest break I’ve ever had (almost a month) hit me quite hard. I didn’t realise that throwing myself back into work after a fourteen-hour trip (accompanied by the dreaded jetlag) would be this difficult. It took me a while to adjust to my normal routine, but here I am, ready to take on the blogosphere like never before!

Over the next month or so, I’ll occasionally upload a post with tips for anyone who’s interested in exploring New York City and Toronto (yes, we opted for quite an unusual honeymoon, but then again, we love culture, art, food and big cities).

Let’s start with our biggest passion: FOOD!

Best meals in New York City: Wolfgang’s Steakhouse (juiciest porterhouse steak ever) and Spice Market (delicious fusion food, tasty cocktails and a magical atmosphere right by the High Line Park in the Meatpacking District)

Best meals in Toronto: Bannock (trendy, loungy restaurant in the shopping area, try the poutine and the chicken pot pie!) and The Boiler House (trendy restaurant in the Distillery District; the food is good, but not spectacular, but the atmosphere and service make up for that)

Best burgers in New York City: strangely enough we had the best burgers on Ellis Island (at the Immigration Museum)

Best burgers in Toronto: for a quick, casual meal head to Casey’s (don’t forget to try one of the yummy cocktails)

Biggest letdowns in New York City: Katz Delicatessen (bland food, seriously overpriced) and The Burger Joint at the Parker Méridien (Anthony Bourdain considers this the best burger joint in NYC; how much did he get paid to say that?! The atmosphere is nice though, very unusual)

Biggest letdown in Toronto: Ethiopiques (I was really eager to try Ethiopian food, but this place was filthy (there was a fly in my water and hair on my plate, and the walls hadn’t been painted in years), the service was slow (there were only about ten customers so we don’t really understand why it took the waitress - we think she doubles as a “wannabe chef” - half an hour to get us our drinks (oh and she even got our order wrong); the food was really, really bland (isn’t Ethiopian food supposed to be extremely tasty?) and overall it was a disappointing experience.

How to save on food in New York City: splurge as much as you can, because New York City has so much to offer, but if you’re looking to save a few “bucks” try cart food. It’s tasty and cheap! Another alternative is to buy a salad and drinks at a 24-hour pharmacy and/or grocery store (try Duane Reade and the Food Emporium). Avoid places like TGIF (we tried the one in Times Square and I must say it was the most disgusting food ever, not to mention expensive) and Wendy’s (unless you like greasy, soggy burgers).

How to save on food in Toronto: we recommend Urban Eatery, the food court at the Eaton Centre, where you’ll find dozens of self-service restaurants – sandwiches, pizza, poutine, burgers, salads, Thai, Chinese, vegetarian… and of course coffee!

Something very peculiar in New York City and Toronto is the fact that restaurants charge a small fortune for bottled water (it took us a few days to understand why no one was drinking bottled water, and why we were paying 8 to 12 dollars a bottle). Restaurants serve free “ice water”, which is basically tap water with ice cubes. You get as many refills as you like and it doesn’t taste all that bad. We used to drink wine and/or cocktails with some ice water on the side.

Best rooftop bar in New York City: 230 Fifth has it all: amazing views, delicious drinks and beautiful people

Nice beer pub in Toronto: enjoy a casual evening (playing board games or pool) with a pint of beer at C’est What

Maltese food in Toronto: yes, MALTESE pastizzi, Kinnie and other delicacies… at Malta Bake Shop. Worth a visit if you’re in the area!

That’s it for now. Bon appétit!

A few little extras below...

The best espresso in NYC @ Eataly

No comment @ some random Canadian supermarket

Junk food with a view @ the Niagara Falls

Trilingual?! – Because I get this question a lot.

So let’s clear this up once and for all. My mum’s Italian. My dad’s Belgian. I was born and raised in Belgium, but I travelled a lot, mainly to Italy and the UK. My dad’s Belgian, but London and all things English run through his veins (long story). And now I live in Malta, a.k.a. the rock.

At home I spoke Italian and English. At school I spoke Dutch. Does that make me trilingual? I suppose so. It’s a very unusual situation, I know. And people just don’t get it. Many are skeptical, and I don’t blame them. How can you speak three languages fluently? How can you feel comfortable switching between them? Which one’s your mother tongue? Does your voice change according to the language you speak?

First things first: I feel more Italian than Belgian. My readers know that I have a penchant for il bel paese. Unfortunately I was born in the wrong country. Not that I don’t like Belgium, ma non mi fa né caldo né freddo. I don’t miss it at all. And I certainly don’t miss speaking Dutch. It’s a language that makes me feel uncomfortable. Whenever I meet my colleagues in Belgium I feel awkward knowing I have to speak Dutch. But when they hear me talk – or when they read my translations – nothing gives away my lack of confidence. Or so they say.

I consider Italian to be my mother tongue. Apparently I dream in Italian. Once my dad woke me up, in English, and I mumbled something in Italian. Hubby-to-be and I speak mostly English – although when we first met, we’d switch between English and Italian; there was no logic, yet it worked. When we argue, I switch to Italian and he switches to Maltese. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t. It comes naturally. Our house is a happy mishmash of North and South.

Hubby-to-be says my voice sounds “better” and “sweeter” (whatever that may mean) when I speak Italian, con la cadenza veneta. It’s less harsh, probably because Italian calls for a softer, more rounded pronunciation. My English has probably been influenced by Minglish* over the past few years. My Dutch has a hint of Gents in it.

So why do I write in English? No idea. Just like shouting comes natural in Italian, writing comes natural in English. The brain works in mysterious ways. Maybe one day I’ll decide to write in Italian or in Dutch, but for now English it is.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. My parents should be very proud of themselves. Not because I speak three languages, but because I’m so happy being who I am and doing what I do. Languages are my passion, and they instilled that in me. They taught me the importance of communication. They urged me to keep perfecting my skills. They made me the optimistic “trilingual” person I am today. Grazie mammina. Thank you daddy.

* the English spoken in Malta

Words I love

Today’s post is a little different. Since I work with languages all day, every day, I thought I’d share my favourite words with you – and explain why I love them so much. I’m not going to include the translations, because that would turn you into a lazy reader. I like a challenge, and therefore I challenge you to find out the meaning of the words you don’t know. Not by using Google Translate, but by finding a native speaker who can help you out. I said this in an earlier post: I like personal contact more than I like computers, so make this your task of the day. Communicate. Discover. And look at language from a totally different perspective. Pronounce these words, try to give them your very own meaning. Use them in a sentence. Find synonyms and antonyms. Have fun!

By the way, the languages are in no particular order.

Dutch

Sowieso: a tricky one – many native speakers can’t even spell this word. I think it’s trendy. It makes me feel young and dynamic.

Genieten: it doesn’t sound as peaceful and relaxing as it should, yet it conveys a certain calmness.

English

Gizmo: the name of my adorable dog and such a unique word. A tad aggressive and buzzing.

Odd: I use this one a lot (you’ve probably noticed). It’s short and powerful. And a little quirky.

Italian

Affascinante: passion, beauty, Italy at its best. Sexy, but not vulgar. Blissful. Reminds me of romantic restaurants in the Trastevere district of Rome.

Cucciolo: cuteness overload. Perfectly rounded pronunciation, I always say this with a baby voice. It reminds me of years gone by, green fields, blue skies and daisies.

Maltese

Ejja: when I moved here, I vowed never to include this in my repertoire. Alas, I have failed. It’s so typically Maltese. It perfectly reflects the local lifestyle, a little laissez-faire and a little rushed, but always cheerful.

Hanini: another word I thought (and hoped) I would never use. Adorable.

French

Bonjour: this word makes me smile. In fact, my first e-mail of the day always starts with “bonjour” regardless of the recipient. It’s French but international. It’s elegant and sweet.

Bonbon: how cute is this? Playful, delicious and a teeny-weeny bit childish, but in a good way.

Why not make a list of your favourite words? If you had to define a language using only two words, which ones would you opt for and why? What do you associate your favourite words with?

Aha, the roof!

Malta has two official languages: English and Maltese. And most people also speak, or at least understand, Italian. For those of you who don’t know where Malta is: it’s right below Sicily. It’s tiny, but it has the history of a giant – temples older than Stonehenge, a marvellous capital city that showcases centuries of art, and one church or chapel for every day of the year. And it also has its very own language!

Republic Street, Valletta

When I moved here, I thought communication wouldn’t be a big issue, since everyone is supposed to speak English. FAIL. Maltese is really and truly the first language. It’s a really strange, but fascinating language - a mix of English, Italian and Arabic. I figured I have to at least know what people around me are saying. So I threw a notepad and a pen in my handbag and headed to the University of Malta, where I completed two courses in Maltese for foreigners. An unforgettable experience.

After that, I puckered up the courage to occasionally communicate with the locals in their native language. I feel it’s more respectful for me to adapt to them, than the other way around. That proved to be quite a challenge. No course can prepare you for real-life conversations. And believe it or not, there are different accents in Maltese – when you go to Gozo, Malta’s sister island, the tone completely changes and some words become incomprehensible. 

And this is Gozo

When hubby-to-be, a.k.a. the Malteser, and I bought our flat, we had quite a few workers coming in and out of our very first home. One of the first things that needed to be installed was the telephone line, otherwise there was no way for me to work. And that’s when I realised that knowing at least some basic Maltese can be a godsend. The technician spoke no English at all. Nothing. So he mumbles something and all I understand is “bejt”. Aha, bejt – I know what that means: roof. So we go up to the roof – five floors, in complete silence. God, this lift is slow. Here we are, standing on the roof, staring at each other. Awkward smile. Jiena nofs Belgjana u nofs Taljana. Nistudja l-Malti l-università. Imma mhux faċli…* (“I’m half Belgian and half Italian. I’m studying Maltese at university. It’s not easy.”). End of conversation. Reschedule appointment. Preferably with an English-speaking installer.

Maltese. Be honest, it doesn't look easy, does it?

Today, I can safely say that my Maltese has improved dramatically. Not to the point where I can keep up with an entire discussion. But I understand a lot. I’m still a bit uncomfortable speaking this odd language, though. My intonation is that of a drunk Italian and I invent words, usually by adding a “u” to Italian words – for some reason my brain thinks that Maltese is an offshoot of Sardinian. Mhux hekk?

* If you’re Maltese, I apologise for butchering your language.